Music apps

Music creation, expression and journaling app. Recommended by Guardian as one of the top mental health apps and on the NHS app library (only available on iPhone / iPad).

A deceptively powerful app in which you can play a range of touch instruments – keyboards, guitars, strings, drums. You can record tunes and external sounds including voice and you can make loops (only available on iPhone / iPad).

Very simple apps – just like playing xylophone. You can play single notes or chords.

A lovely harp sound with different chord options and a colourful interface. You can record as you play.

Paid for app available for the iPhone or iPad, with over 40 real instrument sounds and hundreds of included scales allowing you to play in any style, from rock to classical.

Paid for app that you can use by simply tapping or dragging a finger on the screen to produce gentle visuals and calming music that regenerates over time. Very soothing, visual and accessible.

Paid for app which allows you to create harmonic patterns very easily. This is quite a sophisticated app with a lot of different settings available, so you may want to spend some time exploring all the options.

This free app (with in-app purchases) gives you tunes to play which require some dexterity, but there’s also the option to play freestyle. There are different options of keyboard layout.

A paid for app where a singing robot produces sound as you run your fingertip along the screen.

Paid for app. Touch the screen to hear and see what happens. You can save the image you have created as a picture file.

A simple kalimba, or thumb piano, which you can play like the real thing.