Comparison

Sheet Music Reader Halbestunde vs First 5 Notes

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Sheet Music Reader Halbestunde

Transform sheet music into an interactive practice tool. Scan printed music, adjust tempo and key, and export in various formats. Ideal for musicians of all levels to practice more effectively.

Highlights
  • Accurate sheet music scanning
  • Tempo and key transposition
  • Looping for practice sections
  • Export as MusicXML, MIDI, PDF
  • Lyrics and voice support
  • Multi-instrument playback options
Features
Currently charting
Read full description

TURN YOUR SHEET MUSIC INTO INTERACTIVE PRACTICE ▶ Scan printed sheet music, photos, and files ▶ Loop sections, adjust tempo, and transpose keys ▶ Export your music as MusicXML, MIDI, or PDF Whether you’re a beginner or a seasoned musician, Halbestunde helps you practice smarter, play better, and work with your sheet music more easily. It turns scanned music into an interactive sheet music reader, so you can hear, adjust, repeat, and practice at your own pace. HIGHLIGHTS THAT MUSICIANS LOVE: + ACCURATE SCANNING MADE SIMPLE: Recognize sheet music with high precision, even from old or lower-quality sources. + TRANSPOSITION MADE EASY: Adjust keys to suit your vocal or instrumental range. If a key has too many flats, transpose the piece into a key that is easier for you to practice. + SEAMLESS EXPORT OPTIONS: Export your scanned music as MusicXML for Flat.io, Dorico, MuseScore, and other notation or composition tools. You can also export as MIDI or PDF. + CUSTOMIZED PRACTICE TOOLS: Focus on tricky sections with looping, playback, tempo control, and key changes. + LYRICS AND VOICE SUPPORT: Scan lyrics and practice vocal pieces using Voice as one of the available playback sounds. + USER-FRIENDLY DESIGN: Navigate through features intuitively, save time, and focus on making music. KEY FEATURES TO ELEVATE YOUR PRACTICE: • SMART SHEET SCAN: Transform printed sheet music into a digital, interactive experience with strong scanning accuracy, even for old or worn-out sheets. • MUSIC SYMBOL RECOGNITION: Recognize notes, rhythm, lyrics, and music symbols from staccato to forte. • PLAYBACK AND PRACTICE TOOLS: Listen to your sheet music, slow down difficult parts, loop sections, and practice at your own pace. • SEAMLESS TRANSPOSITION: Adjust keys to suit your vocal or instrumental range. • MULTI-INSTRUMENT SUPPORT: Practice with 24 instrument and voice options, including piano, strings, brass, woodwinds, guitar, ukulele, bass, and voice. WHY MUSICIANS LOVE HALBESTUNDE: ***** “I’m scanning recently all my classical music and export them into music score. This app helped me a lot with that!” ***** “The scanning accuracy is surprisingly precise, saving me an immense amount of time I'd otherwise spend on manual input.” ***** “I feel I’m learning a lot faster than with other methods I tried.” WHO IS IT FOR? • Music students mastering theory and performance. • Teachers looking for advanced tools to support their students. • Professionals and hobbyists seeking to simplify their practice sessions. • Singers and vocalists who want to scan lyrics, hear playback, and practice vocal music. EXPERIENCE BETTER MUSIC PRACTICE Discover how Halbestunde can support your music practice. Start your 7-day free trial and use accurate sheet music scanning, playback, transposition, and export tools in one app.

About

First 5 Notes

Learn to read, finger, and play the first five notes on ten different band instruments. This app offers a clear learning path for beginners, with the first five notes available for free forever. Unlock additional notes and fingerings with a one-time purchase per instrument.

Highlights
  • Learn first five notes
  • Supports ten band instruments
  • Read, finger, and play notes
  • Tuner locks in pitch
  • One-time purchase for full range
  • No internet connection needed
Features
Read full description

Just got your instrument? Start here. First 5 Notes helps beginning band students learn to read, finger, and play their first five notes for free. Then keep going: keys, songs, rhythm, and games that use every note you know. First 5 Notes also runs free in any web browser, including school Chromebooks, at first5notes.virtunity.io, in English and Spanish. Choose from 16 instrument options: alto sax, baritone (bass clef), baritone (treble clef), baritone sax, bass clarinet, bassoon, bells, Bells - Low Octave, clarinet, flute, French horn, oboe, tenor sax, trombone, trumpet, and tuba. ONE PAGE FOR YOUR INSTRUMENT Pick your instrument and everything is in five sections: Notes, Keys, Songs, Rhythm, and Arcade. Practice today puts together a 5, 10 or 15 minute plan from the steps you have reached. NOTES: A LEARNING PATH BUILT BY A BAND DIRECTOR 1. NAME THE NOTE - read each note on the staff and choose its name. 2. KNOW THE FINGERING - study the fingerings, match them to notes, and listen to a reference pitch. Trombone uses slide positions. 3. PLAY THE NOTE - play into the microphone and hold the note steady until the tuner confirms the pitch. Then learn a song on your first five notes and open the arcade. KEYS Practice four notes at a time in the band keys, starting with the notes you already know. Each key uses the same three steps, and its games open when you finish them. SONGS Every song in one place: familiar songs like Ode to Joy and Hot Cross Buns, plus 28 folk songs from around the world. Tap any song to hear it. Familiar songs come with a band: hear it, play along, then play it on your own. Each song shows the lessons you need before you can learn to play it, then walks you through it one phrase at a time. RHYTHM 21 rhythm levels, from the steady beat to the rhythms in the songs. Tap the beat, tap the rhythm, then play it on your instrument. Levels 1 to 4 are free; the rest open with your instrument's Full Range or a First 5 Notes Classroom program. ARCADE Five short games: Note Rush, Call and Response, Fingering Flash, Long Tones, and Dynamics. They start with every note you know. Each game keeps your Best, so there is always a score to beat. THE FIRST FIVE NOTES ARE FREE Every instrument option includes its first five notes with no trial or time limit. No student account is needed for free practice. GOING FURTHER? A one-time $4.99 Full Range purchase opens the remaining lessons, keys, rhythm levels and song practice for your instrument. Individual instrument purchases have no subscription. Family Sharing is supported for App Store purchases. Prices may vary by country or region. SCHOOL PROGRAM ACCESS If your band program provides First 5 Notes Classroom access, enter your director's program code and shared passphrase to open the full ranges included in the app while your program access is active. No individual student account or roster is required. FOR PARENTS AND DIRECTORS - No ads or advertising tracking. - Microphone audio is analyzed on the device. It is not recorded, saved, or uploaded. - A parental gate comes before purchases and adult account controls. - Optional parent sign-in restores website purchases. - Free practice works offline after installation. Purchases, sign-in, and access checks need internet. Website purchases require a check-in within 30 days; school-program access requires a check-in within 24 hours and an active program term. - Progress and practice plans stay on this device, with separate progress for each instrument option. RECORDED INSTRUMENT SOUNDS With thanks to the Philharmonia Orchestra in London for making its instrument recordings freely available. We edited the samples for short notes and sustained practice. Not every instrument or note uses these recordings. https://philharmonia.co.uk/resources/sound-samples/ Built by a band director and private lesson teacher who teaches beginners every week. From the maker of Virtunity: virtunity.io.

Screenshots

Sheet Music Reader Halbestunde4 screens
First 5 Notes4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: First 5 Notes at 5.0 against Sheet Music Reader Halbestunde's 4.3. First 5 Notes also leads on update cadence (weekly vs fortnightly). Sheet Music Reader Halbestunde's advantage is ratings volume (1.5K vs 4) and chart position (#144 vs unranked). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Sheet Music Reader Halbestunde sells 10 in-app purchases, starting at $6.99 per month and First 5 Notes sells 10 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

First 5 Notes holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.3. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Sheet Music Reader Halbestunde has 1.5K ratings behind it against 4, so its average is the more settled of the two.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Sheet Music Reader Halbestunde ships an update fortnightly, First 5 Notes weekly. The most recent releases landed on November 7, 2026 and October 31, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 7 level
Sheet Music Reader Halbestunde versus First 5 Notes: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterSheet Music Reader HalbestundeFirst 5 Notes
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.3 (1.5K ratings)5.0 (4 ratings) — better
Positive reviews36.2% of reviews—
Number of ratings1.5K — better4
Update frequencyFortnightlyWeekly — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
Best chart rank#144 — better—
DevicesiPhone, iPad — betteriPhone
Requires iOS1717.0
Further details — not scored
Size128 MB482 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperHalbestunde GmbHJustin Berchtold

Customer experience

Sheet Music Reader Halbestunde

All ratings1,506 ratings
Positive81.4%
Neutral4.2%
Negative14.3%
Written reviews213 reviews
Positive36.2%
Neutral8.9%
Negative54.9%

First 5 Notes

All ratings4 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

Bugs and requests

Sheet Music Reader Halbestunde

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • Crashes when trying to play back music
  • Fails to recognize certain music notation
  • Issues with scanning PDFs and images
  • Incorrect tempo and timing in playback

Requested features

5 requests
  • Add support for percussion instruments
  • Improve scanning accuracy for complex rhythms
  • Allow editing of scanned music
  • Provide more free sheet music options
  • Implement a metronome feature

First 5 Notes

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

10 purchases

Sheet Music Reader Halbestunde

Subscriptions10
  • VIRTUOSO one month$6.991 Month
  • MAESTRO 1 month$12.991 Month
  • 3 month subscription$19.993 Months
Show 7 more
  • Yearly subscription7 Days trial$19.991 Year
  • 6 months subscription$32.996 Months
  • Yearly Subscription14 Days trial$39.991 Year
  • Yearly subscription7 Days trial$39.991 Year
  • VIRTUOSO one year7 Days trial$39.991 Year
  • Yearly subscription7 Days trial$49.991 Year
  • MAESTRO 1 year7 Days trial$59.991 Year
10 purchases

First 5 Notes

One-time10
  • Trumpet Full Range$4.99
  • Tenor Sax Full Range$4.99
  • Baritone Full Range$4.99
Show 7 more
  • French Horn Full Range$4.99
  • Tuba Full Range$4.99
  • Bells Full Range$4.99
  • Bassoon Full Range$4.99
  • Bass Clarinet Full Range$4.99
  • Oboe Full Range$4.99
  • Baritone Sax Full Range$4.99

Questions

Is Sheet Music Reader Halbestunde free?
Sheet Music Reader Halbestunde is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is First 5 Notes free?
First 5 Notes is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Sheet Music Reader Halbestunde or First 5 Notes?
First 5 Notes is rated higher. Sheet Music Reader Halbestunde averages 4.3 out of 5 from 1.5K ratings, while First 5 Notes averages 5.0 from 4 ratings.
Do Sheet Music Reader Halbestunde or First 5 Notes have ads?
Neither Sheet Music Reader Halbestunde nor First 5 Notes shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Sheet Music Reader Halbestunde or First 5 Notes?
Sheet Music Reader Halbestunde ships an update fortnightly, and First 5 Notes weekly. Most recently, Sheet Music Reader Halbestunde was updated on November 7, 2026 and First 5 Notes on October 31, 2026.

Other comparisons