PercussionTutor vs djembeföla!
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
PercussionTutor
Explore a vast library of world percussion rhythms and instruments. Learn through standard notation, videos, and practice tools like time-stretching and a metronome. Ideal for musicians, dancers, and rhythm enthusiasts seeking authentic global drumming traditions.
- Extensive library of world rhythms
- Individual drum track control
- Audio time-stretching
- Integrated metronome
- Standard notation and descriptions
- Instructional videos
- Authentic instrument sounds
Read full descriptionHide full description
MODERN DRUMMER MAGAZINE (October 2015 issue): “This is a must-have for anyone wanting an encyclopedia of world percussion rhythms at their fingertips.” PercussionTutor is an educational app for dedicated world percussion enthusiasts. The app and its free companion book feature a unique library of world rhythms and instruments played by leading percussionists and drummers. A time stretching feature and a metronome give the users the option to practice at their own pace. NO IN-APP PURCHASES! Make sure to buy the app now and get all the future content for free. We will release updates on a regular basis adding new rhythms and videos. Damian Erskine (bassist, educator, writer for NoTreble.com): “PercussionTutor is truly fantastic and a blast to play along with”. (full review on NoTreble.com) Lincoln Goines (electric and acoustic bassist) writes: “This app is an engaging and informative way to check out the original funk. A great tool for musicians, dancers, and all lovers of rhythm”. Percussive Arts Society: “The interactive application is very thorough [...]. Navigation is simple and the layout is logical and easy to grasp.” PercussionTutor will allow you to approach South American, Caribbean and West African music in a different way. This app offers you more than a simple play-along. It includes standard notation, videos and specific claves. We also took the outmost care to capture the natural feeling of all those drumming traditions. For the batá rhythms we even developed a random playback engine that will simulate an actual batá performance. This app puts you in a live playing situation - just like you learned your mother language. You will sound more natural and more alive and you will awaken to new rhythmic possibilities. It's also a great tool for other musicians, dancers and performers who want to immerse themselves into centuries-old traditional languages. FEATURES: - Over 80 rhythms (some rhythms include a basic and a more advanced version) - Rhythms from Cuba, Brazil, Puerto Rico, Peru, West Africa, ... - ALL drums can be turned on and off individually - audio time-stretching feature - 59 videos - over 50 percussion instruments - Sheets of all the rhythms included in the app and in the free book - A description of all the rhythms - MORE RHYTMS COMING: we are working on a lot more content to be released on a regular basis! FEATURED MUSICIANS: * Louis Bauzo, performed with Tito Puente, Dizzy Gillespie, Paul Simon * Greg Askew, performed with Tito Puente * Luiz Ebert * Jérôme Goldschmidt, performed with Tito Puente, M. Santamaria & Chico O’Farrill * Marcos Napa, performed with Perú N. * M. Monaco, performed with Al Di Meola * Oswald Simmonds * Reynaldo Alcantara * Richard Byrd, performed with Babatunde Olatunji * Rudy Walker, performed with Pharaoh Saunders, Randy Weston * Victor Rendón, performed with M. Santamaria, Xavier Cugat Orchestra FEATURED RHYTHMS: **Cuba - Popular Music** - Afro - Bolero - Cha Cha Cha - Mozambique - Pachanga - Pilon - Salsa 1, 2, 3, 4 - Songo 1, 2 & 3 - Timba **Cuba - Folk Music** - Abakua Havana - Afra - Agüeito - Azogano Part 1, 2 - Columbia Part 1 - Conga - Guaguanco - Guiro - Iyesa - Makuta - Mozambique - Palo - Yambu - Yuca **Cuba - Batá Drums** - Lalubanche - Latopa - Ogun - Auguere (part 1) - Auguere (part 2) - Imbaloke - Babaluaye (part 1) - Babaluaye (part 2) - Kuru Kurubete - Ewe Masiboroñu - Borotitilawa - Dada - Oggue - Agayu Part 1,2,3 & 4 - Oferere - Ibejis - Akete Obba - Odudua - Iya Mase - Yacota - Ñongo - Chachalokafun - Iyesa - Echu - Olokun **Spain - Flamenco** - Bulerías - Soleá por Bulerías - Tangos **Brazil** - Baião - Bossa Nova - Samba Batucada - Samba Enredo - Samba Pagode - Samba Reggae - Xaxado **Dominican Republic** - Jaleo - Merengue - Pambiche **Puerto Rico** - Xica - Holandes & Holandes fast version - Plena **Peru** - Festejo - Zamacueca - Vals Peruano - Lando - Afro **West Africa** - Fanga - Saa - Lamban - Sounou
djembeföla!
Explore and learn traditional West African rhythms with this comprehensive drumming app. Features authentic recordings, customizable playback, and detailed cultural information. Perfect for students and enthusiasts aiming for certification.
- Dozens of traditional rhythms
- Djembe and dunun parts with individual controls
- Customizable tempo and volume
- Metronome with shekere/clave sounds
- In-depth rhythm information and maps
- Supports TTMDA curriculum for certification
Read full descriptionHide full description
Inspired by Master Djembeföla, Mamady Keïta, and designed for students and enthusiasts worldwide, djembeföla! is the most comprehensive West African drumming app available today. Scroll through dozens of traditional rhythms, each with djembe and dunun parts, using sorting options such as Region, Ethnic Group, Cultural Purpose, and more. Press play and following the djembe signal, the selected rhythm plays in a continuous loop, as the cursor visually marks each beat. With master tempo and volume controls, as well as separate volume sliders and mute buttons for each djembe and dunun part (including the dunun bells) djembefola! is infinitely customizable. A Signal Repeat selector allows the user to hear the signal repeat, and choose between several different intervals. A selectable Metronome function keeps you in time with traditional shekere or clave sounds. Press the 'i' (info) button for more in-depth information about the rhythm, including maps -- information that is vital to the preservation of West African drumming culture. Play it through headphones for individual woodshedding, or through a home stereo or PA system via WiFi or BlueTooth to play as a group. Set the sorting function to 'LEVELS' and djembeföla! is uniquely set up to follow TamTam Mandingue Djembe Academy's curriculum for certification. With links to TTMDA and ClubTTM, djembeföla! is the perfect tool to help you achieve your TTMDA certification. In-app purchases mean you can go at your own pace -- start with the Beginner Levels Module, and when you're ready, explore the Intermediate and Advanced Modules. There's even a Dununba Rhythms Module with 21 Dununba Rhythms, and now modules with rhythms created by Mamady Keïta. Features: • over 120 rhythms available in Version 2.0, • multiple sorting groups - alphabetical, ethnic group, region, purpose, and TTM curriculum levels • actual recordings instead of samples - means it sounds organic and authentic instead of computer-generated. • single page interface - you don't have to switch pages to view the notation, or change the mix. • master tempo control - slide left or right for .75x to 1.5x the rhythm's default tempo, and simply tap the control to return the tempo to the rhythm's default value. • individual mute and volume controls - emphasize whichever parts you want to hear more clearly. • signal repeat option for repeating the signal at varying cycles • new metronome options including shekere & clave • in-app purchases - build your library of rhythms as you go, with available rhythm packs from Beginner to Advanced, and more *note: with initial purchase, 8 rhythms have full functionality: Abondan Balakulandjan Bao Denadon Kotedjuga Kuku Mendiani Takosaba • links to TTMDA and ClubTTM - one of the world's most in-depth resources for West African drumming culture, the TTMDA site lists all kinds of drumming events and workshops, as well as links to TTMDA Certified Teachers all over the world. There's an online store, and with ClubTTM, there are countless hours of video posted by both Mamady Keïta and TTM Certified Teachers.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is price: djembeföla! at $4.99 against PercussionTutor's $14.99. djembeföla! also leads on update cadence (every 6 weeks vs every 5 months). PercussionTutor's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 6) and chart position (#73 vs unranked). On rating, ads and device support 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
PercussionTutor costs $14.99 and djembeföla! $4.99 up front. djembeföla! sells 6 one-off in-app purchases. PercussionTutor asks for nothing beyond the download.
PercussionTutor holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 4.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: PercussionTutor has 267 ratings behind it against 35, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 90% of PercussionTutor's written reviews are positive against 80% of djembeföla!'s.
PercussionTutor ships an update every 5 months, djembeföla! every 6 weeks. Both last shipped on October 26, 2026.
| Parameter | PercussionTutor | djembeföla! |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $14.99 | $4.99 — better |
| Rating | 4.9 (267 ratings) — better | 4.7 (35 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 90.1% of reviews — better | 80.0% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 267 — better | 35 |
| Update frequency | Every 5 months | Every 6 weeks — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No — better | Yes |
| Monetization | Paid | Free with in-app purchases — better |
| Best chart rank | #73 — better | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 9.0 — better | 13.4 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 440 MB | 158 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 9+ |
| Developer | FunkyDrumTutor | Tom Taylor |
Customer experience
PercussionTutor
djembeföla!
Bugs and requests
PercussionTutor
Reported bugs
9 issues- Metronome timing is 2 clicks ahead of actual rhythm
- Audio distortion when moderately increasing tempo
- Crashes with external USB audio interfaces (RME Babyface, RME Babyface Pro, Motu 828es)
- No audio output with some USB interfaces despite no crash
- App crashes when opening other apps
Show 4 moreShow fewer
- Audio loss when switching between audio apps
- Incorrect sheet music for Clave Tiñosa
- Transient smearing and rhythm attack blurring at very slow tempos
- Occasional app crashes during normal use
Requested features
18 requests- More Colombian rhythms (Cumbia, Bullerengue, Vallenato, Porro, Currulao, Mapale)
- Brazilian genres expansion (Choro, Forró, and variations)
- Individual volume controls for each instrument
- Visual playhead/bar indicator moving through sheet music in real-time
- Count-in before rhythm starts
Show 13 moreShow fewer
- Metronome function for all rhythms
- Tempo adjustment without pitch change (time-stretching)
- Higher tempo limits for certain rhythms
- Dominican Bachata rhythm
- West African dance rhythms
- 6/8 bell patterns and rhythms
- Puerto Rican rhythm corrections and additions (Cuembé, Yubá, Seis Corrido)
- Salsa 2-3 and 3-2 pattern variations
- Practice timer to track time per rhythm
- Better graphics and authentic instrument photos
- Integration with DAW apps like GarageBand
- Free trial version before purchase
- Middle Eastern percussion sounds
djembeföla!
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
PercussionTutor
No in-app purchases
djembeföla!
- MK Originals Beginner Pack$9.99
- BEGINNER Rhythm Pack$9.99
- MK Originals Intermediate Pack$14.99
Show 3 moreShow fewer
- MK Originals Advanced Pack$14.99
- INTERMEDIATE Rhythm Pack$14.99
- DUNUNBA Rhythm Pack$14.99
Questions
Is PercussionTutor free?
Is djembeföla! free?
Which has better reviews, PercussionTutor or djembeföla!?
Do PercussionTutor or djembeföla! have ads?
Which is updated more often, PercussionTutor or djembeföla!?
Other comparisons















