The Apple iPad is being pushed to consumers as an eBook reader to rule them all (despite having a backlit LCD that’s harsh on the eyes). But, not all eBooks need be actual books – the iPad might actually be the coolest, and most expensive, sheet music reader to ever compliment a piano’s black and white ivory keys. With the ForScore iPad app, you can easily store your sheet music, turn pages with ease, and even keep time with the ForScore visual metronome feature. As long as you’re not a starving musician, the Apple tablet just made a new use-case for itself.
The ForScore iPad app is listed as “coming soon,” and provides little more details than what we’ve mentioned. The app will apparently launch with over 1,300 pages of score from 18 world-famous composers. That means you’ll have almost 300 different scores on your iPad, with the ability to add sheet music of your choosing as PDF files. The app will even allow you to annotate sheet music to help you through the trickier parts of a particular piece of music.
It’s not clear if the app will automatically turn the page as you play, but the visual metronome feature should make it easier to keep time. Rather than using the traditional “tick-tock” of a traditional metronome, ForScore shows you the timing through a subtle bar near the top of the screen. That’ll come in handy the next time your performing for the Pope and don’t want him to see that you need help keeping your 4/4 time.
All you musicians out there might want to take note (no pun intended). The iPad could end up being the most expensive and most useful musical instrument you have yet to buy. Now, you just have to work out how you’re going to prop up the iPad on your piano.
