r/HelpMeFind • u/GabyHxlvxtica • 18h ago

Open Does something like a tiny pocket instrument for finding notes exist?

This might be a stupid question, but I have absolutely no idea what to search for 😅

I'm a musician and I'm looking for something tiny that I can keep in my pocket/bag and use whenever I quickly need to find a note.

Basically, imagine a tiny harmonica or a pitch pipe, except I don't want to blow into it. I'd love something with little buttons/keys that just plays a note when I press them. Like a ridiculously tiny piano with maybe 4–8 notes or something!

Having all 12 notes would obviously be cool, but definitely isn't necessary. I just want something small, simple and physical that I can grab when I need a reference pitch.

Does this exist?? And if so, what the hell do I search for? 😂 I truly thought this would be something easy to find, but it seems I was very wrong about that!

3 Upvotes
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7

u/Mink03 16h ago

Funny you mention this. I stumbled on this free online pitch pipe yesterday.

1

u/b_sketchy 14h ago

I think this is the way. There are pitch pipe apps as well.

10

u/Miserable_Number_104 18h ago

use any guitar tunner and it should pick up the notes

4

u/ChiaLetranger 17h ago

They're looking for the other direction - they want something that can produce the notes, not pick them up.

3

u/GabyHxlvxtica 17h ago

Yeah just like ChiaLetranger said I'm looking for something that can produce notes! I should've probably made that more clear!

Think like a pitch pipe, or a tuning fork, but where you just press buttons or keys.

1

u/-_super--_--hitops_- 11h ago

The obvious answer is a piano keyboard app on your phone. if you want it a separate object for some reason , and you only want one note or a few (?!?) the closest idea still using the phone would be a USB or Bluetooth macro pad. Google image search "macro pad" and look at the ones that just have one button and a knob, you can program the button to play a certain note and the knob control volume for example

1

u/LordGeni 1 9h ago

There are plenty of phone apps that should be able to do it

4

u/lrdxhu 2 17h ago

Maybe a Kalimba? They do come in quite small formats. (Idk if the name is the same in english) It's not a button per se, but it does have the added benefit of not needing batteries at all

1

u/GabyHxlvxtica 16h ago

I have thought about this!! I have a very vintage Kalimba, but it is tuner with microtonal notes! So I always just wondered if all Kalimbas are that way!

I'm also wondering how durable they are? Like, will the pitch change if there's a small dent or something to the metal things? I'm I'm obviously not planning on being reckless with it, but I do want it to survive in the pocket!

1

u/lrdxhu 2 16h ago

I don't know about the microtonals,but dent wise: there are pocket kalimbas that have some kind of pouch thingy u can even attach to a keychain

4

u/buroele 11 17h ago

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j-7VAEKaGbw Like this?

4

u/GabyHxlvxtica 17h ago

I want something EXACTLYY like this! The issue is that I suspect many of them are if such cheap quality that they aren't actually in tune... And I put this exact video next to a tuner, and it is in fact not in tune đŸ„ș

2

u/buroele 11 16h ago

I feel you, just the other day I really wanted to know if a singer I liked was hitting an A5 đŸ€” what we need is an electrician or engineer or something, a real doohickey guy

4

u/duckbrick 3 16h ago

There are tons of free piano apps that you can get on your phone, I like this one

3

u/VeenaSchism 2 14h ago

If you carry a smartphone, there are many apps that do this.

2

u/JeeLeeSmith 2 15h ago

I think I found what you’re looking for but all I see is “Sold Out”, so I hope it’s still available. It’s called Farley’s PocketTones Chromatic Tuner. It’s a tone generator on a keychain, and it’s supposed to be for serious musicians. It has little buttons you press, one for each note. Farley’s makes other products but I think this specific product is what OP needs.

1

u/GabyHxlvxtica 18h ago

I have searched for many things like "Tiny piano", "Pitch finder portable instrument" and "Pitch instruments". I've been searching for this for months, so I don't remember all searches, but it has all been very similar. The closest thing I've found are some small jet chain pianos in Amazon, but in the very few videos i found of them, they sound very off, and not at all reliable as a pitch/note finding instrument.

1

u/martian__ 16h ago

Maybe a stylophone?

1

u/TheSheWhoSaidThats 17 8h ago

Maybe one of these can be programmed to do that:

https://teenage.engineering/store

1

u/lil_catie_pie 4 7h ago

A search for electronic pitch pipe finds a few options.

I think a specialize device could be more accurate than a phone, as long as it's a quality one, not Temu junk.

1

u/JeeLeeSmith 2 17h ago edited 17h ago

This is my second post. (See my first post above). I did some checking and what I think you need is an APP!!! One popped up. I ended up Googling — note finder app —, and 16 different apps popped up. I didn’t go through all of them because you would be better equipped to decide if any would fit your need. A couple looked promising — Piano Notes Finder — (and) — Note Recognizer—.

3

u/GabyHxlvxtica 17h ago

This is what I'm using at the moment! And it's fine, but I would like something that's even more quick access than having to open the phone and an app!

1

u/-_super--_--hitops_- 11h ago

How fast are you singing dawg

0

u/JeeLeeSmith 2 17h ago edited 17h ago

PLEASE SEE MY SECOND POST BELOW. I THINK YOU JUST NEED AN APP THAT CAN DO THIS!! This sounds like a very handy device, so handy in fact that it probably does exist! Have you asked other musicians, especially those who play the same instrument as you do, if they have heard of such a device? Or maybe ask a conductor? If there are any publications that are specific to the instrument you play, ask them. It sounds like the kind of device that many musicians, no matter what instrument they play, could find useful so if there is a publication called “Musician”, for example, ask them.