NAMM Releases List of Top Apps, Websites and Tech Products for Learning to Play a Musical Instrument

The National Association of Music Merchants (NAMM) salutes the leading digital apps, websites and tech products that inspire people to play a musical instrument. These new tools from the tech world make learning to play music more tangible for aspiring musicians, as NAMM asks people to feel the benefits and joy of music making during its annual National Wanna Play Music Week, May 7-13, 2012. From interactive video games to a pocket-sized teaching app, learning to play a musical instrument has never been more accessible to more people. Today, NAMM encourages people of all ages to check out the top-15 user-friendly, affordable tech products for starting to play music:

Apps

UkeChords

This full-featured ukulele chord dictionary provides instant access to thousands of chords in all 12 keys. Each chord can also be heard either as a chord or individual notes to double check your fingering.
http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/ukechords/id298774999?mt=8

Learn Piano HD

Through a series of 27 video lessons including easy-to-understand diagrams, learn all the basic piano essentials and learn at your own pace. .
http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/learn-piano-hd/id480053047?mt=8

DigiDrummer

This app is like having a beat machine in your pocket! Make beats and play them with the most common drum kit sounds.
http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/digidrummer/id291587247?mt=8

Mobile Metronome

Best-rated free metronome with a visual beat counter – great for everyone!
http://www.appbrain.com/app/mobile-metronome/gabriel.metronome

PocketBand Lite

Free cloud-based social music studio – great for teens!
http://www.appbrain.com/app/pocketband-uloops-lite/net.uloops.android

Learn Music Notes

Free and simple game makes learning musical notes easy and fun – great for kids!
http://www.appbrain.com/app/learn-music-notes/net.fercanet.LNM

The Grateful Dead – Europe ’72: Rock Prodigy™ App

This app acts as your personal music teacher, walking you through songs note-for-note to Jerry Garcia’s guitar from the legendary tour. It even provides feedback as you hit each note.
http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/grateful-dead-europe-72-rock/id511897353?ls=1&mt=8

Websites

Noteflight

Print music sheets and write your own music online with Noteflight. Create, view, print and hear music notation with professional quality right in your web browser.
www.noteflight.com

Myna

This online audio editor can be used to remix music tracks and audio clips, apply sound effects and record your own voice or instruments.
http://advanced.aviary.com/tools/audio-editor

Mixlr

This online tool makes it easy to broadcast live to the web, Facebook, and mobile devices. Just download the free app and share your broadcast instantly using your live URL. Mixlr is perfect for podcasters, bands, live acts, DJs, conference organizers, journalists and anyone who wants to easily broadcast live on the web.
www.mixlr.com

JamPlay.com

The leading site for online guitar instruction, JamPlay.com is a subscription-based service that allows you to access any lesson, from any teacher, at anytime. The site publishes around 11 hours of new guitar lessons every 30 days, providing streaming video lessons to keep your playing focused and inspired. Features include a member community, live chats with music teachers, printable materials, comprehensive libraries, memorization games and lots more.
www.jamplay.com

Get-Tuned.com

Get-Tuned.com provides online instrument tuners and teaches you tuning methods for guitar, bass, violin, cello, banjo, ukulele, mandolin, harmonica and other instruments. The site also features an online metronome to help you stay on tempo while practicing.
http://www.get-tuned.com

Tech Products

gPad

The gPad turns your iPad or iPhone into an instant guitar or ukulele. These guitar-shaped wooden frames are made to hold an iPad, iPhone or iPod Touch so you can play any touch-screen musical app – you can even bend the notes by moving the neck. Choose from the Mini g Uke or gPad Classic Guitar.
http://www.gpadmusic.com/home.html

Fretlight

The Fretlight 411 Guitar features the Fretlight neck – a patented Advanced Polymer Fretboard. The world's only built-in LED learning system lets you see fingering positions light up right on the Fretlight fingerboard. The built-in tuner provides a convenient solution for fast, accurate tuning. You can download thousands of user-created songs from many tablature websites and watch them all light up your Fretlight guitar.
http://www.fretlight.com/

Rock Band 3
Rock Band 3 now helps players develop actual musical skills through Rock Band Pro gameplay. Pro Drums supports three expansion cymbals, with gameplay differentiation between toms and cymbals. Pro Keys features pitch-accurate keyboard performance across a two-octave range, displayed on an easy-to-read keyboard track. Pro Guitar features notated guitar and bass performances, available for play with a new guitar/controller hybrid – a fully functional, full-sized, six-string electric guitar that also functions as a game controller.
http://www.rockband.com/

About NAMM's Wanna Play? Public Awareness Campaign

NAMM's national Wanna Play? public awareness campaign is dedicated to increasing awareness of the proven benefits of playing musical instruments for people of all ages. Since the campaign's launch in November 2006, the key messages about the fun and many proven benefits of playing music have reached millions of people through national public relations efforts. In addition, Wanna Play? has the support of more than 100 celebrities, including John Stamos, Jack Black, Jeff Daniels, Robert Downey Jr., Band from TV, Orianthi, and Gary Sinise. For more information and to get involved, interested parties can visit www.wannaplaymusic.com.

About NAMM
The National Association of Music Merchants (NAMM) is the not-for-profit association with a mission to strengthen the $17 billion music products industry and promote the pleasures and benefits of making music. NAMM’s activities and programs are designed to promote music making to people of all ages. NAMM is comprised of approximately 9,000 Member companies located in 87 countries. For more information about NAMM or the proven benefits of making music, interested parties can visit www.namm.org, call 800-767-NAMM (6266) or follow the organization on Twitter, Facebook and Google+.

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