Instrument Scale Master vs Mode Circle
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Instrument Scale Master
Master your instrument's scales with interactive learning and practice modes. View fingerings, notes, and get help with specific notes. Ideal for preparing for band auditions.
- Learn Mode for sectioned scale practice
- Play Mode for testing scale knowledge
- Scale Viewer with fingerings and notes
- Note Lookup for specific note assistance
- Supports Tuba, Baritone, Trombone, Bass Trombone
Read full descriptionHide full description
Learn your scales using Scale Master. Scale Master lets you quickly learn your instrument's scales with 3 different modes: Learn Mode: Splits your scale into sections and shows you each note to help you learn the scale Play Mode: This lets you test your knowledge of your scales. Helpful options are available in case you need help with the scale. Scale Viewer Mode: View all the scales for your instrument in one convenient place. View fingerings and notes, play the scale, and access the learn feature for each scale you view. Note Lookup: Find fingerings for any note you are having trouble with. Scale Master is an excellent tool for preparing for your school's All-District Band or All-State Band. Scale Master currently supports these instruments: Tuba Baritone B.C. Trombone Bass Trombone Download Scale Master today, free with zero in-app purchases, to master your instrument scales. Scale Master was developed by Carter Hawkins
Mode Circle
Explore all 12x7 diatonic scales interactively. This app displays and plays selected scales, offering various arrangements and views based on scale tones, fundamentals, brightness, or relationships. It allows for highlighting specific modes or freely selecting any scale.
- Interactive diatonic scale exploration
- Scale playback functionality
- Multiple arrangement and view options
- Grouping by scale tones or fundamentals
- Arrangement by scale degree or brightness
- Displaying single diatonic modes
Read full descriptionHide full description
The Mode Circle is a generalized circle of fifths that can be experienced interactively. It shows all 12x7 diatonic scales that result from the major scale by shifting the root and by choosing the initial note. The selected scale is displayed and can be played back. The Mode Circle offers different arrangements and views of the 84 scales: * Vertical grouping by same scale tones or same fundamentals. * Vertical arrangement by scale degree or brightness. * Horizontal arrangement according to fifth or semitone relationship. * Display or highlight only one diatonic mode (equivalent to major or minor circle of fifths) * or freely select any scale.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: Instrument Scale Master at 5.0 against Mode Circle's 4.6. Instrument Scale Master also leads on review sentiment (100% vs 75%). Mode Circle's advantage is device support (5 vs 2). On price, ratings volume, update cadence and ads 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
Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
Instrument Scale Master holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.6. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 4 and 5 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 100% of Instrument Scale Master's written reviews are positive against 75% of Mode Circle's.
Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 9 months. The most recent releases landed on June 11, 2026 and September 20, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Instrument Scale Master | Mode Circle |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 5.0 (4 ratings) — better | 4.6 (5 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 100.0% of reviews — better | 75.0% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 4 | 5 — better |
| Update frequency | Every 9 months | Every 9 months |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac, Apple TV — better |
| Requires iOS | 16.0 | 15.6 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 38 MB | 25 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Carter Hawkins | Dr. Garbers Softwareentwicklung |
Customer experience
Instrument Scale Master
Mode Circle
In-app purchases
Instrument Scale Master
No in-app purchases
Mode Circle
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is Instrument Scale Master free?
Is Mode Circle free?
Which has better reviews, Instrument Scale Master or Mode Circle?
Do Instrument Scale Master or Mode Circle have ads?
Which is updated more often, Instrument Scale Master or Mode Circle?
Other comparisons
