Comparison

Jazz ScaleHelper vs Play by Ear

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

Head to head
About

Jazz ScaleHelper

Improve your musical instrument playing with interactive exercises and real-time feedback. Practice scales, modes, and arpeggios with scoring and performance analysis. Ideal for exam preparation and general skill enhancement.

Highlights
  • Interactive scale and arpeggio practice
  • Real-time performance scoring
  • Multiple practice modes (play any, choose, challenge)
  • Supports Trinity Guildhall and ABRSM syllabuses
  • Wide range of scales, modes, and arpeggios
  • Supports multiple instruments
  • Multi-user support with saved history
Features
Read full description

Choose an exercise: see the notes and hear them played Play the exercise: get a score, see the notes you played and listen to your performance Jazz ScaleHelper is the fast way to improve your playing. With actual feedback based on what you played, Jazz ScaleHelper enables you to concentrate on the aspects of your playing that will help the most. Jazz ScaleHelper has 3 modes: 1. Play any scale: Jazz ScaleHelper determines the exercise you have played and scores your performance. Ideal for impromptu practise sessions. 2. Choose a scale: Choose the exercise you want to play and Jazz ScaleHelper listens and gives you a score. Ideal to improve a specific musical exercise. 3. Challenge me: Jazz ScaleHelper will ask you to play exercises from your challenge list that is based on your chosen syllabus. Jazz ScaleHelper will identify what you need to practise and make sure you get exam ready while having fun on the way. Ideal for practising a range of exercises. Jazz ScaleHelper contains everything you need for the instruments covered by the Jazz syllabuses from Trinity Guildhall and ABRSM examining boards. Jazz ScaleHelper will be there for you every step of the way as you grow as a musician. Jazz ScaleHelper allows you to create your own syllabus from the exercises it supports: major scales; dorian modes; lydian modes; lydian flat 7 modes; mixolydian modes; melodic minor scales; jazz melodic minor scales; harmonic minor scales; pentatonic major scales; pentatonic minor scales; blues scales; diminished scales; chromatic scales; whole-tone scales; phrygian modes; locrian modes; altered modes; aeolian modes; major arpeggios; minor arpeggios; augmented arpeggios; major sevenths; minor sevenths; diminished sevenths; half-diminished sevenths; major/minor sevenths; and minor/major sevenths. All exercises are available starting from every tonic over 1 octave, 1 twelfth, 2 octaves, 2.5 octaves and 3 octaves. There is a range of exercise lists for popular music exams available for download. (Jazz ScaleHelper Lite only supports major scales, blues scales and major arpeggios over 1 octave) Instruments supported include Violin, Viola, Cello, Guitar, Bass Guitar, Clarinet, Flute, Oboe, Saxophone, Bassoon, Recorder, Trumpet, Cornet, Trombone and Horn. A full list is available at www.jazz.ScaleHelper.com along with details of the rich feature set Jazz ScaleHelper has to offer. At less than the price of a single music lesson the guidance that Jazz ScaleHelper provides between your lessons builds on that teaching. You can dispense with the need to review scales by playing them in your lessons and instead reuse the time you gain to learn technique and perfect your pieces. Jazz ScaleHelper supports multiple users, keeping each user's history for each of their instruments. You can save recordings to study later or to show and play to your teacher and friends. You can also email recordings to share them with others. Have fun competing with your friends to see who can get the highest score or who can maintain the highest average.

About

Play by Ear

Features
Read full description

Play by Ear trains you to play back what you hear immediately. While many tools focus on naming intervals in an exam-like format, this app emphasises playing phrases in time with a metronome. The app uses a call and response loop to bridge the gap between your ears and your instrument. 1. Set the length and complexity of the material, from simple intervals to melodic phrases with chromatic passing notes. 2. Start the metronome. 4. Listen to a phrase and play it back in rhythm. There is no automated scoring to detect when you play correctly. If you can't tell whether you've played a phrase correctly, the material is likely too difficult. Success comes from slow, consistent practise at a manageable level. By relying on your own ears to judge your accuracy, you develop a more intuitive and reliable musical ear.

Screenshots

Jazz ScaleHelper4 screens
Play by Ear4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: Play by Ear at Free against Jazz ScaleHelper's $5.99. Play by Ear also leads on update cadence (every 3 days vs every 6 weeks). On ads, in-app purchases, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price ยท Rating ยท Positive reviews ยท Number of ratings ยท Update frequency ยท Ads ยท In-app purchases ยท Monetization ยท Best chart rank ยท Devices ยท Requires iOS

CostPrice ยท In-app purchases ยท Ads ยท Monetization

Play by Ear is free to download; Jazz ScaleHelper costs $5.99 up front. Jazz ScaleHelper sells 10 one-off in-app purchases and Play by Ear sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Jazz ScaleHelper ships an update every 6 weeks, Play by Ear every 3 days. The most recent releases landed on November 1, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences ยท 6 level
Jazz ScaleHelper versus Play by Ear: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterJazz ScaleHelperPlay by Ear
Price$5.99Free โ€” better
Positive reviews50.0% of reviewsโ€”
Update frequencyEvery 6 weeksEvery 3 days โ€” better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationPaidโ€”
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS15.0 โ€” better15.1
Further details โ€” not scored
Size9 MB57 MB
Age rating+44+
DeveloperRichard WilliamsDavid Rowthorn

In-app purchases

10 purchases

Jazz ScaleHelper

One-time10
  • Saxophone TRINITY G4$0.99
  • Saxophone TRINITY G7$0.99
  • Saxophone ABRSM G1 to G3$0.99
Show 7 more
  • Saxophone ABRSM G4$0.99
  • Saxophone ABRSM G5$0.99
  • Trumpet ABRSM G1 to G3$0.99
  • Trumpet ABRSM G4$0.99
  • Trumpet ABRSM G5$0.99
  • Flute TRINITY G1 to G8$2.99
  • Saxophone TRINITY G1 to G8$2.99
1 purchases

Play by Ear

One-time1
  • Pro Unlock$2.99

Questions

Is Jazz ScaleHelper free?
Jazz ScaleHelper costs $5.99, and also offers in-app purchases.
Is Play by Ear free?
Play by Ear is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Jazz ScaleHelper or Play by Ear have ads?
Neither Jazz ScaleHelper nor Play by Ear shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Jazz ScaleHelper or Play by Ear?
Jazz ScaleHelper ships an update every 6 weeks, and Play by Ear every 3 days. Most recently, Jazz ScaleHelper was updated on November 1, 2026 and Play by Ear on October 24, 2026.

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