Music apps for iPhone

[SteveS]

I'm after moving my collection of music PDF and ABC files to my iPhone (and I'm thinking of treating myself to an iPad).

 

Which apps would you recommend for the iPhone that will allow me to manage my music?

 

Thanks, Steve

[Jim Besser]

I'm after moving my collection of music PDF and ABC files to my iPhone (and I'm thinking of treating myself to an iPad).

 

Which apps would you recommend for the iPhone that will allow me to manage my music?

 

 

I used Tunebook for Ipad and Iphone, but given the abundance of memory in today's devices I'm mostly creating PDFs (using the c.net tune-o-tron), then using the Good reader on Iphone, ForScore on ipad to organize and view them. Both work well, but forScore for ipad is pretty slick, and I'm gradually moving music files to that device..

[Jim Besser]

I'm after moving my collection of music PDF and ABC files to my iPhone (and I'm thinking of treating myself to an iPad).

 

Which apps would you recommend for the iPhone that will allow me to manage my music?

 

 

 

I used Tunebook for Ipad and Iphone, but given the abundance of memory in today's devices I'm moving away from storing files in ABC format and creating/storing PDFs (using the c.net tune-o-tron), then using the Good reader on Iphone, ForScore on ipad to organize and view them. Both work well, but forScore for ipad is pretty slick, and I'm gradually moving music files to that device..

 

Added: Now how on earth did that message get duplicated?

Edited June 26, 2012 by Jim Besser

[SteveS]

I used Tunebook for Ipad and Iphone, but given the abundance of memory in today's devices I'm moving away from storing files in ABC format and creating/storing PDFs (using the c.net tune-o-tron), then using the Good reader on Iphone, ForScore on ipad to organize and view them. Both work well, but forScore for ipad is pretty slick, and I'm gradually moving music files to that device..

 

Jim

Downloaded Tunebook - thanks for the tip.

Seems like it'll work for organising my tunes.

[Jim Besser]

 

Jim

Downloaded Tunebook - thanks for the tip.

Seems like it'll work for organising my tunes.

 

It's a somewhat awkward program, and getting large numbers of ABC files into it can be tedious, but it does the job.

But I"m wondering about the future of ABC. It was created to transfer tunes via email, but in today's broadband world, with unlimited storage in the cloud and devices with copious memory, storing in the standard PDF format may be the way to go.

 

 

[SteveS]

Agreed - uploading the many ABC files I have will be tedious - I'm concentrating on the tunes-to-learn category to start with, followed by great tunes others may like to learn.

[Chris Ghent]

Consider Tunepal. You can store files as ABC, display them as notes, edit the ABC, search for new tunes, download them, identify tunes you hear on the run, etc. I haven't seen Tunebook in a long time but as I recall it is much more simple.

[cjmiller]

Consider Tunepal. You can store files as ABC, display them as notes, edit the ABC, search for new tunes, download them, identify tunes you hear on the run, etc. I haven't seen Tunebook in a long time but as I recall it is much more simple.

 

Will ForScore, Tunepal or Tunebook allow you to play your ABC files (ideally, with the ability to adjust the playback speed)?

[cboody]

Consider Tunepal. You can store files as ABC, display them as notes, edit the ABC, search for new tunes, download them, identify tunes you hear on the run, etc. I haven't seen Tunebook in a long time but as I recall it is much more simple.

 

Will ForScore, Tunepal or Tunebook allow you to play your ABC files (ideally, with the ability to adjust the playback speed)?

 

 

ForScore is a pdf reader with special capabilities for creating "set lists" for musicians. No playing there. Tune Pal allows you to play a bit of a tune in and get a list of possible titles for what you played in. It also lets you create and edit abc files, and comes with linkage to several sites on the web where you can find and download tunes for your collection. It will also play back the tunes with or without simmple chord backup if the tune has chords in the chart. Tunebook does not allow you to play in tunes and get a possible identification but does allow you to play and edit tunes and create sets of tunes to make set lists. Playback is a bit less flexible than that in TunePal, but still very useful. The abc editing and playing capabilities in TunePal were actually written by the same guy who did Tunebook. It is my understanding that he has gotten so busy with other things he's had no chance to update Tunebook, though he did put out a beta version for the Mac that is fairly nice.

 

There are several solutions to getting abc files into an iPad or iPhone or iPod Touch: 1) Use EAsyABC (works on all computers) to collect your abc files into a single larger file and then download it. 2) Put your abc files into a single folder and then drag the contents of that file to the iTunes app window all at once. If this is not clear enough let me know and I'll give you chapter and verse.

[cjmiller]

Tunebook does not allow you to play in tunes and get a possible identification but does allow you to play and edit tunes and create sets of tunes to make set lists.

 

So, from the sound of it Tunebook will do more or less the same things on an iPad that I'm doing with EasyABC on a Macintosh--import, write, edit, and (most importantly)play ABC files. Right?

 

Many thanks for the information.

 

(the ability to play the ABC files is vital. I need to hear a tune before I can learn it)

[cboody]

 

Jim

Downloaded Tunebook - thanks for the tip.

Seems like it'll work for organising my tunes.

 

It's a somewhat awkward program, and getting large numbers of ABC files into it can be tedious, but it does the job.

But I"m wondering about the future of ABC. It was created to transfer tunes via email, but in today's broadband world, with unlimited storage in the cloud and devices with copious memory, storing in the standard PDF format may be the way to go.

 

 

PDF files have many advantages IF you have good pdf files, but that is often an issue. PDF readers like ForScore that are designed for music work can link mp3 or midi files to the PDF and even synch with needed page turns which is very nice. But using abc has advantages too: They are much easier to find, and take much less storage space. (I've probably got 15000 abc files, and would not even think about that number of PDF files.) They can be played back as midi files (though only the playback in EasyABC really does good things to the playback and gets away from the dull unmusical results common with playing MIDI files from ABC). ABC files can be printed as PDF files once you get them the way you want them. Most traditional collections (pdf or abc) are filled with typos, wrong chords (or at least not the chords you want), and bad transcriptions. ABC is much easier to quickly edit and fix (particularly with EasyABC or a similar powerful abc program on your computer). So each has advantages. I don't think abc is going away. The home site currently mentions 330,000 tunes available on the web (though there are many duplications of course). I prefer abc which I edit to get things my way. I use PDF files on the iPad mostly because I can create PDF files with notation as large as I wish and then minimize the margins to get a maximum sized copy of the tune. The result is much easier to read than the size chosen by Tunebook or TunePal.

[SteveS]

The abc editing and playing capabilities in TunePal were actually written by the same guy who did Tunebook. It is my understanding that he has gotten so busy with other things he's had no chance to update Tunebook....

I found a whole raft of issues, problems, inconveniences and suggestions with Tunebook - not to mention the bugs in tune book management. Has he given up supporting the app? Certainly the website doesn't offer any way of emailing the creator.

 

A much better app is needed IMO. Now if I had the time....

Edited June 27, 2012 by SteveS

[SteveS]

ForScore is a pdf reader with special capabilities for creating "set lists" for musicians.

It appears as though ForScore is only available for iPad.

There are other PDF apps available for iPhone though - PDF Reader seems OK - has support for folders too.

Edited June 27, 2012 by SteveS

[cboody]

The abc editing and playing capabilities in TunePal were actually written by the same guy who did Tunebook. It is my understanding that he has gotten so busy with other things he's had no chance to update Tunebook....

I found a whole raft of issues, problems, inconveniences and suggestions with Tunebook - not to mention the bugs in tune book management. Has he given up supporting the app? Certainly the website doesn't offer any way of emailing the creator.

 

A much better app is needed IMO. Now if I had the time....

 

I haven't had any trouble with the app, but I admit I don't use it much, probably not enough to run into the issues. Drop me a PM about the problems I'd like to look into them. I don't know if there is much support for Tunebook at the moment. I do know what I said above: that the creator said to me that his life had gotten too busy to do much more development. I might be able to scare up an email address and I'll PM you if I do.

[Simon H]

Tunebook is fine if you can get a big resource of ABC's imported into its storage area. I spent an hour importing collections into it ended up with several thousand tunes. From there I used it as a searchable database to draw tunes into my own smaller tunebooks. That way I could find the tunes I want and use the big database to find tunes. Tunebook needs a bit of skill managing and creating sets etc but it has some nifty aspects to it. On an iPad it is a great resource.. With Tunepal alongside it we have a resource for traditional music unthought of 10 years ago. By the way, for those geeky enough to have an interst in these things TEFpad is another app that handles ABC and has a whole lot of other aspects to it that makes it quite interesting, including the ability to display tablature, something I was hoping Tunebook and Tunepal would do.

Edited June 28, 2012 by Simon H

[malcolmbebb]

Apologies for some thread drift, but it has reminded me of something.

 

I have a collection of ABC files on my PC, some of which are big to huge with loads of tunes, (e.g. Lewes collection) and others quite small.

 

It can take ages to search for a tune (manually) by hunting through the files. Is there some software that can index a directory of ABC and come up with a searchable list and location (even if not a link)?

 

Since I don't have an iPad I would be looking for PC software, looking at scores on a phone does not appeal!

 

Ta

 

Malcolm

[SteveS]

Tunebook is fine if you can get a big resource of ABC's imported into its storage area. I spent an hour importing collections into it ended up with several thousand tunes. From there I used it as a searchable database to draw tunes into my own smaller tunebooks. That way I could find the tunes I want and use the big database to find tunes. Tunebook needs a bit of skill managing and creating sets etc but it has some nifty aspects to it. On an iPad it is a great resource.. With Tunepal alongside it we have a resource for traditional music unthought of 10 years ago. By the way, for those geeky enough to have an interst in these things TEFpad is another app that handles ABC and has a whole lot of other aspects to it that makes it quite interesting, including the ability to display tablature, something I was hoping Tunebook and Tunepal would do.

My main music interest is Scandinavian folk music - I went to one site using the Tunebook app - it opened the site fine, but still required a manual search and load of each tune on that site. No benefit from manual download from the site - I can then fix the Swedish letters ä å ö (which often appear scrambled in Tunebook), and then manual upload to the app.

 

IMO the user experience of the Tunebook app is overall poor.

Edited June 28, 2012 by SteveS

[Bruce McCaskey]

I have TunePal, Tunebook and forScore on my iPad. I use TunePal (typically on my iPhone) primarily for identifying the names of tunes, and it works well for that. Its creator, Dr. Bryan Duggan, has come up with a tool that lends much appreciated assistance when memory fails to come up with the name of a tune heard in session settings. I don't use Tunebook much, but it seems to do a good job with ABC material. I note the seller, Jerry Huxtable, last put out an update in late January of this year so not too long ago and he does offer a little insight about the workings of the App on his website. You'll find an email address for him here, by the way. I'm not discounting other's observations of issues with it, just commenting on my own experience.

While I like many of the features of forScore, it's not a perfect fit with what I'm looking for in an iPad score App. I want to replace my bulky and inconvenient collection of music books with something I can conveniently carry along anyplace I may go. While forScore supports that in theory, some of its best features (in my opinion) don't lend themselves well to my needs. For example, one can bookmark each page and then associate a title with that page as well as an mp3 file, but no more than one bookmark and mp3 per page. Many of my Irish music books have three or more tunes per page. In the case of the 1001 Dance Tunes of Ireland, there's several per page.

 

On the other hand, it has enabled me to load a PDF collection of sheet music from various workshops I've attended and associate an mp3 recording of the tune on each page so that I can now view the music and hear it being played by just touching the link. I don't use that feature, much, but it's nice to have.

I was already using an iPad application called PDF Expert for another purpose and started loading my music PDF files into it. Using it's WiFi drive feature, I can move files in and out wirelessly from my computer very quickly, no need to go through iTunes. Of course, forScore permits linking through Dropbox so it has a functional equivalence if you have Internet access. PDF Expert offers a good set of PDF editing tools (as does forScore) and I use those to add text and personal annotations and in some cases to make changes to the scores. I'm not saying PDF Expert is better than forScore, rather just that it does what I need and while I have both, it's the one I'm using. If my sheet music didn't have more than one tune per per page or if forScore permitted more than one bookmark and more than one mp3 per page, I'd likely switch. As it is, for my purposes I don't see an advantage to using it.

I use the PDF versions of books much like the original print versions, and I've placed bookmarks on the table of contents and indexes so I can go to them quickly from anyplace in the book. Since my scanned page numbering doesn't match the print version (I included front covers, dedication pages and such when I scanned), I've placed a note on the first page of the contents and indices identifying the offset value between the printed page number and the PDF page number. Then when I look something up, I just add that amount to the page number indicated and use the "go to page" function of the program to get there directly. The program will jump a span of 400 pages in less than a second, so it's much quicker than turning pages by hand.

PDF music books on an iPad has worked well for me and I've run most of my Irish musc collection through a PDF conversion process. In the case of glue bound books, I've had the binding cut off and replaced with a spiral binding. That has permitted me to temporarily pull the binding and run the pages through a sheet-feeder scanner to do the PDF conversion. While I've made my own PDF's for the most part, I discovered one of the books I had was available in PDF for free here. While some may find flaws in elements of its content (arrangements and keys), I think it's a nice book and a great start to a PDF collection. I paid $30 plus shipping for the print version some years ago and was glad to have it.

Edited June 29, 2012 by Bruce McCaskey