Erskine Jazz Essentials Vol. 2 vs Drum Notation by Beat Note
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Erskine Jazz Essentials Vol. 2
Practice jazz with a world-class rhythm section. Record yourself playing along to 10 new tracks, adjust the mix, and access PDF lead sheets. Designed for musicians looking to perfect their jazz skills and artistry.
- 10 new jazz tracks
- Record yourself playing
- Customizable rhythm section mix
- PDF lead sheets included
- Multiple key and tempo options
- Click track and count-off
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World-class jazz rhythm section play-along in state-of-the-art app setting! Volume 2 contains 10 new tracks and the ability to RECORD YOURSELF with the band! Featuring Peter Erskine on drums, Alan Pasqua on piano, and Darek Oles on bass, this app has been designed and created for use by all musicians who are interested in perfecting their jazz skills and artistry. The heart of jazz is being able to play the blues and “standards” in common keys and at different tempos. With a century’s worth of professional and pedagogical experiences between the three musicians, these tracks target and explore an essential variety of requisite jazz modes and styles that we have found to be of the most use. Utilizing the built-in mixer, you can create your own combo: full rhythm section (trio), music-minus-piano, music-minus-bass, music-minus-drums, or solo tracks of drums-only, bass-only or piano-only. There are click-track and count-off options as well. PDF lead sheets are included in the keys of C, Bb and Eb. These charts can be printed or emailed from the app. In the case of some well-known standards, we have adhered to the form and chord changes of the songs unless otherwise noted. The melodies to these tunes can easily be found on-line or in a RealBook, etc. There are also some classic tune forms from the post-bop era, making this collection up-to-date and relevant. We suggest that you listen to the full trio mixes at least once in order to hear how the band is playing this music — unless, of course, you wish to fully embra ce the jazz spirit and experience the performances in real time: hearing and pla ying the music for the first time just like in a true jazz setting. In any event , you now have a world-class rhythm section at your fingertips. As the beboppers say: “Straight ahead and strive for tone...” There’s no better way to play better than to play more. Keep on swinging. --Peter Erskine
Drum Notation by Beat Note
Create, practice, and share drum music notation with ease. This app transforms sequenced beats into professional sheet music, offering tools for composition, transcription, and interactive teaching. Enhance your drumming journey with customizable practice sessions and high-quality export options.
- Sequencer to notation conversion
- Compose and transcribe drum beats
- Customizable practice sessions
- Interactive teaching tools
- High-quality PDF and image export
- Multiple notation voicing options
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Beat Note — Drum Notation for Drummers, Teachers, and Content Creators The fastest way to write, hear, practice, and share drum notation. Built by a drummer, for drummers. FOR DRUMMERS — FROM YOUR HEAD TO THE PAGE IN SECONDS You have a groove idea. Beat Note gets it down before you lose it. Tap the sequencer grid to build beats. Watch them turn into clean, professional drum notation in real time. Hit play and hear exactly what you wrote — at any tempo, with a click track, on loop. - Transcribe songs to check your ear and lock in what you hear - Compose your own grooves, fills, and exercises from scratch - Count in with a visual on-screen "1, 2, 3, 4" so your eyes and ears are ready together - Use Beat Note as your in-ear metronome during rehearsals — your beats, not just clicks "Been waiting a long time for an app like this. Clearly built by a drummer." — App Store review FOR TEACHERS — WRITE IT, PLAY IT, SEND IT What used to take 30 minutes in a desktop notation program now takes 2 minutes on your phone or iPad. Write exercises on the fly — during the lesson, not after it. Play back the notation so students hear exactly how it should sound. Share a link so they can listen at home. Export a PDF they can print and bring to the kit. - Use the sequencer as a live music whiteboard, in person or online - Build a library of exercises organized by tag, ready for any student - Send a shareable link or export a high-quality PDF in one tap "What would normally take 30 minutes on a computer has become 2 minutes from my mobile device. My students love it." — App Store review FOR CONTENT CREATORS — PROFESSIONAL NOTATION VIDEOS, IN MINUTES Export your beat as an animated MP4 — portrait for Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube Shorts, or landscape for YouTube and Vimeo. Choose 720p, 1080p, or 4K. Pick a color theme. Preview before you export. PDF, PNG, WAV or AAC audio, shareable link, and animated MP4 — all from one app. NOTATION THAT LOOKS RIGHT Professional drum notation, consistent across every format you export. What you see on screen is what your students get in the PDF, what your followers see in the video, and what you hear in playback. - All standard drums, cymbals, and articulations - Subdivisions from 8th notes to 32nd notes, plus triplets, quintuplets (5s), and septuplets (7s) - Common and compound time signatures, including 6/8, 9/8, and 12/8 - Linear, split hands/feet, or split drums/cymbals voicing - Sticking annotations (R, L) - Single-measure repeat symbol (%) — renders automatically when measures repeat ORGANIZE AND DISCOVER - Tags, search, and sort to manage your beat library - Discover tab: curated educational beats for all skill levels - Beat templates to get started fast - Customize tempo, click track, count-in, and timer MADE BY A DRUMMER, SHAPED BY THE COMMUNITY Beat Note was built by me — an independent developer with 35+ years behind the kit. But the direction comes from the community. Every major feature on the roadmap has been voted on, requested, and refined by drummers, teachers, and creators just like you. Join the conversation at roadmap.beat-note.app — vote on upcoming features, share ideas, and see what's coming next. I'm here to make sure it all comes together into something that actually works. Premium subscription required for full access. Educator and Creator tiers available. Free trial included. Payment is charged through your iTunes account at confirmation of purchase. Subscription auto-renews unless cancelled at least 24 hours before the end of the current period via iTunes Account Settings. Terms and Privacy Policy: https://www.beat-note.app/privacy-and-terms
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is price: Drum Notation by Beat Note at Free against Erskine Jazz Essentials Vol. 2's $9.99. Drum Notation by Beat Note also leads on rating (4.6 vs 3.9) and review sentiment (83% vs 45%). Erskine Jazz Essentials Vol. 2's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 5) and iOS requirement (8.0 vs 15.6). On ads 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
Drum Notation by Beat Note is free to download; Erskine Jazz Essentials Vol. 2 costs $9.99 up front. Drum Notation by Beat Note sells 5 in-app purchases, starting at $6.69 per month. Erskine Jazz Essentials Vol. 2 asks for nothing beyond the download.
Drum Notation by Beat Note holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 3.9. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Drum Notation by Beat Note has 88 ratings behind it against 7, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 45% of Erskine Jazz Essentials Vol. 2's written reviews are positive against 83% of Drum Notation by Beat Note's.
Erskine Jazz Essentials Vol. 2 ships an update every 3 weeks, Drum Notation by Beat Note every 9 days. The most recent releases landed on November 6, 2026 and November 7, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Erskine Jazz Essentials Vol. 2 | Drum Notation by Beat Note |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $9.99 | Free — better |
| Rating | 3.9 (7 ratings) | 4.6 (88 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 45.5% of reviews | 82.8% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 7 | 88 — better |
| Update frequency | Every 3 weeks | Every 9 days — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No — better | Yes |
| Monetization | Paid | Free with in-app purchases — better |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 8.0 — better | 15.6 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 309 MB | 81 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Fuzzy Music, LLC | Kick Snare Hat Apps, LLC |
Customer experience
Erskine Jazz Essentials Vol. 2
Drum Notation by Beat Note
Bugs and requests
Erskine Jazz Essentials Vol. 2
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
Drum Notation by Beat Note
Reported bugs
8 issues- Preview rarely matches notes on staff
- Sometimes doesn't play any notes
- Sounds not always appropriate for instrument voicing
- Editing measures is inconvenient
- Free trial charged immediately
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- iCloud data sync issues for subscription confirmation
- Not stable in loopings, slow delay on first note
- Measure lines on PDFs too thick and close
Requested features
27 requests- 7/8 time signature support
- Syncing between devices
- Web version
- Native Mac/Windows apps
- Add text or notes to notations
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- Cowbell instrument
- More drum samples and pitch control
- Ability to work on spaces longer than a measure
- Add 32nd notes
- Duplicate multiple bars at once
- Copy/paste large sections
- Option to drag duplicated bars to the end
- Add melody track
- More instrument options
- Ability to manage volumes of different instruments
- Add quintuplets and sextuplets to a bar
- Add repetition options for measures
- Add text to music sheets
- Improve loop stability and reduce delay
- Allow monthly subscription option
- More free beats/unlimited free version
- Add sticking for grace notes
- More advanced editing options for multiple bars
- Improve PDF export readability
- Add virtual drum kit for accessibility
- AI-powered automatic notation
- Auto-sync to track
In-app purchases
Erskine Jazz Essentials Vol. 2
No in-app purchases
Drum Notation by Beat Note
- Educator Tier Monthly (No Trial)$6.691 Month
- Creator Tier Monthly (No Trial)$13.491 Month
- Educator Tier Annual (No Trial)$59.991 Year
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- Educator Tier Annual + Free Trial7 Days trial$59.991 Year
- Creator Tier Annual + Free Trial7 Days trial$119.991 Year
Questions
Is Erskine Jazz Essentials Vol. 2 free?
Is Drum Notation by Beat Note free?
Which has better reviews, Erskine Jazz Essentials Vol. 2 or Drum Notation by Beat Note?
Do Erskine Jazz Essentials Vol. 2 or Drum Notation by Beat Note have ads?
Which is updated more often, Erskine Jazz Essentials Vol. 2 or Drum Notation by Beat Note?
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