ApproachNote vs Chord Progression Lab
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side β with what reviewers say about each.
ApproachNote
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Every tune has been played a hundred ways. ApproachNote helps you hear them. When you're learning a standard, the first question is always: how have players come at this before? ApproachNote puts every approach in one place β search a tune and pull up the releases that recorded it, with full track listings, artist credits, cover art, and direct links to stream many recordings, where available. Listen to how a dozen players phrased the same melody. Trace who played on what. Follow the thread from one interpretation to the next until you find the approach that's yours. * Search a tune and find every release that recorded it * Full track listings, credits, and cover art * One-tap streaming links to hear each recording, where available * Explore artists and the players behind them * Built for the woodshed β fast, clean, no clutter Before you decide how you'll play it, hear how it's been played. That's ApproachNote. ApproachNote is free for the next 60 daysβtry it out!
Chord Progression Lab
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Chord Progression Lab turns music theory into a sandbox. Pick a key. Pick a style. Listen. Tweak. Export. That's the whole loop β and it's surprisingly addictive whether you're a songwriter looking for your next progression, a producer hunting for a starting MIDI, a music student studying voice leading, or just a curious listener who wants to know what a Phrygian dominant actually sounds like. 25+ music-theory approaches, from familiar to far-out: β’ Pop, Doo-Wop, Pachelbel's Canon, Circle of Fifths β’ 12-Bar Blues and Jazz β’ Rock and Punk power-chord progressions β’ Epic Minor and Andalusian cadences β’ Indian Raga (Bhairav), Arabic Maqam (Hijaz), East Asian GΕng pentatonic β’ Japanese HirajΕshi, Indonesian Gamelan (Slendro) β’ Klezmer Freygish, Flamenco Phrygian, Celtic Mixolydian, Slavic minor β’ Bulgarian 7/8 Balkan, West African Highlife β’ Bossa Nova, Reggae, Hawaiian slack key β’ Avant-Garde quartal stacks and tone clusters All 12 keys. Transpose any progression β instantly. Dissonance dial. Great for ear-training, jazz studies, or just hearing how a vanilla IβVβviβIV mutates when you add tension. Tempo control. Drag from a slow 40 BPM crawl to a 200 BPM sprint. Each style starts at a tempo that fits the genre. See it as you hear it. A piano keyboard lights up with the active chord tones in real time, and the chord sequence scrolls along showing Roman numerals and the actual chord name in the current key. Export MIDI. One tap saves a standard MIDI file you can drop into any DAW β and the share sheet sends it anywhere: AirDrop, Files, email, Messages. No accounts. No ads. No tracking. No internet required. Everything runs on-device with a built-in synthesizer. Whether you're studying theory, writing a song, prototyping a beat, or just curious what a Bulgarian 7/8 progression sounds like β Chord Progression Lab gets you from idea to audio in two taps.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is price: ApproachNote at Free against Chord Progression Lab's $0.99. ApproachNote also leads on iOS requirement (17.0 vs 26.5). On ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.
Scored on Price Β· Rating Β· Positive reviews Β· Number of ratings Β· Update frequency Β· Ads Β· In-app purchases Β· Monetization Β· Best chart rank Β· Devices Β· Requires iOS
ApproachNote is free to download; Chord Progression Lab costs $0.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
| Parameter | ApproachNote | Chord Progression Lab |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free β better | $0.99 |
| Update frequency | Every 10 days | β |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 β better | 26.5 |
| Further details β not scored | ||
| Size | 30 MB | 2 MB |
| Age rating | 12+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Dave Rodger | David Mickey |
In-app purchases
ApproachNote
No in-app purchases
Chord Progression Lab
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is ApproachNote free?
Is Chord Progression Lab free?
Do ApproachNote or Chord Progression Lab have ads?
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