iPhone Music Apps

Nothing can replace the true feel of an instrument, but sometimes we find ourselves in a place where there aren't any guitars, basses, drums, keyboards or even a piano to play. With so many options to choose from, it's hard to decide what the 13 best iPhone apps for musicians are. Here are lucky 13 that stand out in my mind as great tools for any musician to be able create music on the iPhone, iPad and iPod touch.

#1-GuitarToolkit. Out of all the best iphone apps for musicians, this is the must-have for guitar players. This app boasts a massive range of clever features for both seasoned touring guitarists and those learning their very first riffs alike. It will help you tune your guitar with it's incredibly accurate chromatic tuner. It also has 40 alternate tunings included. It will tell you which direction to tune your guitar in and you can use the fretboard on the app for reference. This app also includes a massive chord library, chord finder, Fret Board (scale library) and a metronome and a host of tweakable settings-like an option to change the app to cater for 12 string guitars or left handers

#2-PocketGuitar. This app turns your iPhone into a virtual guitar. It puts an electric guitar, electric bass, acoustic guitar, bass guitar, a classical guitar, muted guitar and a ukulele in your hand. Choose from any of the instruments and start pressing frets and strumming strings to create music. You can also choose effects from distortion, chorus and delay and edit parameters. This is the perfect traveling app for times when you just can't bring your guitar with you on a trip or vacation.

#3-FourTrack. This app is a multi track audio recorder that allows musicians to record songs or even ideas for songs while on the go. The best part about this app is the quality: everything is recorded at true 16-bit, 44.1 kHz quality. Working like a modern all-in-one mixing desk and recorder, the app allows you to record, bounce and add effects to tracks, as well as mixing and exporting whole tunes, or exporting individual tracks from the app for outside editing. It's a great tool for laying down demos, but the quality of the recording is such that with enough care and patience, professional-standard recording can be achieved.

#4-Drum Kit Lite. This has to be included in the iPhone apps for musicians because who wouldn't want a drum set that they could play anywhere? This is the closest you can get without a real kit. It gives you the feeling of playing real drums. This app features a six piece drum kit, allows you to play multiple drums at the same time and you can add beats and also play along with music. If you are a drummer or just constantly tapping on things, you will really enjoy this app.

#5-Finger Beat. This app pays homage to dance and pop music from the last few decades drawing inspiration from retro synthesizers and samplers. It will allow you to create rhythms with your fingertips and customize the look and feel of the player itself to reflect your personal style. You can record external sounds with the microphone or load sounds from your library. Record and perform on the fly no matter where you are with this portable virtual instrument.

#6-BeatMaker. This is another app that allows users to make beats. Use up to five different sample pads at one time, change the volume and pitch, easily take your patterns and transform them into complete songs and then you can export the songs to a file to share with friends.

#7-GigBaby!. This is the best app for musicians interested in songwriting. It is a practice, rehearsal and performance tool for musicians that play solo or in groups. It is a 4-track recorder, metronome, a simple drum machine and a setlist manager all in one. Use this app to record and layer multiple tracks, use the metronome that's included to set a tempo for yourself and adjust the tempo with an easy to use slider bar.

#8-iSequence. For anyone who thought about being a DJ, this app is great. This app is a complete mobile music production environment designed to play and compose real music. It includes an 8-track sequencer, tons of instruments, a fully functional mixer and many effects to choose from so you can easily program and record professional loops, beats and melodies. Choose from 55 professional instruments such as classical instruments, drum kits, synthesizers and more. Now you can control every aspect of your music project.

#9-Pianist Pro. The Pianist, the original iPhone piano app turns professional in an all new iPad-only app which sill has remained one of the best. A great interface, multitrack recording options, a built in metronome and a realistic piano sound with a host of of customizable features make this a great app for getting down ideas, jamming with friends or even recording parts for a larger project.

#10-Piano Sharp. This iPhone app for musicians allows you to compose music on a virtual piano. Record songs, compose music, listen to high quality sound samples, play your own MIDI files, export you recorded songs and use the helpful metronome included to compose a masterpiece of you very own.

#11-Guitar: Play and Share. This app is great for people who are looking to learn to play the guitar. This app puts an acoustic guitar in your hands and teaches you to play songs. It will show you where your fingers should be for a variety of songs and will allow you to play along with recordings to see how you are doing. It also includes recording to audio track and backing tracks.

#12-Band. This app is like having a band in your pocket. You are able to play a drum machine, a drum kit, blues guitar, bass guitar, piano and yes, even a crowd. Play each instrument, record, overdub and even mix tracks you have made, which can be stored for later playback. Instruments have individual volume and pan settings, and can be muted or "soloed" during playback.

#13-Everyday Looper. This final program in the list of best iPhone apps is an incredibly powerful app and one that can be an asset to any musician's mobile instrument library. Despite it's lack of initial tutorial, with a little perseverance, this app can be used to create everything from funky vocal compositions to epic guitar or keyboard soundscapes.