Tune Train

Second Graders tried out a new app for them on the iPads today...Tune Train.  This app allows students to create their own composition with a variety of melody, harmony and rhythm  
choices.  A short tutorial is included to get started.  There is also a Teacher's Guide. Basically you are getting your train from one depot to another via a musical composition! 

People are located in buildings at various heights, representing their pitch.  By using their fingers, they can go from house to house, higher pitches being higher, and lower pitches lower.  If a person wants a longer duration of a pitch, then simply draw in-between the houses instead of through them. Viola! a musical melody is created!  Harmony is created by choosing a style of band to accompany your melody.

An option that I liked was to show the staff notation as you create and play back your composition.  Notes turn red as the melody progresses on a playback.

The Levels option isn't your typical game level in the sense of needing to "pass" a task to go on to the next level.  Each level is a different setting to use, with different options of houses etc. 

All in all, a fun useful app for creating and music making! (and it's FREE!)