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Getting Started

Understanding the Score Display

Learn how to navigate the practice screen: cursor, zoom, scroll modes, tap navigation, and themes.

Quick Overview

  • Cursor - Shows your current position, auto-advances when you play correctly
  • Pinch - Zoom in/out (50% to 200%)
  • Tap anywhere - Jump cursor to that position
  • Scroll modes - Vertical (default) or horizontal layout
  • Themes - 5 options including high contrast for accessibility

1 The Cursor

The colored vertical line on the sheet music is your cursor. It shows which notes to play next.

How the cursor moves

  • Auto-advance - When you play the correct notes, the cursor moves forward automatically
  • Rests and ties - The cursor advances through rests and tied notes without waiting for input
  • Manual navigation - Use the arrow buttons in the control bar, or tap anywhere on the score to jump

Cursor color

The cursor color changes based on your theme for optimal visibility:

  • Light theme - Magenta cursor
  • Dark theme - Yellow cursor
  • Sepia theme - Blue cursor
  • High Contrast - Bright yellow cursor (maximum visibility)

2 Zoom

Adjust the score size to see more or fewer measures at once.

How to zoom

Pinch with two fingers on the score to zoom in or out. The zoom range is 50% to 200%.

Reset zoom

The zoom percentage displays in the bottom control bar. Tap the percentage (e.g., "125%") to reset to 100%.

Your zoom level is saved globally and applies to all pieces.

3 Scroll Modes

Choose how the sheet music is laid out on screen.

Vertical Mode (Default)

Traditional multi-line layout. The score wraps to multiple lines and you scroll up and down. Best for reading music the traditional way.

Horizontal Mode

Single continuous line that scrolls left to right. The score auto-scrolls to keep the cursor visible as you play. Good for sight-reading and keeping your eyes in one place.

How to switch

Two ways to change scroll mode:

  1. Control bar - Tap the scroll mode icon (grid/column icon) in the bottom control bar
  2. Settings - Go to Settings > Horizontal scroll and toggle on or off

4 Tap to Navigate

Tap anywhere on the sheet music to instantly jump the cursor to that position. This is useful for:

  • Starting from a specific measure
  • Skipping to a section you want to practice
  • Quickly navigating long pieces

Tap navigation is always enabled. No need to turn it on.

5 Themes

Customize the app's appearance to suit your environment and preferences.

Available themes

Theme Best for
Auto Follows your device's light/dark mode setting automatically
Light Bright environments, daytime use
Dark Evening practice, reducing eye strain
Sepia Warm, vintage appearance like aged paper
High Contrast Accessibility, maximum readability (WCAG AAA compliant)

How to change themes

  1. Open Settings
  2. Find the Appearance section
  3. Tap your preferred theme

The theme affects both the app interface and the sheet music display (cursor color, note color, background).

6 On-Screen Controls

The practice screen has a floating control bar at the bottom with all your practice tools.

Control bar features

  • Loop - Set A-B repeat points for section practice
  • Hand mode - Switch between Both, Right (R), or Left (L) hand practice
  • Bar display - Shows your current measure number
  • Zoom - Shows current zoom percentage (tap to reset)
  • Scroll mode - Toggle between vertical and horizontal layout
  • Navigation - Previous/next buttons and play/pause
  • Metronome - Toggle metronome on/off
  • Tempo - Adjust playback speed

Top corner buttons

  • Home - Return to library
  • Help - Quick reference for music symbols
  • Fingering - Edit fingering annotations
  • MIDI - Shows connection status, tap to manage devices

The controls auto-hide while you're playing to maximize screen space. Tap anywhere to show them again.

Troubleshooting

Score looks too small or too large

Use pinch-to-zoom to adjust. If you want to reset:

  1. Look at the bottom control bar
  2. Find the zoom percentage (e.g., "75%" or "150%")
  3. Tap it to reset to 100%
Cursor isn't advancing

Check that:

  • Your MIDI keyboard is connected (green indicator on MIDI button)
  • You're playing the correct notes shown under the cursor
  • If practicing hands separately, ensure you're playing the correct hand's notes

Try playing the exact pitches shown. The app checks both note names and octaves.

Horizontal mode isn't scrolling smoothly

Very long pieces (200+ measures) may affect scroll performance in horizontal mode. Try:

  • Switching to vertical mode for long pieces
  • Zooming out to reduce rendering complexity
  • Using loop mode to focus on smaller sections
Controls disappeared

The control bar automatically hides while you're playing to maximize screen space. Simply tap anywhere on the screen to show the controls again.

Theme looks different on the score

Each theme applies specific colors to the sheet music for optimal readability:

  • Light - Standard black notes on white
  • Dark - Light notes on dark background
  • Sepia - Brown notes on cream background
  • High Contrast - Pure white notes on black

The cursor color also changes per theme for best visibility.

Still Need Help?

Can't find what you're looking for? We're here to help.

support@crescendopiano.app

Response time: 2-3 business days

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