Rocksmith+ vs ToneScholar

Rocksmith+ is Ubisoft's music-learning service for guitar, bass, and piano. Its expanding library includes official recordings and covers across rock, hip hop, pop, metal, soundtracks, Latin, and classical. The service tracks and analyzes playing and provides instant recommendations. Practice tools include Riff Repeater, Adaptive Difficulty, interactive video lessons, and sheet music. The Free to Play plan costs nothing and includes lessons and a selection of 20 songs; a subscription unlocks the full licensed song catalog. Paid access starts at $7.99/mo, with listed options for one month, three months, and a 12-Month All-Access Plan. The service runs on Android, iOS, and Windows and includes progress tracking and cloud saves, but not offline access. On PC, playing requires a persistent internet connection, a guitar or bass, and separately purchased connection equipment. Supported instrument connections include ASIO and WASAPI devices; Ubisoft recommends compatible hardware supporting 16-bit, 48 kHz operation.

ToneScholar is a functional ear training app for developing musical skills through the harmonic functions of notes and chords. Its training approach emphasizes musical intuition, using dozens of custom exercise modules and progression-based learning. Listed areas include sight singing, composition, improvisation, music theory, transcription, and intonation. The FAQ says prior music theory knowledge and sheet-music reading are not required. ToneScholar runs on the web and iOS. During beta, everything is free: the Beta plan is free. ToneScholar Pro is marked as coming soon, with no price listed. The privacy policy says the service collects personal identification information and usage data, storing it with Google Cloud Platform and Amplitude. Data is deleted within 18 months after account deactivation or within 30 days of a deletion request, whichever comes sooner. Children under 13 may not use the service.