u/Abdull_Hameed

I run a music school and we ended up building our own app because we kept seeing the same problem: most music learning apps get abandoned within 72 hours. People download, poke around, then quit.

Here's what we learned from building our own (not naming it, just sharing the patterns):

1. Gamification only works if it means something.
Pointless badges are noise. But when progress unlocks actual new features or harder exercises, people stay.

2. Streaks need a safety net.
One missed day and users never come back. Forgiveness mechanics (streak freezes, grace periods) make a huge difference.

3. Visual progress tracking.
If you can't see that you're improving, you quit. Skill trees or progress bars that show small wins matter.

4. Onboarding is everything.
Users who complete a structured intro are way more likely to stay beyond day 7.

5. Adaptive difficulty.
Too hard = frustration. Too easy = boredom. Apps that adjust to your level do much better.

Now I'm curious – for those of you who've used music apps (ear training, piano, guitar), what actually made you stick with one? And if you quit quickly, what was the dealbreaker?

You know that moment when you're staring at an empty DAW, nothing comes out, and everything you try sounds like something you already made? Yeah. Me too like three times a week.

I run a music school and produce a little on the side. What i started noticing is that most of my creative blocks happen when my ear just gives up. Like i stop hearing intervals clearly, melodies feel random, and i end up just clicking notes until something doesn't suck.

So i tried something weird. When i get stuck, i close the DAW for 5 minutes and do ear training drills. Intervals, chord recognition, matching pitch. Not trying to learn theory, just waking up my inner ear. And somehow after that, melodies start flowing again. No idea why but it works.

So i'm curious – what do you do when you hit that wall? Any weird tricks, apps, or rituals that actually help? Or am i the only one who needs to train my ears to unblock my brain?

I run a small music school (10+ years, team of 15, self-funded). We've been building a little app on the side to help our students train ear, rhythm, and basic theory – short daily exercises, no fluff.

But here's the thing: we're not 100% sure we're solving the right problems. So I'd love to hear from real musicians and teachers.

What's your biggest frustration with ear training apps or tools in general?

A few things I'm genuinely curious about:

1. Feedback – do you want detailed explanations when you mistake a major third for a minor third? Or just right/wrong and move on?
2. Real instrument input – how important is microphone support for guitar/piano vs tapping on a screen?
3. The hardest skill – what do your students (or you) struggle with most? Intervals? Chord progressions? Rhythm? Sight singing?
4. Gamification – streaks, points, leaderboards – helpful or annoying for serious learners?
5. Theory integration – should ear training apps teach theory alongside, or keep them separate?

Our app exists, but I'm not here to promote it. I genuinely want to make it better. If you have 2 minutes to share what's missing or what makes you delete an app after two days, I'd be grateful.

Thanks – a music school owner who just wants fewer people to quit music because they think they're "untalented"