MIDI SolFa Mode vs Guitar Codex
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
MIDI SolFa Mode
Explore music theory with an interactive instrument. Learn scales, modes, and solmization, or connect to MIDI devices. Play melodies, chords, and discover improvisational techniques.
- Interactive spiral and piano keyboards
- Study scales, modes, and circle of fifths
- Learn Movable-Do and Fixed-Do solmization
- MIDI input/output and file playback
- Improvise polyphonic canons
- Load custom sounds and MIDI files
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A unique musical instrument. An interactive music theory medium. An amazing solmization machine. A universal MIDI tool. All in one: "MIDI SolFa Mode-Go-Round" unites and extends the possibilities of the apps "Musk MIDI Keyboard", "Musk MIDI Player", "Musk Diatonic Modes" and the "SolFa Mode-Go-Round". Therefore there are many creative and didactic use cases. Play and grasp music! Use cases: ========== * Play on the diatonic or chromatic keyboard. * Study or teach scales, church modes, and the circle of fifths. * Discover improvising polyphonic canons. * Learn Movable-Do and Fixed-Do solmization. * Connect to your MIDI apps and devices or play with connected "SolFa Mode-Go-Rounds". * Load sounds and polyphonic pieces. * Tune into your part. Hear its solmization. Touch instruments: ================== * The app features a diatonically oriented spiral shaped keyboard with 7 keys per octave. (Tone circle) * With it you can easily play well sounding melodies and chords in major, minor or other church modes. + Besides it, there is a chromatic piano keyboard. (iPhone: Landscape orientation, iPad: double tap piano-button) Sounds: ======= * Instrumental sounds: a General-MIDI sound font is pre-installed. (See also "Musk MIDI Keyboard" for more options.) * To study church modes and solmization, the syllables "do re mi fa so la ti" where recorded in 3 octaves. + Freely mix instrument and solmization sounds. Listen to the solmization of the tenor, hear the bass as piano and the soprano as flute notes. + Choose a small choir ("Erlebnisland") with warm sounds or synthetic Bruno, who really sings to the point. Music theory: ============= * The generalised touch circle of fifth gives access to 12 tonics und 7 modes. * The touch instruments change according to the selected tonic and mode. * There are 5 mathematical-musical base modulations. * Interactive tutorials introduce you to the operation. * Get a fine feeling for the character differences between the diatonic scales Major (Ionian), natural Minor (Aeolean) and the church modes Dorian, Phrygian, Lydian, Mixolydian and Locrian. * Understand how they are interrelated. + Improvise up to five-part counterpoint canons "note-by-note": You play the melody and the canon assistent shows how to proceed. * You can also invent normal canons. Just play in half notes. + You can change labels on the tone circle, e.g. to test your or your students knowledge. Solmization: ============ * The syllables depend on the pitch, the chosen tonic/mode configuration and the solmization method. * They are shown on the tone circle and can be heared. * Solmization methods: absolute solmization (Fixed-Do), relative solmization (Movable-Do) and scale degree solmization. MIDI features: ============== * With this app, you can send and receive MIDI notes and play back MIDI files. * All features of "Musk MIDI Keyboard" and "Musk MIDI Player" are available. (See "Related Apps" in the App Store) + Record tracks and export midi files. + During recording of notes, the related solmization syllables can be attached to the track as lyrics. These can be shown by any MIDI-Karaoke player. + This app sends and receives configuration change commands. You can keep all connected "MIDI SolFa Mode-Go-Rounds" in sync. + You can also add bass notes with an external notation app. These will trigger tonic/mode changes. Synchronization: ================= + Notes and configuration changes are transmitted via MIDI to connected devices and apps. + Using SharePlay you can play with friends over the Internet and play back midi files synchronously. + Nearby devices, e.g. in the classroom, can synchronize their settings via OSC and OSC-Query. See also: ========= * "SolFa Mode-Go-Round", "Tonkreisel", "Musk MIDI Player", "Musk MIDI Keyboard". * Features marked with "*" are available in other apps. * Features marked with "+" are only available in this app. Have fun and let the mode go round! We love to hear feedback.
Guitar Codex
This app offers a comprehensive suite of tools for guitarists of all levels, from beginners to experienced players. It includes a tuner, metronome, interactive chord and scale libraries, and a structured 140-lesson course covering theory, technique, and songwriting.
- Chromatic tuner with multiple presets
- Metronome with tap tempo
- Interactive circle of fifths
- Extensive chord and scale libraries
- 140 structured lessons
- Fretboard diagrams with color-coded notes
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Guitar Codex is the app you reach for every time you pick up a guitar. Find a chord, run a scale, tune up, or sit down for a proper lesson. It works for total beginners and for players twenty years in. THE TOOLS - Chord Finder: tap the frets on a blank fretboard and watch the chord names appear. Play a shape you can't name and find out what it is, or build a chord note by note and see how it's made. - Chromatic tuner with a smooth needle and presets for Standard, Drop D, Open G, DADGAD, and more. Reference pitch is adjustable from 432 to 445 Hz. - Metronome with tap tempo, time signatures, and a visual beat indicator. - An interactive circle of fifths: tap any key and see its seven chords, its key signature, and its relative key. THE LIBRARIES Every chord, scale, arpeggio, and triad renders on the same big, high-contrast fretboard diagram, with each note color-coded by its job in the shape: root, 3rd, 5th, and so on. You learn why a shape works, not just where your fingers go. - Chords: every common type and voicing, with CAGED positions up the whole neck - Scales: five boxes per scale, a full-neck view, and advice on when to use each one - Triads: three string sets, three inversions each, all on one page - Arpeggios: chord tones mapped across the neck for every quality THE COURSE 140 lessons in 12 modules take you from holding the guitar for the first time through chords, scales, theory, the CAGED system, progressions, modes, songwriting, technique, genre studies, and fretboard and ear mastery. Lessons teach with diagrams and real songs, and every one ends with a short Try It exercise you can do with the guitar in your hands. All of Module 1 is free. PAY ONCE, OWN IT FOREVER Guitar Codex has no subscription and never will. The free version includes the Chord Finder, the full tuner, the metronome, and a real taste of everything else. Two optional one-time purchases unlock the rest: Pro, the complete reference toolkit, and Complete, which adds all 140 lessons plus every lesson added in the future. Buy it once and it is yours for good.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is price: Guitar Codex at Free against MIDI SolFa Mode's $3.99. Guitar Codex also leads on review sentiment (100% vs 60%) and rating (5.0 vs 4.5). MIDI SolFa Mode's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 3). On ratings volume, ads, 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
Guitar Codex is free to download; MIDI SolFa Mode costs $3.99 up front. Guitar Codex sells 3 one-off in-app purchases. MIDI SolFa Mode asks for nothing beyond the download.
Guitar Codex holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.5. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 2 and 3 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 60% of MIDI SolFa Mode's written reviews are positive against 100% of Guitar Codex's.
MIDI SolFa Mode ships an update every 3 months, Guitar Codex every 2 days. The most recent releases landed on October 8, 2026 and October 1, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | MIDI SolFa Mode | Guitar Codex |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $3.99 | Free — better |
| Rating | 4.5 (2 ratings) | 5.0 (3 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 60.0% of reviews | 100.0% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 2 | 3 — better |
| Update frequency | Every 3 months | Every 2 days — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No — better | Yes |
| Monetization | Paid | Free with in-app purchases — better |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 14.0 — better | 15.1 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 45 MB | 39 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Dr. Garbers Softwareentwicklung | CampCheck Interactive LLC |
Customer experience
MIDI SolFa Mode
Guitar Codex
In-app purchases
MIDI SolFa Mode
No in-app purchases
Guitar Codex
- Guitar Codex Pro$9.99
- Pro to Complete Upgrade$9.99
- Guitar Codex Complete$19.99
Questions
Is MIDI SolFa Mode free?
Is Guitar Codex free?
Which has better reviews, MIDI SolFa Mode or Guitar Codex?
Do MIDI SolFa Mode or Guitar Codex have ads?
Which is updated more often, MIDI SolFa Mode or Guitar Codex?
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