Fingering Strings vs Set Dances
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Fingering Strings
This interactive guide helps string instrument players visualize fingerings for various hand positions across different clefs. It allows users to see and hear notes, intervals, and chords, aiding in learning and practice.
- Multiple instrument support (Violin, Viola, Cello, Double Bass)
- Extensive hand position library (Simandl, Rabbath)
- Visual "beginner tape" display
- Multi-note display (up to 4 notes)
- Hear notes, intervals, and chords on piano
- Support for Treble, Alto, Tenor, Bass clefs
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The highest rated and most comprehensive fingering guide available for Violin, Viola, Cello and Double Bass (Simandl and Rabbath positions). See up to 4 notes at the same time. Decide which hand position would be best for the interval or passage. See and hear the written note, interval, or chord on the piano. Support for Key Signatures to more easily find a fingering in the music you're working on. • Hand Positions: 15 positions on the Violin, 15 positions on the Viola, 16 positions on the Cello, and 12 Simandl positions or 6 Rabbath positions on the Double Bass. • Display "beginner tape" on the fingerboard as well as string names and colors. • Notate one to four notes in Treble, Alto, Tenor or Bass clef. How to Use: Pick a written note (touch the staff) and have the fingering displayed and concert pitch played on the piano. Play a concert pitch on the piano, and have that pitch's fingering displayed and the transposed note written on the staff. Written and concert pitches are the same for all but the double bass, which transposes, sounding an octave below what is written. • Use the ‘Play' button(s) to repeatedly hear the note(s) being displayed. Selecting a Pitch: Using the Staff (transposed for the current instrument): Simply touch and slide up and down on the staff to select the note, slide to the right or left of the note for sharps and flats. Using the Piano (concert pitch): drag in the area below the keyboard to move the keyboard, touch to play notes, touch & slide to change the pitch. When you glissando up the keyboard, notes will be notated as a raised value (sharps), when you glissando down, notes will be notated as lowered values (flats). Use the up and down arrows to move chromatically up and down without touching the music staff or piano keyboard.
Set Dances
This app offers a comprehensive collection of traditional and championship set dance music for Irish dancers. Practice at adjustable speeds with accurately timed tracks, perfect for solo competition preparation.
- Music for traditional set dances
- Music for championship set dances
- Adjustable music speeds
- Includes specific An Coimisiún tunes
- Includes specific An Comhdháil tunes
- Offline music playback
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Set Dances is a practice tool for Irish dancers. It provides the music for all the traditional and championship set dances approved by the Irish Dance Commission (An Coimisiun le Rinci Gaelacha) for use in solo Irish dance competitions. This app allows the music to be adjusted to a wide range of speeds. The music tracks were made in sync with a computer metronome, and the indicated speeds have been checked for accuracy against a stopwatch and other calibrated timing sources. Features: - Built for iPhone, iPad, and Apple TV - All music is built into the app - Includes the music for the 8 traditional set dances - Contains the music for more than 35 championship set dances - Includes An Coimisiún set dance tunes: "The Vanishing Lake" and "The Charlady" - Includes set dance tunes used by Comhdháil Na Múinteoirí Le Rincí Gaelacha (An Comhdháil): "The Donegal Rambler", "Planxty Irwin", and "The Battle of Arklow"
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is price: Set Dances at Free against Fingering Strings's $3.99. Set Dances also leads on update cadence (every 8 months vs every 17 months) and device support (4 vs 1). Fingering Strings's advantage is review sentiment (92% vs 67%) and ratings volume (4 vs 1). On rating, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model 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
Set Dances is free to download; Fingering Strings costs $3.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 5.0 for Fingering Strings against 5.0 for Set Dances. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 4 and 1 respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 92% of Fingering Strings's written reviews are positive against 67% of Set Dances's.
Fingering Strings ships an update every 17 months, Set Dances every 8 months. The most recent releases landed on October 1, 2026 and October 3, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Fingering Strings | Set Dances |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $3.99 | Free — better |
| Rating | 5.0 (4 ratings) | 5.0 (1 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 91.7% of reviews — better | 66.7% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 4 — better | 1 |
| Update frequency | Every 17 months | Every 8 months — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Paid | Paid |
| Devices | iPad | iPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple TV — better |
| Requires iOS | 26.0 | 16.4 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 63 MB | 168 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Patrick Q. Kelly | Douglas Lowder |
Customer experience
Fingering Strings
Set Dances
In-app purchases
Fingering Strings
No in-app purchases
Set Dances
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is Fingering Strings free?
Is Set Dances free?
Which has better reviews, Fingering Strings or Set Dances?
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Which is updated more often, Fingering Strings or Set Dances?
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