iBone vs Brass Notes!
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
iBone
This app offers a virtual trombone experience, allowing users to play melodies by touching or blowing into their device and sliding to change pitch. It includes a songbook with guided play-along options and the ability to practice scales and songs.
- Virtual trombone instrument
- Touch and blow to play
- Slide to change pitch
- Adjust volume with bell movement
- Practice scales and songs
- Play-along with iPod music
- Guided learning with roboBone
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-NOW ON SALE!- Winner of the 'Best Musical Instrument App' in the Best App Ever Awards and iTunes Rewind pick. Not just a tool for trombonists, anyone can play -- iBone shows you how! "...a great tool for trombonists..." - Robin Eubanks, Trombonist with EB3, Dave Holland, SFJAZZ Collective, 2009 Downbeat Reader's Poll 'Best Trombonist' "Brilliant! ...great fun to play with too" - Carol Jarvis, Trombonist with Seal and Sting, Founder Bones Apart "Future of virtual brass?" - Music Inc Mag "...iBone is an interesting experimental blend of gameplay and utility." - Wired, Game|Life It's the Trombone plus more for your iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad. Play it anywhere. Waiting for the bus? Work a little slow? Friend to impress? Simply itching to learn? Whip out your iBone. Practice and learn scales and songs. Even play-a-long with music from your iPod library -- accompany the lead, or take the solo spot. Don't have a clue? Play-a-long with a tune from the iBone Songbook and let roboBone show you the way. It's easy: 1. Touch or blow to make a sound. 2. Slide your finger to change pitch. 3. Raise and lower the bell to change volume. With iBone, you can cover the Trombone's standard two and a half octave range -- slur up and down, slide in and out, and easily play way out of tune. It's the closest you'll get to the real thing. No clue about the real thing? Pick a tune from the iBone Songbook, and let roboBone show you the way as you play along with the band accompaniment. Just tap the rings at the bottom of their fall to hit the right note at the right time. iBone includes seven songs at no additional charge: - 2001: Also Sprach Zarathustra with orchestra - Aura Lee with piano - Air (on a G string) with guitar - Greensleeves with accordion - Guantanmera with bass, bongos, guitar and drums - Ride of the Valkyries with orchestra - Twinkle Twinkle Little Star with piano Additional songs can be purchased and downloaded. Some of these include: - Sloop John B with Rhythm - Man of Constant Sorrow with Banjo - Carol of the Bells with Brass - First Noel with Orchestra - O Silent Night with Strings - O Little Town of Bethlehem with Organ and more! With more to come. Whether you play Trombone and need something more portable, or you've never touched one but want to learn, iBone. Visit http://ibone.spoonjack.com to see it in action. Have your own video to share? Comments? Suggestions? We'd love to hear from you. Please contact us at ibone@spoonjack.com. --- FAQ Q. How do I play with my own music? A. Start the song before loading iBone, and control it by double-clicking the 'Home' button or swiping up to get 'Home'. Q. Why don't I hear anything? A. You probably have left the 'Silent' switch on. It's located on the upper left side of your phone. Any other questions? Please contact us!
Brass Notes!
Quickly find note positions and fingerings for various brass instruments. Ideal for musicians practicing new notes or transposing music. Access information instantly without needing external resources.
- Note position lookup
- Fingering charts
- Trombone
- Euphonium
- Trumpet
- Tuba
- French horn
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Brass Notes is the app to quickly check the position or fingering of a note while practicing! Instruments included are the trombone, euphonium, trumpet, tuba, and french horn. Also works for other instruments if you need to transpose music or if you're wondering what a note name for a certain note is! Want something more included? Write a review and add something you'd like and we'll try out best! Situation: You are in band practice. You see an odd note that you haven't played before. You don't know how to play it. Answer: You get out your brass notes app and quickly check without the conductor even noticing! Someone else asking what that note is? Tell them! At home practicing and unsure what it is? Don't look it up on the internet or a book, just take out your Brass Notes app! Thanks for all the support!
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is price: Brass Notes! at Free against iBone's $2.99. Brass Notes! also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 7) and iOS requirement (9.0 vs 15.0). iBone's advantage is rating (4.7 vs 4.0) and review sentiment (84% vs 50%). On ratings volume, update cadence, ads and device support 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
Brass Notes! is free to download; iBone costs $2.99 up front. iBone sells 7 one-off in-app purchases. Brass Notes! asks for nothing beyond the download.
iBone holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.0. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 21 and 23 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 84% of iBone's written reviews are positive against 50% of Brass Notes!'s.
iBone ships an update every 4 months, Brass Notes! every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on September 24, 2026 and June 9, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | iBone | Brass Notes! |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $2.99 | Free — better |
| Rating | 4.7 (21 ratings) — better | 4.0 (23 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 84.2% of reviews — better | 50.0% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 21 | 23 — better |
| Update frequency | Every 4 months | Every 2 months — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | No — better |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free — better |
| Best chart rank | #130 — better | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | 9.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 18 MB | 16 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Spoonjack, LLC | Daniel Sykes-Turner |
Customer experience
iBone
Brass Notes!
Bugs and requests
iBone
Reported bugs
8 issues- App crashes in settings
- App crashes on Verizon iPhones
- App disables microphone
- App randomly deletes itself
- Sound doesn't work (silent app)
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- Notes don't fade when tilting
- Songbook display issue (guide remains visible)
- Sound continues playing when receiving emails
Requested features
18 requests- Add more types of trombones (Bass, Valve, Alto, Soprano, Piccolo)
- Add more songs to the songbook
- Ability to input custom notes for playback
- Integrate with music apps for playback
- Add iTunes music control within the app
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- Add a volume slider for the app
- Add support for tilting device for volume control
- Add pedal tones/notes
- Add support for turning the iPad
- Add mutes
- Add trigger for bass trombone option
- Add vibrato control
- Make the trombone image semi-transparent
- Option to make notes brighter
- Make an app for trumpet or other instruments
- Add French note names
- Improve high/low note range
- Add more difficult pieces to songbook
Brass Notes!
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
iBone
- Jesu with Dreidel Song Pack$0.99
- First Noel at Midnight Song Pack$0.99
- O, O Song Pack$0.99
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- Hark, Joy! Song Pack$0.99
- Bells and Rest Song Pack$0.99
- Sloop and Sorrow Song Pack$0.99
- House of the Rising Sun and John Barleycorn Song Pack$0.99
Brass Notes!
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is iBone free?
Is Brass Notes! free?
Which has better reviews, iBone or Brass Notes!?
Do iBone or Brass Notes! have ads?
Which is updated more often, iBone or Brass Notes!?
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