Comparison

Tenuto vs clefPlayer

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

Head to head
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.

About

clefPlayer

Features
Read full description

* Learn your favourite songs on piano, whether beginner or pro! * Connect any piano via MIDI and practice any song: the app will wait for you to press the right keys and help you along the way, encouraging best piano learning practices. * Load your own MIDI song files! * Choose between a continuous horizontal scrolling music score, or a traditional music sheet score representation. * Practice one hand at a time, or both! * Get feedback from the on-screen piano about which keys to press next. The on-screen piano can also be hidden away, leaving only the music score. * Practice sight reading: A dedicated mode allows you to choose the clef, scale, and difficulty level. * Batteries included: A number of classic beginner MIDI files are built in. * You can also choose to practice a specific part of the song in a loop. * Set your own tempo clefPlayer is free to use and ad-free for 30 days. After the trial, continued use of the features above requires a one-time in-app purchase (no subscription).

Screenshots

Tenuto4 screens
clefPlayer4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: clefPlayer at Free against Tenuto's $4.99. clefPlayer also leads on update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 3 months) and rating (5.0 vs 4.7). Tenuto's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 1) and ads (none vs shown). On device support and iOS requirement 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

clefPlayer is free to download; Tenuto costs $4.99 up front. clefPlayer sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Tenuto asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

clefPlayer holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Tenuto has 665 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Tenuto ships an update every 3 months, clefPlayer every 3 weeks. Both last shipped on October 24, 2026.

Scorecard7 real differences · 4 level
Tenuto versus clefPlayer: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterTenutoclefPlayer
Price$4.99Free — better
Rating4.7 (665 ratings)5.0 (1 ratings) — better
Positive reviews94.1% of reviews—
Number of ratings665 — better1
Update frequencyEvery 3 monthsEvery 3 weeks — better
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationPaid—
Best chart rank#7 — better—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS15.8 — better16.0
Further details — not scored
Size11 MB17 MB
Age rating4+4+
Developermusictheory.netPablo Llopis

Customer experience

Tenuto

All ratings652 ratings
Positive93.9%
Neutral2.0%
Negative4.1%
Written reviews354 reviews
Positive94.1%
Neutral3.1%
Negative2.8%

clefPlayer

All ratings1 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

Bugs and 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

clefPlayer

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

None

Tenuto

No in-app purchases

1 purchases

clefPlayer

One-time1
  • Unlock the full experience forever$12.99

Questions

Is Tenuto free?
Tenuto costs $4.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is clefPlayer free?
clefPlayer is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Tenuto or clefPlayer?
clefPlayer is rated higher. Tenuto averages 4.7 out of 5 from 665 ratings, while clefPlayer averages 5.0 from 1 ratings.
Do Tenuto or clefPlayer have ads?
clefPlayer shows ads; Tenuto does not.
Which is updated more often, Tenuto or clefPlayer?
Tenuto ships an update every 3 months, and clefPlayer every 3 weeks. Most recently, Tenuto was updated on October 24, 2026 and clefPlayer on October 24, 2026.

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