About Clef
Clef is a sight-reading and piano drill app for iPhone and iPad, made by Mel Owen, an independent app maker.
Why I made it
A lot of adults can play a bit of piano. They found middle C years ago, learned a few pieces by ear or by rote, and then hit the same wall: every new page of music is a puzzle. You count up the lines, you lose your place, and the song stops being fun.
Most piano apps answer that with more songs. I wanted the opposite: a few minutes a day on the one skill that makes every song easier. You see a note, you name it or play it, and the app remembers which ones you hesitate on and brings those back tomorrow.
How Clef works
Clef has 15 practice tracks, from treble and bass notes to intervals, key signatures, triads, scales and arpeggios. Every answer goes into an FSRS spaced-repetition schedule, the same family of algorithm used by serious flashcard learners, so each session is built around what you personally need. Sessions take about three minutes. You answer on screen, or on real keys with a MIDI keyboard.
There are no mascots and no points. Just the drill, clear feedback, and a streak.
How I build it
I design, build and ship Clef myself, and I read every review and support email. Clef has been on the App Store since July 2026 and gets regular updates. Features come from what learners ask for: do-re-mi note names, both-hands drills, MIDI input and an iPad layout all started as requests.
If something is missing, write to me at [email protected].
Try three minutes
Focused treble and bass drills are free, plus one mixed daily session across all 15 tracks.
7-day free trial, cancel anytime. Treble and bass drills stay free.