Favorite Music App for December

Do you know that reading music is one of the most important skills a new musician learns? There are great benefits to reading music. When students can fluently read music, they learn new pieces quicker. Additionally, playing music becomes more enjoyable. Instead of laboring painfully over each note and trying to find the correct note on the instrument, students move past the basics of note reading and are able to focus on making music. Reading music fluently opens a new world of musicianship for students.

Although reading music is a valuable skill, many students struggle with learning note names. Students often grow bored of music theory worksheets or flashcard drills. This month, our favorite app provides a convenient and interactive way for students to improve their music reading skills.

Music Tutor

The Music Tutor app provides practice with naming notes on the musical staff.  It helps students improve their fluency in reading notes. Students can customize the settings to practice reading treble clef notes, bass clef notes, or both. Students set the practice drill length for 1 minute, 5 minutes, or 10 minutes. After each practice session, students can review their mistakes. Each session awards a score to the student so they can see their results and their progress. One of the things students like about this app is the competitive drive within oneself. It’s fun to work to beat their best score and measure how much they have improved.

Contributor Kimberly Jones is a mother, wife, and the Director of the Dawson Music Academy at the Dawson Family of Faith.