Better Ears vs C. Bechstein

Better Ears is the complete ear training and sight‑reading workout for musicians, students and teachers. Train your musical ear and master music theory — from interval recognition all the way to chord progressions and rhythm training. 15 exercises take you from absolute beginner to pro, at your own pace, with no rules and no pressure. NEW: RHYTHM TRAINING Sharpen your sense of timing with two brand‑new exercises. Hear a rhythm and clap or tap it back, or read rhythmic notation and perform it in time — with count‑in, metronome, triplets and time signatures like 3/4, 4/4 and 5/4. Clap straight into your device's microphone and Better Ears listens. YOU DECIDE HOW TO TRAIN There are no rules to follow. You decide when to start, what to practice and how often. 15 EXERCISES INCLUDED • Interval recognition • Scale recognition • Chord recognition • Chord progressions • Pitch recognition • Melodic dictation • Tempo recognition • Key signature recognition • Music reading • Interval music reading • Scale music reading • Chord music reading • Melody music reading • Rhythm recognition (new) • Rhythm reading (new) ANSWER WITH YOUR VOICE OR A REAL INSTRUMENT Built‑in pitch detection lets you answer by singing or by playing a real instrument (e.g. piano or guitar). Just sing or play the notes when the microphone button lights up red. CUSTOM CHORDS, SCALES & CHORD PROGRESSIONS The built‑in editor lets you add your own chords, scales and chord progressions. FOUR PRESET LEVELS + UNLIMITED CUSTOM LEVELS Start at Beginner, Easy, Normal or Professional — then build your own levels to focus exactly where you need to: church modes, those two pesky intervals, custom rhythms, whatever you like. 6 INSTRUMENTS & CUSTOM SOUNDFONTS Train with Acoustic Grand, Bright Acoustic Piano, Electric Grand, Drawbar Organ, Nylon and Steel Acoustic Guitar — or extend Better Ears with your own sounds via SoundFonts (.sf2). KEYBOARD & FRETBOARD Answer on a virtual piano keyboard or a virtual guitar fretboard. MIDI SUPPORT Route sound through an external MIDI device and even control Better Ears with a connected master keyboard. SYNC ALL OF YOUR DEVICES Keep your Mac, iPhone and iPad in sync via Dropbox. You choose what to sync: your own levels, your statistics, your settings — or all of it. STATISTICS Better Ears tracks your progress for every exercise and every question — right and wrong answers at a glance. WIKIPEDIA INTEGRATION The matching Wikipedia article is shown for each exercise, so the theory is always one tap away. REFRESHED DESIGN A modern, fully redesigned interface on iPhone, iPad and Mac — with full Dark Mode and crystal‑clear music notation.

The C. Bechstein App connects your acoustic piano or grand piano with a modern digital platform. It brings together the functions of the former C. Bechstein Connect and VARIO apps and extends them with new possibilities for instrument management, updates and digital services. The app is designed for instruments with integrated C. Bechstein Connect or C. Bechstein VARIO systems and is continuously being further developed. ------------------------------------------------------------ Key Features • Control, Sound & Fine Adjustment Customize key, pedal and additional system settings of C. Bechstein Connect & VARIO to perfectly match your playing style. • Calibration & Sensor Technology Calibrate your instrument’s sensor system and adjust additional parameters for an authentic, latency-free playing experience. • Recorder & Metronome Record your playing, listen back instantly and use the integrated metronome for precise and focused practice. • Musical Visualizations & Chord Recognition Experience your playing visually: clear visual representations and automatic chord recognition support analysis, learning and inspiration. • Share Your Music Easily share your recordings with others – for practice, teaching or simply sharing musical moments. • Firmware Updates Perform firmware updates directly via the app and enable new features for your instrument. • C. Bechstein Account & Warranty Registration Manage your instrument via your personal C. Bechstein Account and register it for extended service and warranty purposes. • Digital Extensions The C. Bechstein App will be gradually expanded with new digital features that further enrich your playing experience. ------------------------------------------------------------ Compatibility • Instruments with integrated C. Bechstein Connect technology • Instruments with C. Bechstein VARIO • Zimmermann Studio VARIO series instruments and W. Hoffmann Vision models with VARIO ex works ------------------------------------------------------------ Background C. Bechstein Connect is a factory-installed option for acoustic pianos and grand pianos and has been included as standard since autumn 2023 in all instruments of the brands C. Bechstein, W. Hoffmann Professional and W. Hoffmann Tradition. The technology turns the acoustic instrument into a MIDI-capable master keyboard and enables wireless connectivity to thousands of music apps and software solutions via Bluetooth®. VARIO is the silent system extension for all instruments of the C. Bechstein family (W. Hoffmann, Zimmermann) and can also be integrated into instruments from other manufacturers. ------------------------------------------------------------ Note The available functions may vary depending on the instrument, system version and configuration. Some features require a free C. Bechstein Account.