2 Great Apps to Learn Notes on Bass & Bass Clef

Now that I’ve joined a band, it’s time I stop screwing around and REALLY learn the notes on the neck and to read bass clef. I’m at the same level in both, where I sort of know it. Which is to say, I can find a note on the neck, and read bass clef, but with each it takes a second or two of thought. I want my recall to be instant, though, and the only way to achieve that is to practice it.

I really prefer apps for this, because I can do them anytime, anywhere. Waiting in line? I can practice. Sitting on the toilet (hey we all do it)? I can practice. These apps are also cheap.

Learning the Notes on the Neck

My recommended app for this is Fretonomy. This one is a subscription, unfortunately, but it’s only $2.99/month. There is an option to pay by the year for slightly cheaper per month, but hopefully you won’t need it for that long.

This drills you on the fretboard through various games. One where it shows you a fret on the fretboard, and you tell it the note. One where it gives you a note on a certain string, and you find it on the fretboard. One where it gives you a note, and you find all instances of that note on the neck.

You can also configure the games in lots of ways. One of the coolest is choosing which frets to work on. E.g. Open string to fret 3 or 5 for us bassists to practice the “money zone”. You can even configure how you want to see the accidentals (all sharps, all flats, or custom).

You can also practice guitar, ukulele, 5- or 6-string bass, and mandolin. And you can choose left or right handed.

This app has a LOT more as well. You can also practice ear training, interval training, and other things. I’ve only begun to explore all it offers. It also has instructional videos in addition to the games.

This app also has a game for learning notes on the staff, but I prefer the second app I’m going to recommend for that, because that app only has a 1-time fee. But if you can get this all done in a month, you could do it all with this app for $3. If you’re on an Apple device, though, this app is probably the way you want to go for bass clef reading, because I don’t think the second app is available on Apple (correct me if I’m wrong).

Note: the prices I’m giving are for Android, because that’s what I use. These are available on the Apple Store as well, but you can plan to pay at least 30% more because Apple upcharges all the apps on its store.

Fretonomy on Android

Fretonomy on Apple

Learning to Read Bass Clef

I discovered this app through another Bass Buzzer. It’s called Clefs. It also drills you through a game. This app is even nicer than the above app, because it’s only a one-time fee of $2.99 to get the full version, instead of a subscription. There is a free, ad supported version of the app, but I can’t speak to that, as I bought the paid version because I hate ads.

Clefs on Android

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Fretonomy is not more expensive as an Apple app.

It costs $2.99/month or $23.99 per year.

Thanks @MikeC! Wow, that’s awesome. They must be eating the extra 30% themselves. That’s pretty nice of them. :slight_smile:

Here’s a breakdown of what Apple and Google charge app devs.

They each charge devs largely the same per app and (based on sales amount), but Apple requires devs to pay an annual Developer Program fee of $99. Given the ubiquitousness of the iPhone and iPad, it seems worthwhile for devs to do that. Google charges a bit less of a commission on in-app purchases.

Apple’s App Store:

  • Annual Developer Program Fee: Apple requires developers to pay an annual fee (currently $99) to join the Developer Program and publish apps on the App Store.
  • 30% Commission: Apple takes a 30% cut of app sales and in-app purchases.
  • Lower 15% Commission: For developers who earn less than $1 million per year, the commission is reduced to 15%.

Google Play Store:

  • No Annual Fee: Google doesn’t charge an annual fee to publish apps on the Play Store.
  • Tiered Commission System: Google charges a 15% commission on the first $1 million in sales each year and a 30% commission on earnings exceeding that threshold.
  • In-App Purchase Fee: Google also charges a fee for in-app purchases, but the structure is tiered and designed to be more competitive than Apple’s.

For how much longer?

https://www.nytimes.com/2025/05/09/technology/apple-app-store-antitrust.html

Dunno.

I just quoted what the sitch is as of today.

Just had to google that.

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It’s funny. I’ve been an iOS developer for almost 15 years and it has never once bothered me that Apple charges 30% to provide a free and very lucrative marketplace.

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In one of his videos Josh listed an app called Tenuto which helps with ear training, note identification etc. I think it’s a one off fee.

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Is clefs on Apple?

I couldn’t find it on there, but the other app does have a staff reading game.

I just tried the staff reading exercise on Fretonomy, and it’s fine. So if you’re on Apple, you can use that (subscription though). It has a few staff reading games. A great one is where it shows you a note on the staff, and you pick the fret on the bass. So you’re practicing staff reading and notes on the neck at the same time. It also helps you learn to match a note on the staff to the correct octave on bass.

This app has ear training too. It has a lot, including chord and arpeggio stuff, so it’s worth the $3 a month IMO if you’re going to use it regularly.

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@GingerBug thank you for posting this. I’ve been slow on the “dusty end” of the fret board and this will get me moving. Like you, I can find them all, but need to be quicker. I also noticed you can choose the numbers system as an option (I think)- I need this, too. Thanks again!

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Yeah the Fretonomy has a lot of different things you can do. I still haven’t explored them all.