# Tonality: Music Theory — Chords, scales, and much more! > Music theory reference for chords, scales, ear training, and composition. (iPhone/iPad app by Bryce Hostetler.) - Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/tonality-music-theory/id1467552236 (this page in markdown: same URL + `.md`) - Developer: [Bryce Hostetler](https://appshunter.io/developer/1352752190) - Category: Music, Education - Price: $7.99 with in-app purchases - Rating: 4.80/5 from 128 App Store ratings · 74 written reviews indexed - Age rating: 4+ - Requires: iOS 12.0 · 110 MB - Languages: American English - Released: 2019-06-13 - Data updated: 2026-09-02 - Monetization: paid - User reviews in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/tonality-music-theory/id1467552236/reviews.md ## What is Tonality? "Best music app tool I own, period!" "Never downloaded an app so fast in my life" "Excellent app for music theory. It is brilliantly supported by the developer who is continually updating it... The app is indispensable for the reference and learning of music theory." Tonality is the ultimate chord, scale, and general music reference tool for musicians of all skill levels. It allows you to explore a large database of chords and scales and comes with tons of MIDI/AUv3 functionality, including chord pads for composition and performance. NOTE: Tonality will always be a one-time purchase with free upgrades. All IAPs are for tips only. CHORDS: • Chord dictionary with over 1,000 chords for piano and guitar • Listen to a chord by tapping, or arpeggiate by swiping • Reverse search for chords using piano or fretboard • Identify chords from the microphone using a cutting-edge ML algorithm • Search for chords by root, quality, and/or extension • View different inversions and omittable notes • View related scales GUITAR CHORD CHARTS: • View charts for any chord • Supports multiple tunings and instruments (including custom tunings) • Generate voicings by criteria including fret range, number of fingers used, and finger stretch • Left-handed option SCALES: • Scale dictionary with over 1,000 scales • Search for scales by root and name, and filter by various tags • Reverse search for scales using piano or fretboard • View scale degrees and note names • View ascending and descending versions • View all modes and scale chords CIRCLE OF FIFTHS: • Interactive circle of fifths: view key signatures and scales for major and minor keys • Focus on diatonic chords in a given key and view Roman numeral analysis EAR TRAINING: • Learn to recognize notes, melodies, intervals, chords, and scales by ear! • After each session, view what gave you trouble and create a level with just those items • View detailed statistics about each training session and your training history MUSICAL TERMS DICTIONARY: • View musical terms and their definitions/illustrations • Tempo, symbol, articulation, dynamics, and more MUSICAL TYPING KEYBOARD: • Special keyboard for typing and previewing chord symbols • Works wherever iOS keyboard does - enable it from Settings->General->Keyboard->Keyboards->Add New Keyboard... ---- Includes 4 AUv3 MIDI Plugins! ---- CHORD/SCALE IDENTIFICATION: • View the names of the piano chords/scales you play in real time • Record identified chords and export as text/MIDI CHORD PADS: • Add chords via list, scale chords, fretboard, name, or MIDI input • Drag and drop to and from other apps or plugin instances • Full voicing control: edit individual notes' octaves and velocities • Grid sizes from 2x2 to 12x12 • Strum bar for performing arpeggios or individual notes • MIDI trigger mappable with MIDI learn capability • Automation parameters for footpedal control • CC mapping on XY axes • Multiple velocity sensitivity modes • Custom presets can be saved and shared across hosts • Patchstorage integration for community sharing • Export pad sets as MIDI/XML files • Import Scaler chord packs (XML) GRAND STAFF: • View MIDI input in a grand staff in real time • Detects chord names CIRCLE OF FIFTHS: • Control other apps with a circle-of-fifths layout • Modify inversion, octave, extensions, and bass notes on the fly • Auto-voice lead option CUSTOMIZATION/ADVANCED: • Create your own chords, scales, fingerings, ear training levels, and definitions • Show set theory information for any pitch class set, including Forte numbers, pitch constellations, and Tonnetze • Choose the playback instrument (load any .sf2 file) • Choose note naming (English or Solfège) ## Key features - Chord and scale dictionaries - Chord identification from microphone - Interactive Circle of Fifths - Ear training exercises - MIDI and AUv3 plugins - Chord pads for composition ## Pricing and in-app purchases Base price: $7.99. **One-time purchases** | Purchase | Price | Type | | --- | --- | --- | | Small Tip | $0.99 | one-time | | Medium Tip | $2.99 | one-time | | Large Tip | $5.99 | one-time | ## Chart rankings - #111 in Top Paid · Music (US App Store) ## What do users think of Tonality? Overall sentiment: positive **Pros** - 👍 Excellent for music theory learning - 💡 Versatile tool for songwriting - 🚀 Seamless MIDI integration - 🎵 Great for ear training - 🎹 Useful for practicing chords and scales - 🎨 Intuitive and well-designed UI - 💰 Great value for money - 📱 Works well on iPad and iPhone - 🛠️ Constantly improving with updates - 🗣️ Responsive and helpful developer - 🌐 Comprehensive reference tool - 🎧 Useful AUv3 plugins - 🎚️ Customizable chord pads - 🔍 Effective chord/scale identification - 🎼 Good for beginners and advanced users - ♿ Accessible with VoiceOver **Cons** - 🤔 Can be overwhelming for new users - 🎨 Color scheme can be hard on eyes - 🤷‍♂️ Some features not intuitive - 🎶 App icon appearance noted **Commonly reported bugs** - MIDI mappings reset when switching keys - AUv3 version not showing up in AUM - Difficulty assigning pads to MIDI controller - Trouble identifying inverted chords **Most requested features** - Add pedal function for note release - Add arpeggios - Add fingering diagrams - Ability to set global MIDI mappings on pads - Solfege audio unit (fixed and movable do) - Chord progression generator - Mode for practicing music reading - Mac version - Print out or capture of chord sequences - Sustain hold for chord pads - Octave up/down per chord for pads - Easy triggering of pads from external MIDI keyboard - Presets full of chords - Strummer with omnichord type function (range of octaves) - Ability to play back sequences of chords as progressions ## Recent user reviews (10 of 74) All indexed reviews: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/tonality-music-theory/id1467552236/reviews.md ### 5/5 — Best music app working with midi *2026-04-20* I use it a lot while practicing my chords so get instant feedback if I’m playing the right one. I can connect my keyboard to my phone and it just works. The only app I ever bought. No regrets! (Only thing: pedal function could be added, that I can release a a note while my pedal is down and it still gets recognized as being pressed) **Developer response:** The sustain pedal functions this way if you use the AUv3 plugin version! ### 5/5 — Optimal & verständlich *2025-11-23* Optimal & verständlich, gefällt mir sehr gut ### 5/5 — gefällt mir auf Anhieb *2025-09-22* Alles drin, um den theoretischen Aufbau zu erkunden und zu verstehen; toll z. B. die schwebende Palette, um mal schnell drei, vier Akkorde für eine Kadenz auszuprobieren. ### 5/5 — Excellent practice & song writing tool *2025-08-12* I’ve been using Tonality for a few months now. It’s become an important part of my guitar practice toolkit. I’m enjoying the Ear Training. The scale & chord look up tools are just fantastic -> and the guitar/keys/guitar+keys view connects tremendously well to supplement any theory training. Particularly favourite… the pitch detection to chord/scale! This app is worth adding to your toolkit. ### 5/5 — Sets the bar in such apps too high *2025-05-09, version 10.1.1* Absolute gem. If only life was this good all the time. Doesn’t matter what skill level you are at, this is a must have app for anyone interested in learning or expanding their musical prowess. At $7.99, it’s a steal. Kudos to the developer of this app. On a scale of between one and five stars, I’d give it ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️. Edit on May 9, 2025 - The only small nitpicking I have with this app is the color scheme of the app itself. Black font on teal background on different options is extremely hard on my aging eyes. Other than that, the app is still a grand slam. 😊 Thanks for this wonderful app. ### 4/5 — Great App Feature Suggestion *2025-03-30, version 10.1.1* Alright, so I have just started using tonality for chord generation in AUM and I gotta say I really like the simplicity and use for this feature. There is still so much for me to explore within the app. However, with the features I’ve tried so far, I do have one feature suggestion for the chord and scale note generators in this apps chord auv3. So, I have found it a bit frustrating that every time I switch the key my chords or notes are playing in on my pads that it causes my midi mappings to be reset. If there were an ability to simply set global midi mappings on pads within an instance of the auv3 version of the app that would be amazing! Overall, great product, do recommend so far, I would really enjoy this feature thing for streamlining my workflow! Thanks! ### 5/5 — Sets the bar in such apps too high *2025-03-20* Absolute gem. If only life was this good all the time. Doesn’t matter what skill level you are at, this is a must have app for anyone interested in learning or expanding their musical prowess. At $7.99, it’s a steal. Kudos to the developer of this app. On a scale of between one and five stars, I’d give it ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️. **Developer response:** Many thanks! ### 5/5 — Très bien *2025-02-26* Bien utile pour qui découvre son instrument en tâtonnant… cette appli permettra de progresser bien plus vite en jouant des gammes avec les bons accords. De loin la meilleure application « chords and scales (accords et gammes) » : très complète et sans abonnement. Merci ! Achetée début 2025 - 8.99€ **Developer response:** Merci! ### 4/5 — No arpeggios and fingering? *2025-01-21* Arpeggios and the fingering would be a great addition, and im a bit disppointed they aren’t present. I’d assumed that was a given ### 5/5 — Amazing *2024-12-19, version 10.1.1* Such a comprehensive app for helping music theory education and ear training. Brings tears to my eyes to find apps like this. ## Frequently asked questions about Tonality ### What does Tonality: Music Theory do? Tonality: Music Theory is a comprehensive reference tool for musicians. It provides extensive dictionaries of chords and scales, interactive tools like the Circle of Fifths, and ear training exercises to help users learn and reference music theory concepts. ### What are the key features of this app? Key features include a large chord and scale dictionary with over 1,000 entries each, chord identification from microphone input, interactive Circle of Fifths, ear training modules for notes, intervals, and chords, and MIDI/AUv3 plugins for composition and performance. ### How much does Tonality: Music Theory cost? The app is a one-time purchase with free upgrades. Any in-app purchases are solely for optional tips to support the developer. ### What kind of music theory concepts can I learn? You can explore chords and their inversions, different scale types and their modes, key signatures, Roman numeral analysis, and musical terms. The ear training section helps you recognize notes, melodies, intervals, chords, and scales by ear. ### Is this app compatible with my device? The description implies it is an iOS application, as it mentions AUv3 functionality and enabling keyboards from iOS settings. Specific iOS version compatibility would typically be found on the app store page. ## Version history (last 5 releases) ### 10.1.1 — 2023-11-20 Chord/Scale AU: + Fixed scale playback in the identification audio unit ### 10.1 — 2023-02-05 Chord Pads: + Import and export Scaler chord sets (XML format) + Export chord pads directly without first saving as a preset + Drag and drop Tonality chord pad presets (.chordPadPreset) and Scaler chord sets (.xml) onto any chord pad to insert into the current pad set + Bulk export and delete presets + Update Patchstorage API Chord ID: + Drag and drop the notes detected by the mic onto chord pads (or other apps supporting MIDI drag and drop) Circle of Fifths: + Add MIDI thru to audio unit General: + Improve tutorial help text - Fix chord palette positioning on newer iPads when using slide over mode —————————— Previously in 10.0: —————————— Chord ID: + Chord identification via microphone has been improved using a new, cutting-edge machine learning algorithm! + This feature is now available as a search mode on the main chords tab. Access by tapping the magnifying glass icon and selecting “microphone”. The old chord ID tab has been removed. ### 10.0 — 2023-01-27 It’s been a while! This update greatly improves the microphone chord recognition feature using a new, cutting-edge machine learning algorithm. The old chord ID tab has been promoted to a search mode on the main chords page. This update also improves the reliability of custom soundfonts. ### 9.5.2 — 2022-01-27 Chord Pads: - Audio unit no longer confirms before loading a preset if the “unsaved changes” were just empty pads Ear Training: + Improve usability on small iPhone screens ### 9.5.1 — 2022-01-07 Bug fix for sorting chords/scales on iPad ## Apps similar to Tonality | App | Rating | Price | Category | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | [TONALY: Songs, Scales & Theory](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/tonaly-songs-scales-and-theory/id1242467844) | 4.8 (6,323) | Free | Music | | [Piano Chords and Scales](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/piano-chords-and-scales/id714086944) | 4.8 (9,159) | Free | Music | | [Guitar Chord Finder : Fabulus](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/guitar-chord-finder-fabulus/id1559087405) | 4.5 (70) | Free | Music | | [Guitar Scales & Chords Power](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/guitar-scales-and-chords-power/id647000751) | 4.8 (92) | $5.99 | Music | | [Ultimate Guitar: Chords & Tabs](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ultimate-guitar-chords-and-tabs/id357828853) | 4.7 (473,707) | Free | Music | | [Chordify: Songs, Chords, Tuner](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chordify-songs-chords-tuner/id1073624757) | 4.7 (33,502) | Free | Music | ## More apps by Bryce Hostetler - [That Gunk On Your Car](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/that-gunk-on-your-car/id1352752191) All apps by Bryce Hostetler: https://appshunter.io/developer/1352752190 ## Related topics [tonality](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/tonality) · [bryce hostetler](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/bryce-hostetler) · [tonality trainer](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/tonality-trainer) · [tonality pro](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/tonality-pro) · [scaler music](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/scaler-music) --- *Data collected daily from the US App Store and indexed by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/). User reviews are verbatim App Store reviews. Ratings, prices and chart positions refresh continuously; this snapshot is from 2026-09-02.*