recommend an iPad app for a young budding musician

[Hoover]

My nephew is turning 15 this week.

He's been playing trombone in the school concert band for 2, maybe 3 years. He seems barely- to semi-competant at that. He tried alto sax for several months and had no apptitude with that instrument, mostly because he's got serious physical coordination issues. Suffice to say, while he's got an adequate interest in music, he's no prodigy.

A couple weeks ago while I was visiting I sat down at the piano to noodle, and he whips out his iPad, calls up the virtual instruments in GarageBand, and proceeds to jam with me for an hour! Again, he's no Keith Jarrett, but he surprised everyone with his musical sensetivity, imagination, and sheer willingness to dive into the deep end of free improvisation with his crazy uncle the professional musician.

So I want to get him something for his iPad that will allow him to express himself musically. Not a DAW or a drum machine or anything that requires programming, but rather something he can perform on in real time. He loves the keyboards (electric pianos, organs & clavinets) and the guitars in GarageBand, so perhaps something along those lines? But, since he already has those, perhaps something completely different. I once saw an iPhone app that turned the thing into a virtual ocarina (using the microphone as a breath controller), something like that could be cool.

Any suggestions?
Thanks.

[RosieB]

My 14 yr old son (who plays trombone, too, btw) thinks the ocarina would be cool. Not sure if it's for iPad, too, though. The app description will tell exactly which devices they work on. I know there is a trombone app that works the same way. I have a friend who uses GarageBand with his iPad and he ran across a harp app that he really likes.

[CrUiSeR]

i don't have a pad or pod, just a lonely phone! the ocarina is best used on the phone because it has a microphone,
it can still be used on the pod though, but you don't get the benefit of vibrato among other. the same people make the leaf trombone, but imo it's meh; but he may like
it since he's a bonehead!!!
it's not something to jam with but i like music theory pro, no explanation should be needed!
as far as instruments to jam on, my next one will probably be hohner gcf mini squeezebox
it seems like to jam along with he may have it covered already.
there is a peterson tuner and i would imagine there are different score type apps as well.
nanostudio would be cool, but it's not for the pad yet and involves programming.
sorry if none of that helped!

[CrUiSeR]

hate to double post but i had forgotten about this

Seline | Amidio.com

[warwick.hoy]

I like the drum apps,...iDrum and Nanoloops.

[SteveC]

iBone

OMGuitar

[pacojas]

Relative Pitch Lite is great for ear training exercises! (it's free)

[Stilettoprefer]

I downloaded a music theory app that has expanded my knowledge pretty well its helping me learn how to read treble clef music for those rare occasions that I need to play guitar or trumpet (mainly bass and trombone player). I'm 16 and pretty serious about music so I might take theory more seriously than your nephew though.

Ultimate guitar tabs is another great app. It provides tabs galore for guitar and bass, as well as tons of chord charts. The app can transpose the chord stuff for you!

[RosieB]

Yes, forgot about the drum apps. My kids like those, too, but I think they have decent drums in GarageBand already.

[CrUiSeR]

just in case you missed the ipad thread below this one, you got to check this out
http://www.thinkgeek.com/electronics/retro-gaming/e762/
not a app, but looks like one could
jam on it
http://m.youtube.com/index?desktop_u...?v=VShbi-hSjhQ
iThink Neiliooooo summed it up best

[MakiSupaStar]

Ableton Live has a cool app for iPad. It's just a DAW it's has a performance side to it that works like the APC.