Using iPad for Reading Music

Most of this article will instruct folks how to utilize the iPad effectively for reading music. If you don’t own an iPad, scroll to the bottom to see some Android Alternatives.

iPad Apps

In order to be able to add markings to your music, you’ll need to use an app that allows for annotations. The standard PDF reader in the iPad is read-only, so you’d be unable to add annotations, cuts, etc. in the music which may be required for a given performance.

Two apps that I’ve used for reading music during rehearsals and performances are Newzik and forScore. Both apps are available on the App Store. Newzik is a free download but requires a subscription for all features, while forScore is a one-time purchase. Both apps have roughly the same features, but they have their own interface for displaying each of the features. These days I prefer Newzik for the way it can organize multiple parts within a piece. That is, I can create a piece in my library, e.g. “Lord of the Dance”, and I can make separate parts within that piece for “Clarinet 1”, “Clarinet 2”, etc. for each part that I’ve played within a given piece. I have not found an equivalent organizational feature in forScore. Likely I’d have to use multiple pages within the same piece, or use separate pieces that are tagged or named with each part name.

Newzik

Newzik is my preferred digital music reader. As I mentioned above, nearly all of the features are in forScore, so the difference is largely aesthetic. The app offers a free download, but allows limited number of pieces in your account. You’ll have to pay a monthly fee to allow for additional pieces and to scan additional parts per piece.

The one feature I’ve identified in Newzik is how individual “Parts” are organized within a piece. As the ISB librarian, it has helped me keep track of all parts within a piece, and allows for easy export of a piece all at once.

See their official tutorials for more information and see how to get started using it.

ForScore

ForScore is an alternative to Newzik for reading music on an iPad and keeping all the music digitally. One benefit to using forScore is that the app is available for a single purchase price, rather than a subscription. The app is $19.99 on the App Store.

As mentioned above, forScore offers nearly all of the same features as Newzik, with the exception of how individual parts can be organized within a piece of music. If you double on different instruments, or play different parts within a musical group, you may find your library becomes cluttered with different versions of the same piece since you’ll need to keep track of each part for each piece separately.

Check out the forScore User Guid Table of Contents to familiarize yourself with the app’s functionalities and enhance your band’s musical experience.

Getting Started: Step-by-Step

Acquire the Necessary Equipment: Ensure you have an iPad and download either Newzik or forScore from the App Store.
Import Your Music Sheets: Transfer your band’s music sheets in PDF format to the app’s library. Use the “Import” feature of each app.
Explore App Features: Familiarize yourself with the app’s interface, including navigation, annotation tools, and organizational features.
Annotate and Organize: Start annotating your music sheets, add comments, markings, and organize them using metadata or tags for easy access. Both apps allow for using “stamps” (from forScore) and “symbols” (from Newzik) to annotate your music. These are great for marking flats, sharps, etc. in your music since they offer finer grained control of the position of the marking.
Practice and Perform: Utilize the apps during band practices and performances, taking advantage of collaborative features and annotation tools.

Page Turning

One of the biggest adjustments I had to make when using an iPad for music was getting used to the half-page turn. Both Newzik and forScore have this as an option, and I’d recommend it to most folks to turn on. (it’s not on by default) The half page turn will turn the top half of the screen to show the next page of music, while the bottom half remains on your current page. Now that I’m used to using an iPad for music, I have to remember to move my eyes to the next page rather than looking to the top of the current page for the next line of music.

Another GOTCHA I’ve run into is when the roadmap for a piece is complex. Specifically if there is a D.S., Coda, or a repeat that spans multiple pages. Each piece will be different and will require a bit of adjustment based on how the music is laid out. Both Newzik and forScore offer a “rearrange” feature of the music that allows for copying pages, changing order of the pages, or even cropping pages given the need. This allows the musician to customize the music to suit the needed roadmap for the piece.

FAQ

How do I turn pages?

Once the music is in “reading” mode (i.e. displayed in full screen, without any of the annotations bar visible) the edges of the iPad can be tapped to turn the page. As mentioned above, I recommend turning on half-page turning so that you have more flexibility as to when the next page of music is visible, and you can smoothly transition to the next page.

Should I buy a foot pedal to turn pages?

Maybe. This is a personal choice and is not required. Most music has sufficient breaks when the musician can quickly tap the screen with a free hand to allow for turning the page very quickly without needing a “hands-free” page turning system. Some of the clarinet parts I’ve played have very few breaks, so these lend themselves more to using a separate foot pedal. If you do decide to buy one, the PageFlip firefly is a good choice since it allows for nearly silent page turning, and will not slip under your foot during rehearsal or performances.

Do I need an Apple Pencil to annotate my music?

No. The annotations work with your finger. Both Newzik and forScore will use a “magnified” section of the screen to allow for fine-grained positioning of annotations. Writing special instructions is a little cumbersome with one’s finger, but it can be done.

Android Alternatives

If you don’t own an iPad, there are Android alternatives. If you already own an Android tablet, the below apps may be useful alternatives to their iPad equivalents. I haven’t run these apps myself, but they do look promising from their websites.

Android Alternatives: MobileSheets and MusicReader

For a list of iPad alternatives, see this article that discusses some alternative tablets.

Musical Notes