Yousician

Yousician is a music practice app for iOS, Android, and PCs that helps students learn to play the piano, guitar, bass, and ukulele. First, students select their experience level, and then a video plays, introducing them to their in-app teacher, a real person whose voice guides the quests and songs they'll encounter next. Students can choose to read notes either in standard musical notation or in the app's own notation format, and students drill and practice different skills (such as rhythm and articulation) in each song they try. The app keeps track of their practice time along with their performance in different songs, and students can work to improve their performance during a single practice session or over time. Students can learn some beginning techniques for both pop and classical music, from basic fingering technique to scales to chords. Also, students can learn some basic musical notation. Whether they can read music or not, they can learn basic skills for reading a score and matching pitches and rhythm to what's shown on-screen.

An in-app progress tracker rewards students for practicing and completing new missions, so students can learn persistence and dedication if they use Yousician to stick to their practice goals. Special features for educators let teachers create assignments for their students and track their progress. Yousician's features are free for a limited time, and then it'll require a monthly or annual subscription fee. Keep an eye out in your preferences to make sure the app subscription doesn't auto-renew or charge unless you want it to. 

Yousician does a remarkably good job of offering instant feedback and encouraging students to keep growing their skills. The in-app mentor guides students along the way, telling them what quests or songs they should explore and coaching them through their very first song. It's especially impressive just how quickly you get to start playing; even if you're a beginner, this app gets right to the part where you get to start playing songs, which makes for an especially rewarding experience. There's also a nice mix of direct instruction and practice: The videos introduce new skills in approachable, straightforward language, and the "missions" help users instantly apply what they've learned and track their progress. The progress tracking page is a nice touch too; it tracks both practice time and how well you complete the skills on each mission. There's a nice mix of rewarding both accuracy and persistence, and it's great that you can share this information with parents and teachers. 

Overall, the main challenge with this app is its price tag, which some teachers and families might find expensive. If you're willing to spend the money, this app could add some serious value to a student's real-life music lessons. If you and your students are willing to dive into the data and explore it, and if you can afford the price, using this app could be rich and rewarding.