Comparison

theDrumDictionary vs Rudiments Trainer

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

Head to head
About

theDrumDictionary

This app is a comprehensive resource for drummers and musicians to expand their rhythmic knowledge. It features all standard rudiments and a large collection of drum set beats with adjustable tempo audio and notation. An integrated metronome and practice tracking tools make it an ideal practice companion.

Highlights
  • 40 standard snare drum rudiments
  • Over 100 drum set beats
  • Tempo-adjustable audio examples
  • Integrated metronome
  • Practice time tracking
  • Customizable beat lists
Features
Read full description

"If you’re looking for a great resource to develop and maintain your beat vocabulary and rudimental proficiency, this is a great place to start." - Modern Drummer theDrumDictionary is a great tool for drummers, band leaders, producers, or anyone looking to learn more about drums. It includes all 40 standard snare drum rudiments and over 100 full drum set beats in a variety of styles. For each example, there is notation and tempo-adjustable audio. theDrumDictionary also includes a built-in metronome, making it a great all-in-one practice tool. For Practice: • Make the most of your practice time with the built-in metronome • Adjust the tempo of the example audio to help learn those tricky parts or to push your skill to the next level of speed • Keep track of your time spent practicing each beat or rudiment Lists: • Create a list of your favorite beats in different styles • Create lists for what you'd like to practice • Drum instructors, create a separate list for each of your students theDrumDictionary is also great for non-drummers who are interested in knowing a little about drums: band leaders who want to communicate better with their drummer, musicians who want to program realistic drum parts in their songs, and the list goes on... Entries include • All 40 standard snare drum rudiments • Over 100 drum set beats in a variety of styles: Rock, Jazz, World, Funk and more Contacts: • @GigBagApps • support@GigBagApps.com, for support, questions, suggestions • www.GigBagApps.com

About

Rudiments Trainer

Practice 39 international drum rudiments with audio samples and sheet music. Track your BPM progress even when the app is closed to monitor your daily growth and improve stick control.

Highlights
  • 39 international drum rudiments
  • Audio samples and sheet music
  • BPM tracking
  • Progress monitoring
  • Accent exercises
  • Stick control improvement
Features
Read full description

A rudiments practice app supervised by an active drum instructor. The app includes 39 of the 40 international drum rudiments, excluding the multiple bounce roll. Practice fundamental stick control with sheet music and sample playback. FEATURES - Play and practice every rudiment - Record practice time on a calendar - Browse practice records from previous months - Pro adds saved BPM history, last-BPM recall, Auto BPM, and Today's Practice PRACTICE TIP Start slowly and build a clean, relaxed form. Once the movement is stable, raise the BPM gradually to develop accurate and fast stick control. TERMS OF USE https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

Screenshots

theDrumDictionary4 screens
Rudiments Trainer2 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: theDrumDictionary at 76% against Rudiments Trainer's 27%. theDrumDictionary also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 2) and ads (none vs shown). Rudiments Trainer's advantage is update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 2 months). On price 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Rudiments Trainer sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month. theDrumDictionary asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

theDrumDictionary ships an update every 2 months, Rudiments Trainer every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 7, 2026 and October 2, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard6 real differences · 4 level
theDrumDictionary versus Rudiments Trainer: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParametertheDrumDictionaryRudiments Trainer
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.9 (45 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews76.3% of reviews — better26.7% of reviews
Number of ratings45 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 2 monthsEvery 3 weeks — better
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFree — betterFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS8.4 — better17.0
Further details — not scored
Size33 MB22 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperHawks Hill Software, LLCDaishi Nakamura

Customer experience

theDrumDictionary

All ratings45 ratings
Positive97.8%
Neutral0.0%
Negative2.2%
Written reviews131 reviews
Positive76.3%
Neutral12.2%
Negative11.5%

Rudiments Trainer

Written reviews15 reviews
Positive26.7%
Neutral0.0%
Negative73.3%

Bugs and requests

theDrumDictionary

Reported bugs

6 issues
  • App crashes on startup (older iOS versions)
  • Uneven single stroke roll with extra hits/flams
  • Audio warping when tempo changes
  • App stops when device goes to sleep
  • Inconsistent bass drum clarity
Show 1 more
  • Notation mismatches with audio playback

Requested features

20 requests
  • Tempo/speed control for practice
  • More beats and grooves across all genres
  • Odd time signatures (5/8, 7/8, 9/4, 11/4, 6/8, 7/4)
  • Highlighted note indicator during playback
  • Video demonstrations of techniques
Show 15 more
  • Drum fills and fill variations
  • Background playback capability
  • Practice history and progress tracking
  • Ability to create custom beats
  • Accelerating/decelerating metronome
  • More complex and advanced patterns
  • Sorting beats by practice time
  • Export notation and beat lists
  • Multi-user/student support
  • Rudiments numbered in learning order
  • Double bass drum beats
  • Finger drumming exercises
  • Sync across multiple devices
  • Note highlighting (karaoke-style)
  • Longer beat patterns

Rudiments Trainer

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

None

theDrumDictionary

No in-app purchases

2 purchases

Rudiments Trainer

Subscriptions1
  • Unlock$1.991 Month
One-time1
  • Cancellation of restriction$4.99

Questions

Is theDrumDictionary free?
theDrumDictionary is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Rudiments Trainer free?
Rudiments Trainer is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do theDrumDictionary or Rudiments Trainer have ads?
Rudiments Trainer shows ads; theDrumDictionary does not.
Which is updated more often, theDrumDictionary or Rudiments Trainer?
theDrumDictionary ships an update every 2 months, and Rudiments Trainer every 3 weeks. Most recently, theDrumDictionary was updated on October 7, 2026 and Rudiments Trainer on October 2, 2026.

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