Minuet

Minuet is a focused music-education app for building practical ear-training skills through interval, chord, scale, note, rhythm, singing and clapping exercises. It suits students, musicians and teachers who want adjustable drills on a computer, particularly learners who value immediate pitch, timing and beat feedback. Its strongest case is breadth in one free package; its main limitation is that the experience is desktop-only, with no mobile app.

Overview

Minuet brings several core ear-training tasks into one application rather than separating them into single-purpose drills. You can work on intervals, chords and scales, identify notes with both keyboard and staff feedback, recognize rhythm patterns that include rests, and practise written rhythms by clapping. That range makes it useful for learners building a general foundation or instructors assembling varied practice sessions.

The feedback is especially practical for active musicians. While you sing intervals and scales, Minuet gives live pitch and timing feedback, so the exercise addresses intonation and rhythmic placement rather than recognition alone. Clapping exercises show where each beat lands, providing a visual check on whether your performance lines up with the written rhythm. These tools are better suited to deliberate practice than to casual, game-like progression.

Key features

Broad ear-training coverage

Interval and chord exercises target harmonic recognition, while scale work and note identification support reading and pitch awareness. Rhythm-pattern drills include rests, an important test of silence as well as sound. Because these areas sit together, a learner can move from identifying material to reproducing it without changing apps.

Performance feedback

Live singing feedback reports pitch and timing during interval and scale exercises. Clapping analysis places each beat visually against the written rhythm. These features make Minuet a stronger choice for singers and rhythm students than an app limited to multiple-choice listening.

Adjustable practice controls

You can change tempo, instruments, test length and microphone feedback. Slower tempos and shorter tests can make early practice manageable; longer tests and different instruments support sustained work once the basics are secure. Microphone-feedback controls also let users tailor how much performance guidance they receive.

Pricing

Minuet is free: the Free plan costs nothing and is a free desktop app distributed through a Linux distribution package or Flathub. There are no paid tiers or subscription terms to weigh, making the complete cost predictable for students, teachers and independent learners.

The trade-off is scope rather than price. Minuet does not offer a mobile app, so practice away from a Linux, macOS or Windows computer is not part of this product. Users seeking phone-based drills or a broader service ecosystem may prefer a freemium alternative.

Platforms

Minuet runs on Linux, macOS and Windows. Linux users can install it through AppStream stores, distribution package managers or Flathub. KDE also provides nightly installers for Flatpak, Windows and macOS for people who want to test development builds, though a stable release is the sensible choice for routine study. The latest listed release is Minuet 26.08.1, dated 2026-09-10.

The software is GPL-2.0+ licensed. KDE’s privacy policy says its software generally does not transfer information from a device except after an explicit user action; where telemetry exists, it is opt-in and disabled by default. Help is available through the handbook, KDE forum, kde-edu mailing list and #kde-edu on Libera.chat.

Who it's for

Choose Minuet if you are learning music theory or musicianship and want interval, chord, scale, note and rhythm practice in one free computer application. Singers benefit from live pitch and timing checks, while rhythm students gain beat-by-beat clapping feedback. Teachers can also use the adjustable tempo, instruments and test length to shape exercises for different ability levels.

Look elsewhere if mobile practice is essential, or if you want a progression system designed around short phone sessions. Minuet’s value is concentrated in configurable desktop exercises rather than portability or a subscription content catalogue.

Pros and cons

• Pro: Covers intervals, chords, scales, note identification and rhythm, reducing the need to switch between specialist tools.
• Pro: Live singing feedback addresses both pitch and timing, giving vocal practice a concrete performance check.
• Pro: Clapping visualisation shows where beats land, making written-rhythm accuracy easier to diagnose.
• Pro: Tempo, instrument, test-length and microphone controls support gradual progression and repeatable practice routines.
• Pro: Free distribution on Linux, macOS and Windows removes subscription cost and supports open-source use under GPL-2.0+.
• Con: No mobile app means practice requires a desktop or laptop.
• Con: Learners seeking a game-style progression path or mobile-first routine may find its exercise-focused format less motivating.

Alternatives

Ear Training Software and Music Learning Apps round up broader choices. Complete Ear Trainer is a better fit for mobile access and structured mode progression: it runs on Android, iOS, macOS, web and Windows, with a free first chapter of each mode and a 6.99 USD one-time full version.

Pick Functional Ear Trainer for a freemium app spanning Android, iOS, macOS and Windows when functional-hearing practice is your priority. Perfect Ear suits users wanting Android, iOS or macOS access with free downloads and small one-time exercise packs such as the 0.99 USD Interval Exercises Pack.

Auris is a web and mobile option with limited free access, while its Yearly plan is €4.99 a month. Coco offers game-based Android, iOS and web practice; its free tier includes early levels and daily workouts with session limits.

Nootka is the closest open-source alternative for Android, Linux, macOS and Windows, and is free. Note Precision: Intervals targets interval work on Android, iOS and macOS with a free Level 1. SightSing is the choice for iOS and web sight-singing, offering free Levels 1–3 and an all-levels plan at $4.99 a month.

Verdict

Minuet is a strong recommendation for learners and teachers who want broad, adjustable ear-training exercises with meaningful singing and rhythm feedback at no cost. Choose it when a desktop workflow is acceptable and open-source licensing matters. Look elsewhere when mobile access, gamified progression or a dedicated subscription curriculum is more important than an all-in-one desktop practice tool.