Comparison

Theory Lessons vs Music Theory Notes

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

Head to head
About

Theory Lessons

Explore 39 animated music theory lessons covering fundamental concepts like scales, chords, and intervals. Deepen your understanding of musical structure and analysis with this comprehensive resource.

Highlights
  • 39 animated music theory lessons
  • Covers staff, clefs, and ledger lines
  • Explains note and rest duration
  • Details major and minor scales
  • Teaches intervals and chord inversions
  • Includes Roman numeral analysis
  • Features musical analysis examples
Read full description

Theory Lessons features 39 music theory lessons from musictheory.net, presented in their original animated versions. Complete lesson list: • The Staff, Clefs, and Ledger Lines • Note Duration • Measures and Time Signature • Rest Duration • Dots and Ties • Steps and Accidentals • Simple and Compound Meter • Odd Meter • The Major Scale • The Minor Scales • Scale Degrees • Key Signatures • Key Signature Calculation • Generic Intervals • Specific Intervals • Writing Intervals • Interval Inversion • Introduction to Chords • Triad Inversion • Seventh Chords • More Seventh Chords • Seventh Chord Inversion • Diatonic Triads • Roman Numeral Analysis: Triads • Diatonic Seventh Chords • Roman Numeral Analysis: Seventh Chords • Composing with Minor Scales • Voicing Chords • Analysis: O Canada • Nonharmonic Tones • Phrases and Cadences • Circle Progressions • Common Chord Progressions • Triads in First Inversion • Triads in Second Inversion • Analysis: Auld Lang Syne • Building Neapolitan Chords • Using Neapolitan Chords • Analysis: Moonlight Sonata

About

Music Theory Notes

Learn to recognize musical pitches by sight or sound and practice notating them on a piano. Features ear training modes and a grade book to save and print quiz results.

Highlights
  • Pitch recognition by sight and sound
  • Piano keyboard and musical staff notation
  • Treble, Alto, Tenor, and Bass clefs
  • Ear training mode with hidden keyboard/staff
  • Printable grade book for saved results
  • Customizable note range
Read full description

Teachers, students and professional musicians: Recognize pitches (by sight and/or sound) and notate or play them on the piano. Includes a 'Grade Book' list of all saved results that you can print or send. • Play a note on the piano, or notate a piano key in a specific clef. • Treble, Alto, Tenor, and Bass clefs. • 'Ear Training' mode hides the keyboard or staff during the quiz. Use a 'Middle C’ button to help you figure out the answer. • The note range is set by the ledger lines limits you set. The Grade Book is filterable by name. Grades include the name, date and time the quiz was taken, all relevant settings (clef, number of questions, etc.), and score (percentage and letter grade).

Screenshots

Theory Lessons4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Music Theory Notes at 5.0 against Theory Lessons's 4.4. Theory Lessons's advantage is monetization model (free vs paid) and update cadence (every 4 months vs every 28 months). On price, ads and in-app purchases 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

Theory Lessons costs $2.99 and Music Theory Notes $2.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Music Theory Notes holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.4. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Theory Lessons has 126 ratings behind it against 2, so its average is the more settled of the two.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Theory Lessons ships an update every 4 months, Music Theory Notes every 28 months. The most recent releases landed on November 1, 2026 and June 1, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard7 real differences · 4 level
Theory Lessons versus Music Theory Notes: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterTheory LessonsMusic Theory Notes
Price$2.99$2.99
Rating4.4 (126 ratings)5.0 (2 ratings) — better
Positive reviews83.1% of reviews—
Number of ratings126 — better2
Update frequencyEvery 4 months — betterEvery 28 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFree — betterPaid
Best chart rank#25 — better—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPad
Requires iOS15.8 — better26.0
Further details — not scored
Size4 MB40 MB
Age rating4+4+
Developermusictheory.netPatrick Q. Kelly

Customer experience

Theory Lessons

All ratings126 ratings
Positive84.1%
Neutral7.9%
Negative7.9%
Written reviews154 reviews
Positive83.1%
Neutral5.8%
Negative11.0%

Music Theory Notes

All ratings2 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

Bugs and requests

Theory Lessons

Reported bugs

2 issues
  • Directional arrows and guidance symbols not working on iPad
  • Text panels cut off at the bottom and unable to be resized

Requested features

4 requests
  • Add more advanced theory topics
  • Incorporate practice exercises and quizzes
  • Include support for other instruments beyond piano
  • Integrate with the Tenuto app for a more complete experience

Music Theory Notes

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

None

Theory Lessons

No in-app purchases

None

Music Theory Notes

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Theory Lessons free?
Theory Lessons costs $2.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is Music Theory Notes free?
Music Theory Notes costs $2.99, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Theory Lessons or Music Theory Notes?
Music Theory Notes is rated higher. Theory Lessons averages 4.4 out of 5 from 126 ratings, while Music Theory Notes averages 5.0 from 2 ratings.
Do Theory Lessons or Music Theory Notes have ads?
Neither Theory Lessons nor Music Theory Notes shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Theory Lessons or Music Theory Notes?
Theory Lessons ships an update every 4 months, and Music Theory Notes every 28 months. Most recently, Theory Lessons was updated on November 1, 2026 and Music Theory Notes on June 1, 2026.

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