Comparison

Ear Trainer Master vs Music Notes

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

Head to head
About

Ear Trainer Master

Features
Read full description

Ear Trainer Master — the ear training and music theory app with a guitar fretboard, piano keyboard, and 133 structured lessons. Train intervals, chords, and chord progressions with visual aids no other app offers. GUITAR EAR TRAINING • See chord shapes on a real fretboard while you train — open voicings, barre chords, and a voicing style toggle • Guitar chord identification with visual feedback on every answer • Switch between acoustic guitar, electric guitar, classical guitar, and bass • The only ear training app that shows you the fretboard as you learn PIANO EAR TRAINING • Watch piano keys light up as intervals and chords play • Interval recognition and chord identification with keyboard visualization • Tap individual keys to compare notes and build your inner ear • Expand to full-screen piano for detailed analysis 133 EAR TRAINING LESSONS • Ascending Intervals — 24 lessons from pitch recognition to compound intervals across all 12 keys • Descending Intervals — 18 lessons with song associations, mixed directions, and random tonic training • Chord Identification — 31 lessons: triads, suspended chords, inversions, seventh chords, and extended jazz chords (9ths, 11ths, 13ths) • Cadences — 12 lessons on authentic, plagal, half, and deceptive cadences • Functional Harmony — 15 lessons: tonic/predominant/dominant functions, pop loops, circle of fifths, and turnarounds • Applied Dominants — 8 lessons on secondary dominants and tonicization • Discover — 25 style collections SURVIVAL MODE • One wrong answer ends the run — the difficulty climbs as your streak grows • A leaderboard per mode, tracking your best streak and accuracy DISCOVER REAL PROGRESSIONS • 25 hand-authored collections across classical, pop, rock, ballads, and funk • Each collection walks an era, and finishing one unlocks the next LEARN MUSIC THEORY BEFORE EACH QUIZ • Concept intro lessons explain what to listen for and why it matters • Song anchors help you remember interval sounds • Core concepts break down chord quality, voice leading, and harmonic function • Prerequisites guide you through a structured learning path PRACTICE IN ANY KEY • Tonal center selector — choose C, D, E, F, G, A, or B as your practice key • Random tonic mode for advanced ear training across all keys • Moving tonic mode for real-world modulation practice • Customizable playback: melodic, harmonic, block, or arpeggiated INTELLIGENT LEARNING SYSTEM • Two modes: Free Mode for open exploration or Tutor Mode with 80% mastery to advance • Multiple quiz formats: true/false recognition, matching, and identification • Instant feedback with correct answer display • Progress tracking with accuracy statistics and streaks • Auto-advance with configurable timing PROFESSIONAL AUDIO • High-quality MIDI synthesis with professional SoundFont technology • Adjustable tempo, volume, and sequence speed • Works offline — practice ear training anytime, anywhere WHO IS THIS FOR • Guitar players who want to recognize chords by ear • Music students preparing for ABRSM, RCM, or university auditions • Jazz musicians learning functional harmony, extended chords, and chord substitutions • Singers and vocalists building interval recognition and sight-singing skills FLEXIBLE & AFFORDABLE • Try free lessons in every domain before upgrading • Unlock all 133 lessons with PRO — one-time purchase, no subscription • Family Sharing support on iOS Download Ear Trainer Master and start training your musical ear today.

About

Music Notes

Improve your music reading skills with structured lessons and instant feedback. This app helps you master note recognition, rhythm, harmony, and more through progressive modules and practice modes. Track your progress and identify areas for improvement to become a faster, more accurate sight-reader.

Highlights
  • Note recognition training
  • Rhythm and time signature practice
  • Interval and chord recognition
  • Scale and key signature learning
  • Musical term and ornament recognition
  • Harmonic progression analysis
  • Progress tracking and stats
Features
Read full description

Build music-theory habits into faster sight reading: read notes with better accuracy, and fix mistakes right away. This app turns practice into a clear learning path: start with the fundamentals, then progressively cover notes, rhythm, tonality, and harmony. You get instant feedback, plus wrong-answer review and progress stats—so you can correct errors and read faster. What you will train (by modules): • Note recognition: locate staff positions and clef mapping, then pick the correct note • Note values & rests: read lengths together with “silence” (rests) • Time signature & rhythm: build strong-beat cycles and bar-level structure • Interval recognition: connect pitch relationships for faster recognition • Scale recognition & key signature: learn how scales and key signatures are written • Chord recognition & modes: read harmonic color with more confidence • Musical terms: spot common expression and performance markings quickly • Ornament recognition: read trills/appoggiaturas/passing tones without missing them • Harmonic progression & harmonic analysis: follow the logic, improve prediction Two ways to practice: 1) Learning Path: clear stages (Stage 1–8). Pass levels to unlock the next steps. Some further progress may require a subscription. 2) Free Practice: choose the modules you want to strengthen, set the training range/difficulty, and keep reviewing your progress. Results you can see: • Progress curve and module-level stats: spot weak areas and watch improvements • Wrong-answer feedback & review: turn “why I missed it” into your next training step Who it's for: • Students and self-learners who want faster, more accurate sight reading • Learners who need structured music theory practice • Anyone preparing for music school exams or theory/reading assessments - The subscriptions are $1.99 weekly with free trial - Payment will be charged to iTunes Account at confirmation of purchase - Subscription automatically renews unless auto-renew is turned off at least 24-hours before the end of the current period - Account will be charged for renewal within 24-hours prior to the end of the current period, and identify the cost of the renewal - Subscriptions may be managed by the user and auto-renewal may be turned off by going to the user's Account Settings after purchase - Any unused portion of a free trial period, if offered, will be forfeited when the user purchases a subscription to that service, where applicable`` - Terms of use:https://muscifeedback.oss-cn-beijing.aliyuncs.com/RecognitionTerms_en.html - Privacy of use: https://muscifeedback.oss-cn-beijing.aliyuncs.com/RecognitionPrivacy_en.html

Screenshots

Ear Trainer Master4 screens
Music Notes4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: Ear Trainer Master at every 4 days against Music Notes's every 3 weeks. Ear Trainer Master also leads on rating (5.0 vs 4.8). Music Notes's advantage is ratings volume (17 vs 1). On price, ads, in-app purchases 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Ear Trainer Master sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and Music Notes sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per 7 days. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Ear Trainer Master holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.8. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Music Notes has 17 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Ear Trainer Master ships an update every 4 days, Music Notes every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 24, 2026 and October 25, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
Ear Trainer Master versus Music Notes: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterEar Trainer MasterMusic Notes
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (1 ratings) — better4.8 (17 ratings)
Positive reviews—100.0% of reviews
Number of ratings117 — better
Update frequencyEvery 4 days — betterEvery 3 weeks
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
Monetization—Freemium
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS16.415.6 — better
Further details — not scored
Size191 MB68 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperWalk of Code LLC凯 张

In-app purchases

1 purchases

Ear Trainer Master

One-time1
  • EarTrainer Pro$4.99
2 purchases

Music Notes

Subscriptions1
  • Weekly Subscription · Notes Tutor$1.997 Days
One-time1
  • Lifetime Access · Notes Tutor$9.99

Questions

Is Ear Trainer Master free?
Ear Trainer Master is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Music Notes free?
Music Notes is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Ear Trainer Master or Music Notes?
Ear Trainer Master is rated higher. Ear Trainer Master averages 5.0 out of 5 from 1 ratings, while Music Notes averages 4.8 from 17 ratings.
Do Ear Trainer Master or Music Notes have ads?
Neither Ear Trainer Master nor Music Notes shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Ear Trainer Master or Music Notes?
Ear Trainer Master ships an update every 4 days, and Music Notes every 3 weeks. Most recently, Ear Trainer Master was updated on October 24, 2026 and Music Notes on October 25, 2026.

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