Re: [Harp-L] What are the must have apps for the Ipad mini with retina

[philharpn@xxxxxxx]

Finding harp assisting apps is mostly a trial and error system. Many apps are free so you can try them out and get the paid version if you like them. You can go to the app store on iPad -- but you can miss good apps using this trial and error method.


The apps that appeal to you will vary depending on how much you know about music and music theory. Stuff like "Can you read music?" and how to count music. There are a few apps that apply specifically to harmonica. And there are apps that help you better understand music -- if there are some things



Having a chromatic tuner program is useful. I have several tuning programs on my iPod Touch (which is like a baby iPad). Having a chromatic tuner is helpful in determining the harp note layout and whether bent or overblow notes are in tune. Whether you are playing 3 distinct bent notes on Three Draw or just noise.


The thing about iPod Touch and iPad apps is that they are so cheap -- a couple of bucks each -- that you can afford to buy and test out several before you find the one you like.


You want a chromatic tuner -- a guitar will search for the six guitar strings, but not the notes that are not guitar notes. And with a chromatic tuner, you can check the tuner on a uke or Open G or Open D tuned guitar.


StayInTune is my favorite chromatic tuner. The built-in mic will tell you the pitch and if it is flat or sharp or dead on.
Octavian shows you chord layouts major, minor, dom 7, scales. It not only spells chords, it shows them on a piano keyboard.
Reverse Chord Finder for Piano wil shows a piano keyboard. Say you have sheet music that fails not ID the chords. Punch in the chords and you will get a name. Or if you know the notes you are playing on the guitar but not what chord it is.
Jazz Drums has a series of rhythm tracks loops in different keys. 


KeyMySongs will tell you the key of a song and the chords. Simply load the mp3 song into your iPod Touch or iPad and then open it in KeyMySongs. If you do a whole album it may take a few minutes. How long will it take you to figure out a song is in Eb? With KeyMySongs it takes about as long as playing the tune on your iPod. 
It will tell you the chords by the timing of the song. At .20 is C, at .30 F et cetera. Some songs work better than others. 
Melodika gives you the sound of a Melodica (blown keyboard). It shows an octave but you can lower the octave or raise it. Good for trying to work out a riff that you can't find on the harmonica.


Kindle You can download the Kindle app for free which means that any Kindle book you own can be opened on the iPad. Some web sites offer bootleg harp tab collections. Others offer tabs of songs. You can download or make your own tab collection, scan the whole project into your computer and save the file as a pdf and send it to your Kindle account. At one time this was free, now emailing a document to your Kindle account may cost a few cents. The Kindle app also works on PC, iMac. 


You can buy Kindle format books from Amazon -- and the prices vary. You can buy the complete works of Dickens for 99 cents but you are likely to spend more on current books. "Harmonica for Dummies" by Winslow Yerxa is $21.99 print price but $5.99 Kindle edition; "Blues Harmonica for Dummies" by Winslow Yerxa is $22.99 print price; $12.99 Kindle edition. 
"The Great Harmonica Songbook: 45 Songs Specially Arranged for Diatonic Harmonica" is $9.99 kindle editionp $16.99.


Hope this helps
Phil





















-----Original Message-----
From: Emile Damico <oatss_oatflakes@xxxxxxxxx>
To: harp-l <harp-l@xxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Thu, Jan 23, 2014 10:03 am
Subject: [Harp-L] What are the must have apps for the Ipad mini with retina


I just got one and I've seen you guys using them like
band in a box. So what are the must have apps.
I got the peterson tuning app wow very sensitive.

 Thanks,

 Emile