Comparison

Scales Lexicon vs Tenuto

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

Head to head
About

Scales Lexicon

This app provides a comprehensive library of musical scales with detailed notation and playback. It allows for transposition across various instruments and clefs, offering customizable rhythmic patterns and playback options. Users can generate printable PDF scores for practice and sharing.

Highlights
  • Over 100 musical scales
  • Interactive notation and playback
  • Transposition for multiple instruments
  • Customizable rhythmic patterns
  • PDF score generation
  • Multiple octaves and playback modes
Read full description

Over 100 scales notated and played for you, including note names diatonic and melodic intervals. Transposition for instruments in Ab, Eb, Bb, F, C, G, D, A, and E. Play along! Create a pdf of the notation and piano key markings for sharing or printing. Listen and watch the notes and piano keys highlight as it plays. Notation in treble, alto, tenor or bass clef. See the scale notated correctly, with double sharps and flats as needed. For example, Gb minor has a B double flat, not an A. Concert key signatures are supported to the common seven sharps or flats. Transposing key signatures can contain twelve sharps or flats or if selected, use the preferred enharmonic equivalent. Have the scale played in a wide variety of ways. • Choose from 11 rhythmic patterns. • Choose 1, 2 or 3 octaves. • Loop continuously, or play just once through. • Select the space between each loop. • Choose if you want the scale played up, up and down, down, or down and up. • Includes an optional 2 or 4 beat count-off. Drive your own software or hardware synth via MIDI to hear what you want, or use the app's own acoustic piano. A quick and easy reference tool for practicing your instrument. Broaden your knowledge and technique. Included scales: • Common: Major Natural Minor Harmonic Minor Melodic Minor - Up & Down Whole-Half Diminished Half-Whole Diminished Whole-tone Chromatic • Modes: Ionian Dorian Phrygian Lydian Mixolydian Aeolian Locrian • Jazz: Major Pentatonic Minor Pentatonic Blues Blues Modified Blues Phrygian Blues Diminished Bebop Bebop Major Bebop Dominant Bebop Minor Bebop Minor 2 Harmonic Major Phrygian Dominant Lydian Dominant (Overtone) Lydian Augmented Augmented Half Diminished 1 Half Diminished 2 Diminished Whole Tone 6th Mode of Harmonic Minor Neapolitan Major Neapolitan Minor Harmonic Neapolitan Minor Prometheus • Hindustani Thaats: Bilawal Kalyan Khamaj Bhairav Poorvi Marwa Kafi Asavari Bhairavi Todi • World: Algerian Arabian Byzantine Hawaiian Hindu Hungarian or Egyptian Indian Indian Minor Jewish or Spanish Oriental Persian Romanian Bocovia Romanian Major Romanian Minor • China: Bi Yu Chaio Kung Youlan • Japan: Han-kumoi Hira-joshi Honchoshi Plagal Form Iwato Kokin-joshi, Miyakobushi Nohkan Ritsu Sakura Pentatonic Sansagari Taishikicho, Ryo • Composers: Prokofiev Scriabin Shostakovich Verdi Enigmatic Verdi Enigmatic - Up & Down • Messiaen Modes: Mode 1 - Whole Tone Mode 2 - Half-Whole Diminished Mode 3 Mode 3 Inverse Mode 4 Mode 4 Inverse Mode 5 Mode 5 Inverse Mode 6 Mode 6 Inverse Mode 7 Mode 7 Inverse Truncated Mode 2 Truncated Mode 3 Truncated Mode 3 Inverse Truncated Mode 5 Truncated Mode 5 Inverse Truncated Mode 6 Truncated Mode 6 Inverse

About

Tenuto

Enhance your musicality with a comprehensive suite of 24 customizable theory exercises and six essential musical calculators. Practice note and chord identification, ear training, and construct musical elements. Tools include accidentals, intervals, scales, chords, analysis symbols, and twelve-tone matrices.

Highlights
  • 24 customizable theory exercises
  • Note and chord identification
  • Ear training for intervals and scales
  • Musical construction exercises
  • Accidental calculator
  • Interval calculator
  • Chord calculator
Read full description

Tenuto is a collection of 24 highly-customizable exercises designed to enhance your musicality. From recognizing chords on a keyboard to identifying intervals by ear, it has an exercise for you. Tenuto also includes six musical calculators for accidentals, intervals, scales, chords, analysis symbols, and twelve-tone matrices. A short description of the exercises and calculators follows. –––––– • Note Identification • Key Signature Identification • Interval Identification • Scale Identification • Chord Identification Tap the button corresponding to the written staff line. For example: if shown a C, E, and G with a sharp; tap the "Augmented Triad" button. –––––– • Note Construction • Key Signature Construction • Interval Construction • Scale Construction • Chord Construction Construct the specified label by moving notes and/or adding accidentals. For example: if shown a C and an "Augmented 4th" label, move the second note to F and add a sharp. –––––– • Keyboard Reverse Identification Tap the piano key corresponding to the written note on the staff. While similar to Note Identification, this exercise uses a piano keyboard rather than note name buttons. • Keyboard Note Identification • Keyboard Interval Identification • Keyboard Scale Identification • Keyboard Chord Identification Tap the button corresponding to the highlighted piano key(s). If the C and G keys are highlighted, tap the "P5" (Perfect 5th) button. –––––– • Fretboard Note Identification • Fretboard Interval Identification • Fretboard Scale Identification • Fretboard Chord Identification Tap the button corresponding to the marked fretboard position(s). If the 2nd fret of the D string is marked, tap the "E" button. –––––– • Keyboard Ear Training • Note Ear Training Listen to the played reference and question notes. Select the piano key or note button corresponding to the question note. • Interval Ear Training • Scale Ear Training • Chord Ear Training Tap the button corresponding to the played notes. If E and F are played, tap the "Minor 2nd" button. –––––– • Accidental Calculator Display the accidental for a note and key. • Interval Calculator Display the interval for a note, type, and key. • Chord Calculator Display the scale for a tonic and scale type. • Chord Calculator Display the chord for a note, type, and key. • Analysis Calculator Display the chord for a symbol and key. • Matrix Calculator Display the twelve-tone matrix for a specified tone row.

Screenshots

Scales Lexicon4 screens
Tenuto4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: Tenuto at every 3 months against Scales Lexicon's every 19 months. Tenuto also leads on ratings volume (668 vs 6) and chart position (#9 vs unranked). Scales Lexicon's advantage is price ($2.99 vs $4.99). 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Scales Lexicon costs $2.99 and Tenuto $4.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.8 for Scales Lexicon against 4.7 for Tenuto. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Tenuto has 668 ratings behind it against 6, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 86% of Scales Lexicon's written reviews are positive against 94% of Tenuto's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Scales Lexicon ships an update every 19 months, Tenuto every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on November 1, 2026 and November 10, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard7 real differences · 4 level
Scales Lexicon versus Tenuto: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterScales LexiconTenuto
Price$2.99 — better$4.99
Rating4.8 (6 ratings) — better4.7 (668 ratings)
Positive reviews85.7% of reviews94.2% of reviews — better
Number of ratings6668 — better
Update frequencyEvery 19 monthsEvery 3 months — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationPaidPaid
Best chart rank—#9 — better
DevicesiPhoneiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS26.515.8 — better
Further details — not scored
Size40 MB11 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperPatrick Q. Kellymusictheory.net

Customer experience

Scales Lexicon

All ratings6 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews7 reviews
Positive85.7%
Neutral0.0%
Negative14.3%

Tenuto

All ratings652 ratings
Positive93.9%
Neutral2.0%
Negative4.1%
Written reviews382 reviews
Positive94.2%
Neutral2.9%
Negative2.9%

Bugs and requests

Scales Lexicon

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

Tenuto

Reported bugs

5 issues
  • Sound cuts out
  • Unresponsive at times
  • Freezes up
  • Doesn't work well for guitar
  • Incorrect chord/key associations

Requested features

20 requests
  • Cadences and inversions for ear training
  • Chord progressions for ear training
  • Melodic and harmonic minor modes for scale recognition
  • 6th, 9th, 11th and 13th chord extensions for chord recognition
  • Melodic dictation
Show 15 more
  • Rhythm exercises
  • Fretboard reverse identification
  • Chord inversions for chord identification
  • Scales written on staff using various clefs
  • Rhythm, melodic, and harmonic dictation exercises
  • Part writing exercises
  • Exercises for form, cadences, etc.
  • MIDI support
  • Autoplay function
  • Ability to input notes/chords on fretboard
  • Chord progression ear training
  • Inversion options for chord and interval identification
  • Melodic and harmonic minor scale identification
  • Extended chord identification
  • Rhythmic dictation

In-app purchases

None

Scales Lexicon

No in-app purchases

None

Tenuto

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Scales Lexicon free?
Scales Lexicon costs $2.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is Tenuto free?
Tenuto costs $4.99, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Scales Lexicon or Tenuto?
Scales Lexicon is rated higher. Scales Lexicon averages 4.8 out of 5 from 6 ratings, while Tenuto averages 4.7 from 668 ratings.
Do Scales Lexicon or Tenuto have ads?
Neither Scales Lexicon nor Tenuto shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Scales Lexicon or Tenuto?
Scales Lexicon ships an update every 19 months, and Tenuto every 3 months. Most recently, Scales Lexicon was updated on November 1, 2026 and Tenuto on November 10, 2026.

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