Peachnote app for classical music

Peachnote could change everything. At least everything about studying a score.

In the past people would follow a recording or even a live performance with the score in hand. It's similar to keeping a score book with your favorite baseball team.

To be honest I don't know anyone who does either of those things on a regular basis. Maybe some of my acquaintances do, but if they are they're not broadcasting it.

Having dabbled in following an orchestral score from time to time I can assure you it’s more challenging than you might think. Just following a string quartet can be daunting for the uninitiated never mind a Tchaikovsky symphony.

Enter Peachnote. The app is pretty clever. I will say right off the bat that it is difficult to use on a phone because of the screen size. These are full scores with dozens of staves on the page. Peachnote is a tablet or iPad type of app.

How does it work? The app syncs the score with YouTube videos and an orange line moves across the score as the music progresses.

Right now the line is pretty clunky. It skips across the page and stays just in front of the spot in the music but how far in front varies. I am guessing in the future the line will move smoothly and be more consistent.

The app is brand new. It’s only available on Android devices with iPhone and iPad coming later this fall.

Peachnote has a ton of music available, but there are some noticeable absences such as Verdi and Puccini. However, there is a significant amount if opera on the app, including Rossini, Mozart, and Wagner.

The premium version of the app is only $9.99 per year. I'm not sure exactly what you get for that $10, but I'm going to pay it anyway just to support further efforts.