Comparison

theDrumDictionary vs Drum Notes

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

Drum Notes

Create, share, and practice percussive music scores with an intuitive editor. Explore a global community of drummers and percussionists, access thousands of beats, and utilize practice tools. Ideal for musicians, teachers, and bands of all levels.

Highlights
  • Intuitive score editor for drum set and percussion
  • Explore and learn from community-shared beats and rhythms
  • Practice tools including metronome and rhythm trainer
  • Organize rhythms, arrangements, and exercises
  • Create and share drum exercises for students
  • Export scores as audio or image formats
Features
Read full description

* Grammy Academy awarded: app to support percussive music preservation. Write, share, and practice drum music like never before. Join over 200,000 drummers and percussionists in 180 countries who have already created 400,000+ scores with Drum Notes, a simple app to create and share drum beats, music scores, drum lessons, drum loops, drum tabs and rhythms. Ideal for beginners and pros alike. Drum Notes features an intuitive score creator, perfect for drumset and percussive genres like Samba, Marching Bands, Drumlines, Cuban percussion, and Drum grooves. Think of it as a more accessible version of Musescore, Flat or Finale, tailored for drummers. Like a drum machine or drum sequencer with real drum scores. FOR DRUMMERS - ALL LEVELS Intuitive Music Score Editor: Effortlessly create percussive sheet music with a user-friendly music writing editor, for drum set or any percussion instrument. Explore Beats: Learn drums by discovering thousands of beats, loops, and percussion samples from our drumming community. Practice Tools: Adjust your own pro metronome, customize grooves, and use the drum score editor as a rhythm trainer. Organize Your Notes: Keep rhythms, arrangements, recordings, and exercises neatly organized. FOR TEACHERS - ENHANCE YOUR INSTRUCTION Drum Exercises: Create, share, and manage exercises with ease. Student-Teacher Groups: Maintain shared spaces for class materials and track progress. Public Library: Access and share a wealth of exercises and materials. FOR BANDS - PERFECT FOR BATUCADAS Arrange and Share: Organize complex patterns and rhythms, and export them in audio or image formats. Private Groups: Create groups for sharing compositions and performance notes. Explore Percussion Rhythms: Discover diverse samples and beats to inspire and enhance your band’s sound. FOR CONTENT CREATORS - SHARE PROFESSIONAL CONTENT Export Options: Share drum grooves as high-quality audio or images. Perfect for showcasing your work on social media. Diverse Library: Use an extensive collection of beats and samples for creating stunning content. FOR MUSICIANS - EXPAND YOUR PLAYBACK OPTIONS Playback Tool: Use Drum Notes to playback loops and samples for various instruments. Versatile Use: Ideal for enhancing rhythm and practice sessions with authentic beats. ADDITIONAL FEATURES Diverse percussion instruments: Drum Set Electronic Drum Kit Cajon Rumba Instruments: Congas, Clave, Cowbell, Shaker, etc. Samba Instruments: Surdos, Repique, Caixa, Agogos, Rebolo, Pandeiro, etc. Samba Reggae Instruments: Timbal, Bacurinha, etc. Marching Band / Drumline Instruments: Quads, Snare Drums, Bass Drum, Cymbals. Capoeira Instruments: Berimbau Viola, Berimbau Berra Boi, Berimbau Medio, Agogo, Pandeiro, Atabaque And many more… Percussion Library: Rock, Jazz, Samba, Marching Band, Capoeira, and many more. Customizable Settings: Adjust metronome BPM, sound accents, and more. Global Community: Connect with percussionists and drummers worldwide. PREMIUM FEATURES Unlock unlimited compositions, percussive instruments per score, and private groups. Support our mission to improve musical knowledge. JOIN THE DRUM NOTES COMMUNITY Developed by a team dedicated to empowering drummers and percussionists. Drum Coach App: Explore our app for developing practice habits with exercises, scores, and audio instructions. We wish you great grooves! #drum, #drums, #drumline, #samba, #percussion * if you are looking for the app Drumap (drum app; drum map), this is it! Now we are called Drum Notes. upbeat.studio https://upbeat.studio/privacy-policy-drum-notes/ https://upbeat.studio/terms-and-conditions-drum-notes/

Screenshots

theDrumDictionary4 screens
Drum Notes4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: theDrumDictionary at none against Drum Notes's 10. theDrumDictionary also leads on ads (none vs shown) and review sentiment (76% vs 57%). Drum Notes's advantage is update cadence (every 2 weeks vs every 2 months) and ratings volume (204 vs 45). 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. Drum Notes sells 10 in-app purchases, starting at $5.99 per month. theDrumDictionary asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

theDrumDictionary holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 4.6. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 45 and 204 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 76% of theDrumDictionary's written reviews are positive against 57% of Drum Notes's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

theDrumDictionary ships an update every 2 months, Drum Notes every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 18, 2026 and September 21, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard8 real differences · 2 level
theDrumDictionary versus Drum Notes: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParametertheDrumDictionaryDrum Notes
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.9 (45 ratings) — better4.6 (204 ratings)
Positive reviews76.3% of reviews — better57.4% of reviews
Number of ratings45204 — better
Update frequencyEvery 2 monthsEvery 2 weeks — better
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFree — betterFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS8.4 — better15.0
Further details — not scored
Size33 MB133 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperHawks Hill Software, LLCUPBEAT STUDIO

Customer experience

theDrumDictionary

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

Drum Notes

All ratings204 ratings
Positive92.2%
Neutral3.4%
Negative4.4%
Written reviews47 reviews
Positive57.4%
Neutral19.1%
Negative23.4%

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

Drum Notes

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

None

theDrumDictionary

No in-app purchases

10 purchases

Drum Notes

Subscriptions8
  • Premium Monthly Subscription$5.991 Month
  • Premium Monthly Subscription$7.991 Month
  • Premium Yearly Subscription$42.991 Year
Show 5 more
  • Premium Yearly Subscription1 Year trial$42.991 Year
  • Premium Monthly Subscription$44.996 Months
  • Premium yearly Subscription$49.991 Year
  • Premium yearly subscription14 Days trial$49.991 Year
  • Drumap PRO Yearly Offer1 Year trial$49.991 Year
One-time2
  • Samba on Drum set workshop$5.99
  • Music Capoeria Workshop$6.99

Questions

Is theDrumDictionary free?
theDrumDictionary is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Drum Notes free?
Drum Notes is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, theDrumDictionary or Drum Notes?
theDrumDictionary is rated higher. theDrumDictionary averages 4.9 out of 5 from 45 ratings, while Drum Notes averages 4.6 from 204 ratings.
Do theDrumDictionary or Drum Notes have ads?
Drum Notes shows ads; theDrumDictionary does not.
Which is updated more often, theDrumDictionary or Drum Notes?
theDrumDictionary ships an update every 2 months, and Drum Notes every 2 weeks. Most recently, theDrumDictionary was updated on September 18, 2026 and Drum Notes on September 21, 2026.

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