Technology for learning music has become more available than ever due to the rise of digital sheet music players, mobile devices and apps. So in this blog, we’re going to recommend some fantastic technology to help with learning different aspects of music.
PlayScore 2
One of the most useful pieces of technology for learning music is PlayScore 2. With PlayScore 2, you can play any music straight from a photo, a PDF or an image. If you don’t read music, you can hear what it sounds like, or you can have PlayScore 2 accompany you at home as you sing or play your instrument – and in any key. If you sing in a choir, you can isolate your part on its own or with the others in the background.
Not only that, PlayScore 2 converts sheet music as MIDI. It also converts sheet music to MusicXML to DAWs and music notation software like Dorico and MuseScore. This is helpful if you’re a music director because you can make a track with part-separated playback to help your choir or band members learn their music.
PlayScore 2 the sheet music reader app also helps you learn to sight read music. This technology is also ideal for learning music theory. Beginning with ABRSM Grade I right up to Grade VIII, just snap any music exercise to check pitch and rhythm in your own study time.
Sheet Music Players
If you’re learning a new piece of music, there are many excellent technologies to help you. Piano Marvel is a proprietary piano learning app, blending traditional methods of learning piano with cutting-edge technology. The app has been used in well-known music schools and universities across the world.
Users can choose from thousands of pieces or exercises and the app will give you video lessons and ratings to help you learn music, performance and technique. What’s more, you can use Music Recognition apps like PlayScore 2 to import PDF files and directly convert them to MIDI or XML in Piano Marvel. Piano Marvel is free to download, with subscriptions starting at $12.99 per month.
Two other brilliant sheet music players are nkoda and Newzik. nkoda works with publishers such as Bärenreiter and Faber Music to provide high-quality, digital editions of scores users can then annotate on their screens to speed up the learning process. With Newzik, however, users input their own sheet music, meaning that they can access multiple scores in one convenient portal. As well as annotation tools, users can import audio tracks, record themselves and embed YouTube videos to further help with learning their music and performance practice.
Technology for Learning Music Theory
Theory is the foundation for learning all music, whether that’s classical, jazz or pop. A helpful resource is musictheory.net, a free website that hosts online lessons and exercises for learners to work through at their own pace.
Additionally, musictheory.net has two iOS apps priced at $2.99 and $3.99, making it perfect for beginners and those preparing for ABRSM theory exams. The ABRSM also has its own apps, tailored to different instruments and components of the music exam to help you nail your pieces, scales, sight reading and aural on the day.
PlayScore 2’s Reading Music for Beginners guide will help you learn the basic rudiments of music – check out the other sites in that blog to help you learn music even more.
Technology for learning music has become very accessible in the 21st century, and created for all ages, experiences, musical backgrounds and price points. Don’t forget that PlayScore 2 can be used in combination with other technology for learning music.