Comparison

Music Reading Essentials 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

Music Reading Essentials

This app aids in learning and practicing sheet music reading, covering musical signs, symbols, note names, rhythms, and intervals. It features flashcards divided into stages with a smart shuffling algorithm to reinforce learning, and offers clef selection and timer modes for comprehensive practice.

Highlights
  • Sheet music reading practice
  • Musical signs and symbols
  • Note names and rhythms
  • Intervals learning
  • Flashcards with stages
  • Clef selection (Treble, Bass, Alto)
  • Timer mode
Features
Read full description

"Poco-a-Poco: Music Reading Essentials" helps learning and practicing sheet music reading, understanding musical signs and symbols, note names, rhythms, intervals and more. Designed with the help of professional piano teachers, this fundamental tool is for those who are learning to play piano or other musical instruments, as well as for anybody who needs practicing sheet music reading. The application has four sets of flash cards divided into stages with increasing knowledge level. By choosing either one or a combination of any of the four sets, you can start testing yourself and study at the same time. The specially designed shuffling algorithm will start showing more often those cards, which were not answered correctly. Choose Notes from either Treble clef, Bass clef, Alto clef or the combination of Treble and Bass clefs ("Grand" mode). Use "Timer" to test your knowledge. The "Results" screen will show your progress as well what you need to continue working on. With the "Cards Info" screen you can see how the cards are arranged by sets and stages.

About

Music Theory Notes

Learn to recognize and notate musical pitches by sight or sound. Practice with various clefs and customizable note ranges. Includes a grade book to save and share quiz results.

Highlights
  • Pitch recognition by sight and sound
  • Piano keyboard and staff notation
  • Treble, Alto, Tenor, and Bass clefs
  • Ear training mode
  • Customizable note range
  • Printable grade book
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

Music Reading Essentials4 screens
Music Theory Notes4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is monetization model: Music Reading Essentials at free against Music Theory Notes's paid. Music Reading Essentials also leads on ratings volume (11 vs 1) and device support (3 vs 1). Music Theory Notes's advantage is rating (5.0 vs 4.6). On price, update cadence, 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

Music Reading Essentials 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 4.6. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Music Reading Essentials has 11 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Music Reading Essentials ships an update every 20 months, Music Theory Notes every 36 months. The most recent releases landed on October 23, 2026 and October 14, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
Music Reading Essentials versus Music Theory Notes: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterMusic Reading EssentialsMusic Theory Notes
Price$2.99$2.99
Rating4.6 (11 ratings)5.0 (1 ratings) — better
Positive reviews63.4% of reviews—
Number of ratings11 — better1
Update frequencyEvery 20 months — betterEvery 36 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFree — betterPaid
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone
Requires iOS15.0 — better26.0
Further details — not scored
Size122 MB39 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperNotagram, LLCPatrick Q. Kelly

Customer experience

Music Reading Essentials

All ratings11 ratings
Positive81.8%
Neutral18.2%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews41 reviews
Positive63.4%
Neutral17.1%
Negative19.5%

Music Theory Notes

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

In-app purchases

None

Music Reading Essentials

No in-app purchases

None

Music Theory Notes

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Music Reading Essentials free?
Music Reading Essentials 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, Music Reading Essentials or Music Theory Notes?
Music Theory Notes is rated higher. Music Reading Essentials averages 4.6 out of 5 from 11 ratings, while Music Theory Notes averages 5.0 from 1 ratings.
Do Music Reading Essentials or Music Theory Notes have ads?
Neither Music Reading Essentials nor Music Theory Notes shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Music Reading Essentials or Music Theory Notes?
Music Reading Essentials ships an update every 20 months, and Music Theory Notes every 36 months. Most recently, Music Reading Essentials was updated on October 23, 2026 and Music Theory Notes on October 14, 2026.

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