Pentatonics vs Contrapunctus
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Pentatonics
This app visualizes five-note scales and their connection to chords, offering a unique way to explore musical expression. It helps musicians improvise, compose, and understand harmony with clear visual aids and smart filtering options.
- Pentagon scale-chord visualizer
- Six curated pentatonic scales
- Smart chord filtering
- Two-way transposition
- Layered interval insight
- Highlight chord tones
- Save favorite combinations
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Pentatonics - Take Five Less notes. More music. Visualized. Step back. Level up. Unlock a new world of musical expression with Pentatonics, the visually driven music theory tool that transforms five-note scales into endless creative possibilities. Whether you’re improvising, composing, or exploring harmony, Pentatonics shows you how to say more with less. What Makes It Different Visualize the Scale-Chord Connection A one-of-a-kind pentagon visualizer shows exactly how a scale maps onto a chord, highlighting chord tones, extensions, tensions, and color with instant clarity. Six Curated Pentatonics These aren’t basic box patterns. Each scale is chosen for its harmonic purpose: • Minor 7 (1, b3, 4, 5, b7) • Minor 6 (1, b3, 4, 5, 6) • Minor 7b5 (1, b3, 4, b5, b7) • Major b6 (1, 2, 3, 5, b6) • Major b2 (1, b2, 3, 5, 6) • Whole-Tone (1, 3, #4, #5, b7) Smart Chord Filtering Choose from 14 chord filters to match the sound you want: Major, Minor, Dominant — plus altered, sus, and extended voicings like #11, b9, b13, and more. Two-Way Transposition Transpose chord and scale roots independently. Practice in any key. Compose in any context. Teach with full flexibility. Layered Interval Insight Switch between note names and scale degrees to understand how each note functions inside the harmony. Highlight Chord Tones Color-coded overlays show you roots, thirds, sevenths, and more — helping you target the strongest notes in your lines. Smart Starting Points Pentatonics finds 47 unique entry points where each scale fits the chord best — based on harmonic fit, not guesswork. Across all keys and chords, that’s 7,896 ways to explore expressive sounds. Stay in the Flow • Save your favorite combinations for fast recall • History tracking keeps your recent choices just a tap away • Built-in suggestions point you to the most musical options Who It’s For • Musicians breaking out of tired scale shapes • Improvisers searching for expressive new ideas • Composers seeking color and clarity • Teachers looking to simplify complex harmony • Students learning how theory works in real music Explore. Visualize. Improvise. Pentatonics isn’t just a scale reference. It’s a launchpad for creative growth. Built for modern iOS with a clean, fast interface powered by SwiftUI, it’s designed to keep you thinking less about theory — and more about sound. Take five — and play like never before!
Contrapunctus
Create a second, independent musical line to accompany your melody. Draw or import music, and the app generates compliant counterpoint, offering various options and customization. Export your compositions in standard formats for use in other music software.
- Generate independent counterpoint melodies
- Draw melodies or import MIDI/MusicXML
- Real-time rule engine for voice-leading
- Customizable voice movement and harmony
- Standard notation preview
- MIDI and MusicXML export
- Offline functionality
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Give your melody a second voice. Contrapunctus writes counterpoint. Draw a melody on a simple grid — or import a MIDI or MusicXML file — and it composes a genuinely independent second line against it: real first-species counterpoint, obeying the voice-leading rules right down to the cadence. HOW IT WORKS • Draw a melody on the timeline (leave a gap for a rest), import MIDI/MusicXML, or type it in. • Contrapunctus generates a legal counter-line above or below, updating live. • Cycle the distinct valid options — ranked best first — and pick the one your ear likes. • Shape it with two dials: how strictly it favors sweet 3rds and 6ths, and how independently the voice moves. WHAT'S INSIDE • A real rule engine — no parallel fifths or octaves, proper cadences, and a musica-ficta toggle that raises the leading tone in modal keys. • Works in every mode: major, dorian, aeolian and the rest. • Live standard-notation preview of both voices. • MIDI and MusicXML import and export — for MuseScore, Sibelius, Dorico, Finale, or your DAW. • Fully offline. No account, no sign-in, no ads, no in-app purchases. • Private by design — Contrapunctus collects nothing. Your music never leaves your phone unless you export it. Contrapunctus is by Songdeed.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is price: Pentatonics at $0.99 against Contrapunctus's $4.99. Contrapunctus's advantage is iOS requirement (15.0 vs 17.6). On review sentiment, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model 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
Pentatonics costs $0.99 and Contrapunctus $4.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
| Parameter | Pentatonics | Contrapunctus |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $0.99 — better | $4.99 |
| Rating | — | 5.0 (2 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 100.0% of reviews | 100.0% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | — | 2 — better |
| Update frequency | Every 9 days | — |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Paid | Paid |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better |
| Requires iOS | 17.6 | 15.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 1 MB | 3 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Oliver Richard Erich Naumann | EVAN TRACEN POWERS |
Customer experience
Pentatonics
Contrapunctus
In-app purchases
Pentatonics
No in-app purchases
Contrapunctus
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is Pentatonics free?
Is Contrapunctus free?
Do Pentatonics or Contrapunctus have ads?
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