Questions
Something not here? Write to help@chartband.com.
What does ChartBand do?
You photograph a lead sheet from your own fake book. The app reads the chords on your iPhone or iPad, and a band — walking upright bass, jazz drummer, comping piano — plays the tune with you while the bar being played lights up on your page. Loop the hard bars, change the tempo, change key.
Which charts can it read?
Lead sheets with chord symbols: printed fake-book pages and hand-written charts, photographed with the app's document scanner. A page with two tunes, or a tune that runs onto a second page, is fine — the app asks. Flat pages in even light read best. You can also bring in MusicXML files.
How accurate is the reading?
98% accurate charts, read from your photo. Before you play, the few it's least sure of are shown beside their crop from your photo, and you can hold any chord on your page to change it. If a line is cut off by the edge of the photo, the app asks you to retake it — it never drops bars silently.
Do my pages get uploaded anywhere?
No. Your photos are read on the device and stay there. There is no account and no server of ours. Sharing a tune sends the chord chart only — never your photo, never the melody. Details: Privacy.
Does it come with songs?
You bring your own lead sheets. A small shelf of chord charts we wrote ourselves is included so you can try the band straight away. We never ship melodies.
Is the band made with AI?
No generative AI. Every sound is a recorded instrument, played by rules fitted to measurements of real players: where a pianist comps, how a drummer swings, how a bass line walks. The chart reader does use a trained model, on your device, to read chord symbols — it makes no sound.
Which styles can the band play?
Jazz: medium and up-tempo swing, ballads (brushes, bass in two), bossa nova (straight eighths) and jazz waltzes in 3/4. The app picks the feel from the chart's style and you can change it.
Can I change the key?
Yes, to any of the twelve keys — the band, the chords and the keyboard all move. Playing a B♭, E♭ or F instrument (or guitar)? Pick it, and the chords show in your key while the band stays in concert pitch.
Can I slow it down, loop a section, or mute my instrument?
Yes to all three: set any tempo, drag across bars to loop them, and use the mixer to turn the bass, drums or piano down or off.
Does it listen to me play?
No. ChartBand doesn't use the microphone. It's a band that follows the chart, not one that follows you.
Which devices does it run on?
iPhone and iPad. On a phone it's made for landscape, so the chart is big enough to read on a music stand. There is no Android or web version yet.
How much does it cost?
7-day free trial, then $9.99/year (renews until cancelled), or $19.99 one-time. The trial and subscription are handled by Apple: cancel any time in Settings → your name → Subscriptions.
I bought lifetime during my trial. Will I be charged?
Your lifetime unlock stays, but the trial will still roll into a subscription unless you turn it off. The app takes you to Apple's subscription settings to do that — apps can't cancel subscriptions themselves.
Do I need an account?
No. Purchases are restored through your Apple ID: Settings → Restore purchases.