Zoom & Navigation
Master the zoom and navigation features to move efficiently through your score and focus on the passages that matter most.
Quick Reference
Zoom
- Pinch — Zoom in/out
- Tap % — Reset to 100%
- Range — 50% to 200%
Navigation
- Tap score — Jump to position
- Arrows — Previous/Next
- Reset — Back to start
1 Zoom Controls
Zoom helps you see more context or focus on detail. Crescendo supports zoom from 50% (see the whole page) to 200% (see notes up close).
Pinch to Zoom
Place two fingers on the screen and spread them apart to zoom in, or pinch them together to zoom out. A floating indicator shows your current zoom level as you adjust.
Reset to 100%
Tap the zoom percentage in the control bar to instantly return to 100%. The percentage appears underlined when you're not at the default, indicating it's tappable.
Zoom Persists Globally
Your zoom level is remembered across all pieces. When you open a new piece, it uses your last zoom setting. This is intentional—most users have a preferred viewing size they use consistently.
2 Choosing Your Zoom Level
Different zoom levels suit different practice scenarios:
| Zoom | Best For |
|---|---|
| 50-75% | Overview — see full page, plan your practice, identify sections |
| 100% | Default — balanced view for most practice |
| 125-150% | Detail work — complex passages, reading accidentals, fingering |
| 175-200% | Accessibility — easier reading for those who need larger notation |
Practice tip: Start a new piece at lower zoom (75-100%) to understand its structure, then zoom in for detailed work on difficult passages.
3 Tap Navigation
Tap anywhere on the score to instantly move the cursor to that position. This is faster than using the arrow buttons for large jumps.
How It Works
Tap on a note, rest, or anywhere in a measure. The cursor jumps to the nearest playable position. The app finds the closest staff entry to your tap point.
Use Cases
- Jump to a specific measure to start practicing
- Skip ahead to check how a phrase resolves
- Return to a trouble spot without scrolling
- Set loop points by tapping exact positions
Always enabled: Tap navigation works in both practice mode and when paused. You can reposition the cursor anytime.
4 Scroll Modes
Crescendo offers two scroll modes, each suited to different practice styles:
Vertical Mode (Default)
The score displays as a traditional multi-line layout, like printed sheet music. You scroll up and down to navigate.
Best for: Reading in portrait orientation, studying structure, pieces with many systems.
Horizontal Mode
The score renders as a single continuous line that scrolls left-to-right. During practice, the cursor stays visible and the music flows past it like a teleprompter.
Best for: Sight-reading practice, continuous playthrough, keeping eyes on the cursor.
Toggle between modes using the scroll mode button in the control bar. The score reloads when you switch, so your cursor returns to the beginning.
Long pieces: Horizontal mode works best for pieces under 200 measures. Very long pieces may scroll slowly in horizontal mode due to rendering a single extended line.
5 Effective Practice Workflows
Combine zoom, navigation, and loops for targeted practice:
Learning a new piece
- Start at 75% zoom in vertical mode to see the whole structure
- Tap through the piece to identify difficult passages
- Zoom to 125-150% and set a loop around a challenging section
- Practice the loop until comfortable, then move to the next section
Sight-reading practice
- Switch to horizontal mode for continuous flow
- Set zoom to 100% (large enough to read, small enough to see ahead)
- Let the auto-scroll keep the cursor visible
- Focus on keeping up with the music as it scrolls
Polishing a performance piece
- Use vertical mode at 100% to simulate reading from printed music
- Tap to specific measures when you want to restart a section
- No loop—practice running through transitions between sections
- Zoom out occasionally to see the bigger phrase structure
Working on fingering
- Zoom to 150-200% for clear note visibility
- Enter fingering mode and tap through notes to add annotations
- Vertical mode works better since you're not playing continuously
- Return to 100% when you're ready to practice with fingerings
See Fingering Annotations for the full guide.
Troubleshooting
Pinch gesture isn't working
Make sure you're placing two fingers on the score area, not the control bar. The pinch gesture only works on the sheet music itself.
If pinch still doesn't respond, try closing and reopening the piece. In rare cases, the gesture recognizer may need a fresh start.
Tapping the score doesn't move the cursor
If you're in fingering edit mode, taps select notes for annotation rather than moving the cursor. Exit fingering mode (tap "Done") to restore normal tap navigation.
Also ensure you're tapping on a staff area. Tapping empty space between staves or in margins may not register.
Horizontal mode is scrolling slowly
Horizontal mode renders the entire score as one continuous line. For very long pieces (200+ measures), this can strain performance.
Try vertical mode for long pieces, or use loops to practice sections rather than playing through the entire piece in horizontal mode.
Score looks blurry after zooming
Crescendo re-renders the score when you zoom, so it should remain crisp. If the display looks blurry, try tapping the zoom percentage to reset to 100%, then zoom again. This forces a fresh render.
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Still Need Help?
If you're having trouble with zoom, navigation, or scroll modes, let us know and we'll help you get set up.
Response time: 2-3 business days