Music is a critical component of any child’s education. Thanks to recent advances in technology, it isn’t necessary for your child to do all of their music-related learning with an expert instructor.
Instead, most of the rudiments of music can be introduced and understood through the use of apps. Like any other app, these apps can be used on any smartphone, tablet, or other electronic devices.
This means that your child can engage with their music education curriculum inside the classroom or absolutely anywhere else that it’s convenient. Best of all, apps such as the ones that are listed here are designed especially for kids. This makes them not only accessible but also fun.
Bright, colorful, tune-filled and interactive, these apps are excellent accompaniments to your child’s other musical training. Whether your child is learning a specific instrument, wants to learn to sight-read, or is a budding composer, there’s a perfect app available.
Why Use Apps in Music Education?
Kids today are more comfortable with advanced technology than previous generations. In fact, many of them prefer technology-based learning to reading a traditional book.
Here’s a look at why you may want to include apps in your homeschooler’s music education:
- Apps are highly interactive
- The student’s progress can be tracked within the app
- To encourage independent learning and practice
- To fire imagination and creativity
- Apps engage your child in versatile environments
Of course, your child’s music education probably needs to embrace more than just an app or two. Add an app to your student’s regular piano lessons or study of the great composers to enhance their experience, and you’re fostering a lifelong love of music.
How to Choose an App
We have listed five music apps below that we believe our absolutely outstanding thanks to their content and presentation. It doesn’t hurt that most of these apps also can be downloaded for free.
Of course, free apps usually come with ads, and these are no exceptions. In some cases, paid versions of these apps are available, so you can eliminate the advertisements with just a couple of dollars.
Keep in mind that just because we have tried these apps and loved them doesn’t mean that your experience will be the same. We all learn a little differently, and a format that appeals to one person may be annoying to someone else.
If you do decide to venture out to choose an app on your own, then you’ll quickly discover that there is an ocean of options. Here are some things to consider as you weigh which apps are right for you and your student:
- Read reviews from other users
- Examine any screenshots or available videos of the app
- Consider your child’s age and interest level
- Look for apps that will support your child’s study of a particular instrument
- Try the free version of an app before spending any money on it
When you and your child find an app that works for them, it’s like magic. They just might say that it’s their new favorite game.
5 Helpful Music Apps for Homeschoolers
With this list, we’ve tried to provide our readers with a good mix of subject matter and age groups. These are some of the most popular and well-known music apps for kids available today.
1. Flowkey
Available for both Android and iOS devices, Flowkey provides an easy and accessible route to playing the piano. One of its most attractive features is that it lets you use your favorite songs for learning. Your kids will love being able to reproduce a well-loved tune with their own fingers.
Also important to note is that the Flowkey app is suitable for everyone from total beginners to those who have already had some piano lessons. Anyone who is seeking to develop their skills with keyboard instruments is bound to find value in this app.
Students may love that this app goes beyond keyboard technique and delves a bit into theory so that they come away understanding the “why.” Versatile and easy to navigate, kids will love playing the piano with this app.
2. Yousician
Whether your child is interested in a keyboard or stringed instruments, they will be delighted with the massive amount of content that’s loaded into the Yousician app. It’s geared toward people who are learning to play the piano, guitar, bass and ukulele.
Highly interactive, Yousician lets your young player hit the ground running with fun activities. This app sets itself apart from the competition by offering a genuinely diverse range of learning options. For instance, if you go into Practice Mode, you can slow songs down to get your fingering just right before going back to the regular tempo. The app further lets you break each song into parts so that you can focus on one section at a time.
Yousician is designed for use over the long haul, offering plenty of lessons that progress at a leisurely pace.
3. My Baby Piano
Do you have a little one who’s interested in music? Actually, pretty much all tots love to clap or dance to music. The My Baby Piano app introduces your child to the rudiments of playing music in a fun, colorful and interactive way.
Within the app, you’ll find a wide assortment of timeless children’s tunes. Each is accompanied by authentic drumming to help with the development of rhythm. As your child touches the various keys on the screen, bright animations come to life along with vibrant sounds.
The idea behind the My Baby Piano app is to inspire your child’s creativity and love of music at a very young age. Suitable for children ages three and older, this app is available for free. Your child will be delighted with the colorful interface and the fun drum accompaniment.
4. Music Tutor (Sight Reading)
Kids who are interested in being able to read and perhaps even begin to compose their own music will be fascinated with Music Tutor. It’s considered one of the best apps for introducing sight-reading, and even students who have a basic understanding of the subject will find plenty of interest here.
Tons of options are built into this app so that you can focus on specific areas while not getting confused or distracted by others. For instance, you can change the note range and clefs to provide your student with an opportunity to complete an in-depth study before moving on to other subject matters.
Another plus is that you can learn alto clefs and treble bass at the same time or separately, depending upon your level of knowledge and understanding.
You get instant feedback from the app depending upon correct or incorrect identification of each note. It actually ends up being a fun game in which you try to get as many notes “right” as possible in each session.
5. Music Minds: Flashcards with Calvin & Zoey
Filled with infectious tunes that neither you nor your kids will be able to get out of your heads, this Music Minds app is tons of fun. Learning music becomes a game as you switch between the app’s two modes: Practice and Arcade. It includes several difficulty levels, so everyone can play along with naming notes and symbols and identifying intervals, key signatures and various terms.
With more than 100 flashcards in six subject areas, this Flashcards app is perfect for budding musicians or those who are interested in learning more about music.
6. Bonus Music App: Prodigies App!
At Prodigies, we believe that it’s important to nurture a love of music in children from the youngest possible age. Our fun and interactive video lessons are coupled with deskbells and other instruments to ensure that learning about music is always an engaging experience. Check out the Prodigies App!