Comparison

Ear Drone vs Tuning Note

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

Head to head
About

Ear Drone

Master musical intervals, chords, and scales with interactive exercises and reference drones. Learn solfege hand signs and practice with various instrument sounds or MIDI controllers. This app offers customizable training for musicians of all levels.

Highlights
  • Interactive ear training exercises
  • Reference drones for pitch accuracy
  • Multiple instrument sounds
  • MIDI instrument support
  • Customizable exercises
  • Solfege hand sign learning
Read full description

Master your musical ear with the ultimate ear training app! Elevate your musical skills with our powerful and intuitive ear trainer application, designed to help musicians of all levels improve their ear training through immersive, interactive exercises and reference drones. Whether you're learning scales, modes, triads, or solfege hand signs (also known as Kodály or Curwen hand signs), this app has everything you need to master your musical ear with precision. Three Interactive Modes: Input mode: Dive deep into ear training with full user interaction. Listen to intervals, chords, and scales, then test yourself by inputting your answers. Listen mode: Improve your ear training without lifting a finger! Simply listen to the exercises and absorb the musical information hands-free. Great for passive learning, this mode is ideal for training your ear while you're on the go or in situations where interaction isn’t possible. Free play mode: Unleash your creativity with Free Play Mode! Choose your preferred instrument and explore its range of sounds in the app’s instrument views. Experiment with melodies, harmonies, and scales, using this mode for both practice and inspiration. Key Features: Background Reference Drones: Develop pitch accuracy and tonal memory using customizable reference drones. These steady tones provide a constant pitch foundation, improving your ability to match and recognize notes across exercises. Multiple Instrument Sounds: Train your ear in a wide range of musical environments by choosing from different instrument sounds, including keyed, stringed, wind, and synth instruments. MIDI Instrument Support: Expand your learning experience by integrating external MIDI instruments. Whether you prefer a digital keyboard or a MIDI controller, this feature allows you to practice ear training with the tactile feedback of your instrument of choice. Customizable Ear Training Exercises: Design your own ear training sessions to focus on specific intervals, scales, modes, or triads. The app supports a wide range of musical scales, from basic major and minor scales to more advanced scales such as Lydian, Phrygian, and Mixolydian. Build exercises that cater to your unique needs and push your ear training to the next level. Learn Solfege Hand Signs (Kodály/Curwen): Perfect your ability to visualize and sing pitches using solfege hand signs, an excellent method for enhancing sight-singing, pitch recognition, and tonal awareness. Who is This App For? - Musicians and music students who want to sharpen their ear for intervals, chords, scales, and modes. - Teachers looking for a comprehensive tool to assist students in learning music theory and solfege. - Instrumentalists who wish to improve their pitch recognition and tone matching skills. - Singers who want to master solfege hand signs and enhance their sight-singing abilities. - Producers and composers aiming to sharpen their tonal awareness across different instrument sounds, from piano and guitar to synths and wind instruments. Keywords: ear trainer, ear training, music practice, drones, instrument, piano, guitar, synth, MIDI, triads, scales, modes, solfege Hand Signs, Kodály, Curwen, hand signs, musical ear development. Download the app today and start your journey toward mastering your musical ear. Whether you're practicing with hands-on exercises, passively listening, or engaging in free play, you'll have all the tools you need to become a well-rounded musician!

About

Tuning Note

This app provides a sustained reference tone for a wide range of chromatic pitches, ideal for tuning string instruments by ear. Easily navigate between notes and adjust the reference frequency for precise tuning.

Highlights
  • Sustained reference tones
  • Chromatic pitch selection
  • Real-time tone updates
  • Configurable A4 frequency
  • Navigation by half steps or intervals
  • Light, dark, and system modes
Features
Read full description

Tuning Note plays a sustained reference tone for any chromatic pitch from G3 to A5—the full range of the violin, with headroom above and below. Select a pitch, tap Play, and tune by ear. The tone updates in real time as you navigate, so you can move between notes without stopping and restarting. Features: • Swipe, tap, or use navigation arrows to move between pitches • Configurable A4 reference frequency (415, 440, 442, 444 Hz, or custom) • Tap navigation by half steps or a fixed interval—default is a fifth • Light, dark, and system appearance modes

Screenshots

Ear Drone4 screens
Tuning Note4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Tuning Note at none against Ear Drone's 3. Tuning Note also leads on update cadence (every 8 days vs every 2 months). Ear Drone's advantage is device support (4 vs 1) and iOS requirement (17.2 vs 26.2). On price, rating, ratings volume and ads 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

Both are free to download. Ear Drone sells 3 one-off in-app purchases. Tuning Note asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 5.0 for Ear Drone against 5.0 for Tuning Note. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 1 and 1 respectively.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Ear Drone ships an update every 2 months, Tuning Note every 8 days. The most recent releases landed on September 29, 2026 and October 2, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
Ear Drone versus Tuning Note: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterEar DroneTuning Note
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (1 ratings)5.0 (1 ratings)
Positive reviews100.0% of reviews—
Number of ratings11
Update frequencyEvery 2 monthsEvery 8 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFreeFree
DevicesiPhone, iPad, Mac, Vision Pro — betteriPhone
Requires iOS17.2 — better26.2
Further details — not scored
Size919 MB1 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperJason FleischerNATHANIEL GRANITTO SMITH

In-app purchases

3 purchases

Ear Drone

One-time3
  • Fully Unlocked$1.99
  • Generously Fully Unlocked$3.99
  • Very Generously Fully Unlocked$6.99
None

Tuning Note

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Ear Drone free?
Ear Drone is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Tuning Note free?
Tuning Note is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Ear Drone or Tuning Note?
Ear Drone and Tuning Note are both rated 5.0 out of 5 on the App Store, from 1 and 1 ratings respectively.
Do Ear Drone or Tuning Note have ads?
Neither Ear Drone nor Tuning Note shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Ear Drone or Tuning Note?
Ear Drone ships an update every 2 months, and Tuning Note every 8 days. Most recently, Ear Drone was updated on September 29, 2026 and Tuning Note on October 2, 2026.

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