Tech Learning Tool: iReal Pro App

We wanted to share an app with you that’s been a favorite of some of our teachers and has been referred to as a “swiss army knife” to many working musicians: iReal Pro. We also think aspiring musicians from The Music Junction can benefit from using this app as well.

First, the app is popular among “gigging” musicians because it literally lightens their load and negates the need to bring so much sheet music to the next wedding, bat mitzvah or club. The iReal Pro app has a vast library of chord charts that allows you to play nearly any song. As an added bonus, users can change the key to any chart at any time! A library of chord charts is also good for students who may want to play with new music on their own and experiment with different genres of music.

The app also offers several exercise charts and makes practicing alone more interesting thanks to a playback feature that features a chord instrument, bass and drums. Instead of playing alone, students can practice their work with a fuller sound that gives them a sense who how the piece, as a whole, should sound.

As a writer for Musicians’ Republic noted: “You can set it to repeat as many times as you like, at whatever speed you like, and it will obviously play it in the key selected as well. You can turn the various instruments up or down in the mixer view … If I’m practicing on piano I’ll typically turn the chord instrument down as I can provide that (thank you very much). If I’m practicing on guitar though, I’ll leave it in as my ability to play the melody and chords at the same time on guitar is still a work in progress. You can work it out to suit you.”

While the app is not cheap —  the 6.0 version costs $12.99 — we think eager students will spend a lot of time using this app, which means more practicing is being done!

Have you used iReal Pro? What do you think of it? Available on Android | iPhone & iPad | Mac

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Interested in lessons? Learn more! | Questions? Contact us

Music Junction offers private one-on-one music lessons with talented and caring music teachers at our music school in Burbank, CA. Study your choice of piano, voice, guitar, ukulele, violin, drums, woodwinds, strings. Virtual lessons are also available.