Top 8 Musical Instrument Apps iPhone

I remember first downloading one of these musical instrument apps years back, when I got my first iPhone and almost out of curiosity. I figured it would be nothing but a gimmick, but soon realised that many of these apps are very powerful when it comes to expressing your musical creativity. Of course, there are those that are simply designed as a way to have fun and fill the time; some even with kids in mind, who love to make noise! There are however those for the musical professional, though these will cost a bit more. Here are our top musical instrument apps for the iPhone!

8. Jug Band ($0.99)

Jug Band is a great initial alternative to most of the musical apps out there which feature either a piano or a guitar – these are the most well-known instruments played with your fingers, and also the most fashionable! Jug Band is a little different, and gives you a bunch of different instruments, from a washboard to a kazoo; there are also the spoons that can be played, and of course the titular jug effect. It’s essentially a sound effect app, where you tap on the different sound effects to create something more complicated – but great for the amateur folk musician, and a nice addition for those looking to expand their musical repertoire and learn all about new and more unconventional musical instruments! – Download on iTunes

7. Ocarina ($0.99)

Staying on the same theme with less conventional musical apps that present instruments that you may not always meet, we have Smule’s addictive Ocarina app. It remains one of the most downloaded among paid apps for the iPhone and is available these days for a mere 99 cents from the iTunes Store. The app is described by makers Smule as a way to turn your iPhone or other iOS device into a “virtual flute”, bringing the ancient sound of the ocarina to your shiny piece of modern technology. The Ocarina app also boasts a number of distinct social elements, such as the ability to listen to Ocarina performances from around the globe in a single tap – a great way to learn more songs! – Download on iTunes

6. PocketGuitar ($0.99)

I’ll never get the hang of touching strings rather than picking them with this kind of app, but PocketGuitar is a still a fun app to own and worth the small price of $0.99. It’s perfect for those who don’t know too much about the instrument and are just looking to have some fun, rather than those who know how to use a guitar and can see that this isn’t particularly realistic. You can pick from an array of different guitar sounds, including the ukulele but also acoustic and electric options. There are also different effects that can be applied to the sound, such as wah and distortion, as well as a tilt effect that is designed to mimic the changing pitch of a real guitar but on your iPhone! – Download on iTunes

5. Virtuoso Piano Free 2 HD (Free)

Perhaps the best free musical instrument app out there for the iPhone, and certainly the best free piano app given that many of its rivals offer the same kind of functionality but at a price. It’s a very simple app and easy to pick up, even for those not familiar with the instrument. The app will display just 8 keys on the screen, but you can easily use the slide bar to jump between different groups of notes! As such, it’s a simple alternative when you put this one against other apps of the same vein, but in this case it really works. You can choose to have the keys labeled with notes or turn that option off, depending on your level. You can even “roll” the keys, which everyone loves to do at least once! – Download on iTunes

4. Guitarism ($4.99)

There are many iPhone apps out there for musical professionals, but most of them come with a steep cost. Guitarism exists in the lower levels of that category, with a price tag of $4.99 (and trust us, there are those that cost double this) but a huge amount of detail when it comes to choosing between keys and chords and techniques. It’s difficult to say since we have little experience when it comes to a real guitar, but Guitarism may just be the best guitar app out there on the iPhone market in its striking of a balance between realism and – well, fun! This can be seen in the fact that the app – which claims to boast the most realistic sound of all iPhone guitar apps – has already been downloaded over a million times with a 4.5 star rating on the iTunes Store coming from around 9,000 mainly positive user reviews. – Download on iTunes

3. iBone ($2.99)

How about something different? The iBone features a quite wonderful musical instrument design for your iPhone, and one that you’ll have hours of fun playing with. It is easy enough to pick up and play, but is also perfect for those who are familiar with a real trombone – it works on so many different levels! You can blow into the iPhone’s mic in order to generate sound, or move the slide with your finger and hit the notes with you finger. You can then pick a song from the iBone’s built-in songbook to play along to, or select a track from your music library and then apply the sound of the trombone to it. A great way to hear your songs as you’ve never heard them before, and a wonderfully inventive iPhone music app that can be downloaded for a mere $2.99. – Download on iTunes

2. Futulele ($2.99)

Embrace flower power with the Futulele app, one that takes the basic concepts of Guitarism and applies it to the Ukulele. It’s really very simple: you simply strum the virtual strings with your thumb (or finger) and then use another to select the chords as you go – the difference here is that you set the chord sequence in advance and then work through it with the green and blue arrows as you go. As such, it embraces the rhythm games that have become so popular on iOS devices, but then it also means that you lose some of the spontaneity that you would associated with an app like Guitarism. Still, it’s a great way to truly learn those chord sequences and commit them to memory, and the app allows you to really build up a nice archive of them on your iPhone for future use. – Download on iTunes

1. Bloom ($3.99)

It’s difficult to describe just what Bloom offers, but I can say that it was developed by famed musician Brian Eno – for those familiar with his work, this description should at least give you some sense of what is in store when downloading this app. It is something of a music machine, or a “music box for the 21st century”, as it has been described since being released, bringing true musical creation to your iPhone. You simply tap the screen to generate a pattern, which is illustrated by colored bubbles, or simply watch and listen as the app plays itself! If you leave it alone, Bloom will continue to repeat and evolve the tune you have created until it sounds like something entirely different. By far the most innovative and relaxing music creation app we’ve played, and definitely worth the $4 price tag. – Download on iTunes