Super Basic Music vs Arpeggio Forge
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Super Basic Music
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The chart says Dm7(b5). You know the name. Your hand still doesn't know where to go. That's the moment this app was built for. Photograph the chart or play it a recording, and you get the chords, what each one does in the key, the scales that fit, and 3–5 shapes people actually play. Hit play, the band comes in, and you drill it beat by beat. Chart scanning, song recognition and chart import: 3 free uses of each after you sign in; Pro (auto-renewing subscription; the annual plan includes a 7-day free trial) has no limit. The full list is at the end. ■ One photo, the whole chart AI reads the chords and the melody, with roman numerals, harmonic function (T/SD/D) and the matching chord-scale. Switch between staff, numbered notation, guitar tab with chord grids, chord chart and analysis. Anything it gets wrong, you can fix. ■ Play a recording, get the song Pick a recording and get the melody, chords, bass and drums — see, hear and edit them on a MIDI piano roll or a falling-notes keyboard, and export MIDI. ■ Proper sheet music, one tap to export Full screen is a real page: four bars to a line, with title, composer, key and tempo. Export staff, numbered, guitar and chord charts as PDF or images to print or share. ■ Shapes curated, not dumped From common to advanced jazz chords, typically 3–5 curated, playable voicings each, across positions and inversions. Tap a chord grid on the guitar tab to try the next one. ■ Practise alone, sound like a band Accompaniment styles × bass lines (walking bass included) × drum patterns, at any tempo. Record yourself and play it back right away. ■ The rest of the kit Precise tuner (guitar mode with alternate tunings, chromatic mode for any instrument or voice), metronome from 2/4 to 12/8 with tap tempo, circle of fifths, full chord library. ■ Nine original etudes, with commentary Major ii–V–I, minor iiø–V–i, jazz blues, AABA, turnaround, plus major pentatonic, minor pentatonic and blues-scale studies — not just what to play, but why it sounds good. ■ Pro (subscription) Includes: unlimited chart scanning, song recognition and chart import (iReal Pro, MusicXML, MIDI), the full band (bass, keys, percussion) with every sound, transpose, practice recording, levels 2–3 of rhythm and ear training, all tuner tunings and chromatic mode, custom metronome time signatures. Everything else is free. Monthly or annual, renewing automatically; the annual plan includes a 7-day free trial for eligible users. Prices are shown in the app. A subscription renews within the 24 hours before the current period ends and is charged to your Apple Account; cancel anytime in Settings › Apple Account › Subscriptions. Terms of Use: https://music-theory-king-omr.rokajun11.workers.dev/terms-of-use Privacy Policy: https://music-theory-king-omr.rokajun11.workers.dev/privacy-policy No ads. No cross-app tracking. No third-party analytics SDKs. English / 中文 / 日本語. Everything except scanning and song recognition (they need a connection) and favourites sync works offline, no account needed. Recognition is AI-powered and can be wrong — always defer to the actual score.
Arpeggio Forge
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ArpeggioForge is a dedicated arpeggio and chord tone practice app for guitarists. 【Key Features】 • "Shell Voicing + Click" Playback Mode Play 1st, 3rd, and 7th shell voicing chord tones with a clear click sound upon selecting a chord! Hear and feel every tap clearly even in silent mode. • Auto-Rotating Chord Progression Presets Includes essential progression patterns such as Jazz II-V-I, Turnarounds, and Secondary Dominants. Progression, key, and tempo auto-rotate every time you relaunch the app! • Rich Tension Chords Supports 15 advanced tension chord types including maj7, m7, maj9, 7(b9), 7(#11), 7(b13), m11, 7alt and more. • Custom Progression Editor Build and customize your own chord progressions effortlessly. • Real-time TAB Guitar Score Visualize playing notes in real time with full CAGED position support. • Arpeggio Pattern Selection Select distinct patterns (3-5-7-9, 1-3-5, etc.) for the first and second half of each measure. • Approach Notes (Passing Tones) Automatically generate jazz-style chromatic and stepwise approach phrases resolving to target notes. • Versatile Rhythm Options Supports 8th notes, triplets, quarter notes, 3/4 time, and 6/8 time. • Simple Real-Time Tuner Instantly measure pitch and cent deviations using your microphone. • Streak Practice Tracker Keep track of consecutive practice days, personal bests, and total days. • Chord Voicings (CHORDS ON Mode) Automatically layout chord tones on the fretboard with shell voicings or 4-note voicings. • BPM Slider Adjust tempo freely from 40 to 240 BPM. 【Premium Features (One-time Purchase)】 Unlock unlimited chord progression save/load presets, complete ad removal, and unlimited playback count. Perfect for guitarists of all genres including Jazz, Fusion, Pop, and Rock. Daily practice habits made simple.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is ads: Super Basic Music at none against Arpeggio Forge's shown. Super Basic Music also leads on iOS requirement (15.0 vs 17.0). Arpeggio Forge's advantage is update cadence (every 2 days vs every 3 weeks). On price, 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
Both are free to download. Super Basic Music sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per month and Arpeggio Forge sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
Super Basic Music ships an update every 3 weeks, Arpeggio Forge every 2 days. The most recent releases landed on November 10, 2026 and November 13, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Super Basic Music | Arpeggio Forge |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Update frequency | Every 3 weeks | Every 2 days — better |
| Ads | No — better | Yes |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 — better | 17.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 36 MB | 18 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | 家淳 吕 | Hiroto Kashima |
In-app purchases
Super Basic Music
- Pro Monthly$3.991 Month
- Pro Annual7 Days trial$29.991 Year
Arpeggio Forge
- Premium Upgrade$3.99





