Comparison

Play Fast Notes vs Music Dictation Game

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

Head to head
About

Play Fast Notes

This app helps musicians master difficult musical passages through scientifically-backed practice techniques. It allows users to import sheet music, isolate challenging sections, and apply tools like tempo ladders and rhythmic variations for effective learning. A practice log tracks progress, and an optional one-time purchase unlocks full functionality.

Highlights
  • Import sheet music via photo or PDF
  • Isolate and drill specific passages
  • Tempo Ladder for gradual speed increase
  • Interleaved Click-Up for contextual practice
  • Rep Rotator for random passage cycling
  • Rhythmic Variations for finger dexterity
  • Integrated metronome and recorder
  • Practice log for progress tracking
Features
Read full description

Play Fast Notes helps musicians turn the hard passages into the easy ones, using practice techniques backed by how the brain actually learns. Snap a photo of your sheet music or import a PDF, box the exact passage you're drilling, and run it through focused, guided practice tools instead of mindless repetition: • Tempo Ladder: start slow and climb, working for consistency, until you reach performance speed. • Repetition inside an ever-changing context, so the passage holds up under pressure instead of only working in the practice room (Interleaved Click-Up). • Cycle through several spots in random order so your brain works to recall each one, the way a performance demands (Rep Rotator). • Rhythmic Variations: drill a run in many different rhythms to even out your fingers. You apply the rhythms, or the app writes your passage in the rhythms for you. Tools travel with every practice screen: • A real metronome with subdivisions, custom meters, accents, and drum-machine grooves. • A recorder that captures a take and plays it back slowed down and pitch-corrected, so you hear what really happened. • Apple Pencil support, so you can mark up your music right on the page. • Smart timers that nudge you to rotate passages, take micro-breaks, and stand up. Everything you do is saved to a practice log so you can watch your progress over time. No ads. Just focused practice. Your first 30 days are free with everything unlocked. After that you can keep going on the free plan with up to three photo passages, or unlock the whole app, PDF parts included, for one payment of $19.99. No subscription. No renewals. Works on iPhone and iPad. A free account keeps your library backed up and in sync between them.

About

Music Dictation Game

Improve your musical ear with progressive dictation exercises. Practice pitch recognition, melody memory, and harmonic listening through interactive lessons. Get instant feedback to refine your skills.

Highlights
  • Progressive level-based ear training
  • Melodic and chord dictation
  • On-screen piano keyboard input
  • Staff notation feedback
  • Instant answer checking
  • Difficulty tuning for tonal practice
Features
Read full description

• Tonal Dictation is an ear-training app designed to help musicians improve pitch recognition, melody memory, and harmonic listening skills through progressive dictation exercises. Practice short melodic phrases, rests, accidentals, key signatures, and chord recognition with level-based difficulty that grows as your skills improve. Each exercise is played with piano sound, and you enter what you hear on the on-screen keyboard and staff. After submission, the app gives immediate feedback so you can quickly identify missed notes and improve through repetition. Features: - Progressive level-based ear training - Melodic dictation with key signatures, rests, leaps, and accidentals - Chord dictation with 2-note, 3-note, and 4-note chords - On-screen piano keyboard input - Staff notation feedback - Grand piano and synthesized piano sound options - Instant answer checking and review - Difficulty tuning designed for tonal listening practice - Suitable for music students, composers, performers, and anyone training their musical ear Tonal Dictation focuses on practical listening skills rather than passive drills. Exercises start simple and gradually introduce more complex melodic motion, harmony, rhythm, rests, and chromatic notes. Whether you are preparing for music theory classes, entrance exams, sight-singing practice, or personal musicianship development, this app provides a structured way to build stronger ears step by step. Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

Screenshots

Play Fast Notes4 screens
Music Dictation Game1 screens

Verdict

The call

Play Fast Notes and Music Dictation Game are too close to call on the numbers: across 9 compared parameters — price, rating, ratings volume and update cadence among them — neither pulls far enough ahead to decide it. What separates them is feature set and interface, not measurable difference.

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. Play Fast Notes sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and Music Dictation Game sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 5.0 for Play Fast Notes against 5.0 for Music Dictation Game. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 2 and 1 respectively.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Play Fast Notes ships an update every 8 days, Music Dictation Game every 9 days. The most recent releases landed on October 25, 2026 and October 19, 2026 respectively.

ScorecardNo meaningful differences
Play Fast Notes versus Music Dictation Game: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterPlay Fast NotesMusic Dictation Game
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (2 ratings)5.0 (1 ratings)
Number of ratings2 — better1
Update frequencyEvery 8 days — betterEvery 9 days
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS15.115.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size51 MB42 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperRalph SkianoLOOINSOFT

Customer experience

Play Fast Notes

All ratings1 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

Music Dictation Game

All ratings1 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

1 purchases

Play Fast Notes

One-time1
  • Practice Pro$19.99
4 purchases

Music Dictation Game

Subscriptions1
  • Unlimited Play$1.991 Month
One-time3
  • 10 Play Tokens$0.49
  • 22 Play Tokens$0.99
  • 60 Play Tokens$2.99

Questions

Is Play Fast Notes free?
Play Fast Notes is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Music Dictation Game free?
Music Dictation Game is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Play Fast Notes or Music Dictation Game?
Play Fast Notes and Music Dictation Game are both rated 5.0 out of 5 on the App Store, from 2 and 1 ratings respectively.
Do Play Fast Notes or Music Dictation Game have ads?
Neither Play Fast Notes nor Music Dictation Game shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Play Fast Notes or Music Dictation Game?
Play Fast Notes ships an update every 8 days, and Music Dictation Game every 9 days. Most recently, Play Fast Notes was updated on October 25, 2026 and Music Dictation Game on October 19, 2026.

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