Touch Notation

Touch Notation

Musical score handwriting app

21 ratings
42 reviews
$9.99
In-App Purchases

Details

  • Released
  • Updated
  • March 20, 2015
  • April 3, 2026
Touch Notation video #1 for iPhone
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About

Create musical scores with intuitive touch gestures. Draw notes, add expressions, and play back your compositions with 30 instrument voices. Export your work in various formats.

Handwritten notation input
30 built-in instrument voices
Tempo and dynamics control
Page layout functions
Transpose feature
Multiple export formats (PDF, SMF, MusicXML)
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What's New in Touch Notation

1.2.6

April 3, 2026

This update from Apple will improve the functionality of this app. No new features are included. Minor fixes

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10

In-App Purchases

$2.99

Sound Set: Full

Allows the selection of 160 different sounds (divided into 10 categories) to be used as a part voice. Note that purchasing the full sound set is more economical that purchasing all individual sound sets.

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User reviews

I REALLY wish y’all would upgrade this app

Great music notation that got me through the years as a music student, the app was simple and not too complicated, but now it’s just glitchy. Kind of disappointing

Horrible

This is easily the worst app I have over used in my life. The input is infuriating. I want my 12 dollars back. Whole notes are often confused for half notes and is is extremely difficult to fix.

Number recognition

For some reason, writing the number ‘5’ isn’t recognised by the software. It’s good for simple transcriptions and jotting down ideas but not the best for a full on composition.

Too Fiddly

I had this app for a few years. I thought it was pretty handy for jotting down short musical ideas. However it is a very fussy programme and frequently requires multiple attempts to get the notes or other annotation down. Sometimes I had to just give up trying to change time signatures, adding tests or accidentals. Which can be extremely irritating. So irritating in fact that I sadly had to delete the app altogether, life being too short.
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Garbage

Poor interface. Notes disappear. This is a total ripoff.

Developer apps

FAQ

What is Touch Notation?

Touch Notation is a powerful application designed for creating musical scores using intuitive touch gestures. It allows users to draw notes and symbols directly onto a staff, which are then instantly rendered as beautifully written notation. The app also includes playback functionality with 30 built-in instrument voices.

What are the key features of Touch Notation?

Key features include direct handwritten input of a wide variety of musical symbols, the ability to enter musical expressions for tempo and dynamics, layout functions like page breaks, and a convenient transpose feature. Scores can be exported in PDF, SMF, MusicXML, and ScoreMaker formats.

How much does Touch Notation cost?

The application is a paid app, meaning there is an upfront cost to purchase and download it from the app store. Specific pricing details can be found on the app's store page.

What devices is Touch Notation compatible with?

The app is designed for touch devices, particularly optimized for iPads. While it supports drum notation, other types like rhythm notation and tab notation are not supported. Older devices may experience performance issues with very complex scores.

What are common use cases for Touch Notation?

Common use cases include composing new music, arranging existing pieces, creating practice scores, and quickly jotting down musical ideas. Composers can easily experiment with different notations and playback options, and then share their work with others.