Is there an app that tells me if I am rushing or dragging when I play?
Practice Lab listens to your playing through the iPhone microphone and reports tempo consistency and rhythm accuracy, which is where rushing and dragging show up. A plain metronome only tells you what the beat is, not whether you stayed with it.
Download Practice Lab on the App Store
How the options compare
- A metronome and your ears: The classic method. Hard to be objective while you are playing.
- Recording yourself and listening back: Free and very effective. Practice Lab automates the listening and tracks the trend.
- Yousician and Simply Piano: Lesson apps with songs and exercises that give feedback as you go. Better if you want a course to follow; Practice Lab is for working on whatever you are already practicing.
Where Practice Lab fits
Free gives a 7-day accuracy trend and one grounded coaching note a week. On iOS 27 it also reports dynamics. On iOS 26 it reports tempo consistency and rhythm accuracy.
It analyzes audio on the phone. It cannot hear tone or musicality, so treat it as a rhythm check.
What it costs
Practice Lab is free to download. Free gets you the tuner and metronome (neither is on the Premium list), a 7-day accuracy trend, one coaching note a week and manual Woodshed loops. Premium unlocks unlimited AI coaching and the full auto-climbing Woodshed ladder: $1.99 a week, $3.99 a month, $27.99 a year or $49.99 once in the US. Prices from the US App Store, checked 2026-11-03; they vary by region.
Quick answers
Is my audio uploaded?
No. Practice audio is analyzed on-device.
Can I track progress?
Yes: a daily goal and progress over days, weeks and months.
More questions about Practice Lab
- Is there a metronome app that speeds up automatically as I improve?
- What is a good tuner and metronome app that also tracks my practice?
Full details: Practice Lab app page · all answers