Easy Strum iPad Music App Has You Playing Rachmaninov in Under 60 Seconds

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Easy Srum

The newly updated iPad app Easy Strum by Glaswegian developer Poorly Dressed Ape describes itself as “one of the easiest musical instruments in the world.” And it surely is. Just download the app from the Apple store, then play it.

The Easy Strum iPad app has six built-in instruments, all “easy-strummed” — piano, glockenspiel, harp, celesta, sitar, and marimba. The app is totally simple. Its UI consists of four rows of the notes of the octave, signifying root notes of chords, and a strum-board. The rows of chords are configurable in the settings (one tap away) — major, minor, sevenths chords, and so on. Once setup, run a finger or two up and down the strum board to tinkle the selected chord’s individual notes, or play “Rachmaninov-style flourishes.” Change chords by tapping on the rows as appropriate.

There is no time-delay when tapping notes or switching among chords, which is great because many other apps out there are deficient at this. And the sounds are well chosen: the piano has a grand feel, the glockenspiel rings out, the harp could almost be real…. Only the sitar, however, is a slight disappointment. It doesn’t drone on and on, even with the settings’ sustain effect switched to maximum. Could do with a future tweak, that.

Easy Strum is principally a fun stand-alone instrument. It’s not a DAW. It doesn’t record and playback, but it does wi-fi connect to a desktop DAW such as GarageBand, Logic, etc. It also acts as a wireless MIDI controller for any virtual instrument on your DAW that can be easy-strummed!

Unlike a lot of apps, Easy Strum even contains… instructions. It’s so easy!

The app is for iPad only (no version for iPhone as yet). It costs $1.99 on the Apple store.

Easy Strum for iPad is best enjoyed stand-alone… but also can be wireless MIDI controller for software instrument on DAW.

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