# Practice tools

The reader's Practice tools — harmonic analysis, fingering, transpose, Focus Mode, metronome, tuner, on-screen piano — plus the Recording Studio.

> Type: How-to · Status: Beta · Platforms: iPadOS 17+ · Last reviewed: 2026-07-18

## Where the Practice tools live

Tap the wrench button in the reader's top bar (`Tool chest`). The side panel opens on its `Tools` tab, and the **Practice** section lists the tools in a fixed order:

`Analysis` · `Auto-fingering` · `Transpose` · `Focus Mode` · `Metronome` · `Tuner` · `Piano`

`Analysis`, `Auto-fingering` and `Focus Mode` navigate to their own panel; `Transpose`, `Metronome` and `Tuner` unfold in place; `Piano` docks a keyboard at the bottom of the screen.

Three of the tools read the notation itself, so they need a machine-readable score — MusicXML or MEI — not just a PDF image:

| Tool | Works on |
|---|---|
| `Analysis` | MusicXML / MEI only |
| `Auto-fingering` | MusicXML / MEI only |
| `Transpose` | MusicXML / MEI only |
| `Focus Mode`, `Metronome`, `Tuner`, `Piano` | Any score, including plain PDFs |

A gated tool isn't hidden. `Analysis` and `Auto-fingering` grey their row and show the hint `Convert or find a MusicXML/MEI score to use this.`; `Transpose` still unfolds when tapped, but shows `Convert or find a MusicXML/MEI score to transpose.` in place of its controls. For a PDF piece, one conversion unlocks all three: run `Create Smart Score` in the Trainer (see *Prepare a piece for Follow*), or `Convert to MusicXML` from the Edit menu.

## Analysis — harmonic functions on the score

`Analysis` opens the `Harmonic Functions` screen: the engraved score with Roman-numeral figures printed under the staff, computed from the piece's notation.

To analyse just the spot you're working on:

1. Tap `Passage`.
2. Set the measure range with the `From m.` and `to m.` steppers — or tap `Select on score` to leave the panel and drag a frame directly on the page.

Around the figures:

- **`Sequences`** highlights harmonic sequences as spans over the score.
- **`Highlight lyrics on the score`** marks the sung text on the engraved page. Translation inside the score isn't available yet — ask in the chat instead.

### Correcting a reading

The analysis has no single ground truth, so ambiguous chords stay editable:

- Tap any figure to correct it.
- A figure with alternative readings shows a `Two readings` strip: the current reading plus each alternative as a chip, with a short reason under each. Tap one to adopt it — that records a correction.
- `Share (N)` sends your accumulated corrections to the analysis service.

### `Talk` — argue with the analysis

`Talk` opens `Talk with our engine`, a chat about the current passage. Disagree, ask why a chord is read a certain way, or propose a different reading — the engine answers with proposed changes, and nothing on your score changes until you approve them. `Promote fix` submits an approved fix for review; only after the team reviews it does it change the engine for other users.

> **Limit** — Analysis runs on the Page Turner service, so it needs an internet connection. Offline, the panel can't load or update figures.

## Auto-fingering

`Auto-fingering` computes piano fingerings for a chosen span and engraves the numbers on the score. The panel has two decisions: your hand, and the range.

### Your hand

Without calibration the generator uses a default hand preset — the panel says `Using default preset (M) — calibrate for a personalised fit.` To calibrate, pick one of the two paths in the hand section:

- **`Pick by interval — at the piano (recommended)`** — sit at your instrument, put your thumb on a key and pick the widest interval you can reach. Deterministic and instant.
- **`Scan with camera (approximate)`** — a camera estimate of your hand. The app itself marks this one approximate; a camera can't measure your hand as reliably as the keyboard test.

### Range and generation

1. Under `Range to compute`, pick a scope — the selected row carries a green check:
   - `Measure range` — set `Start at measure` and `End at measure` with the arrows, or tap the number to type it.
   - `Whole page` — the page currently on screen.
   - `Select a passage` — frame the passage by dragging a box on the score.
2. Tap `Generate fingerings`. For `Select a passage`, the box-drawing starts now; the job runs once the frame is set.
3. The result lands in the `Generated fingerings` list and the numbers appear on the page.

> **Limit** — The fingering algorithm's cost grows exponentially with the length of the span. A tighter range returns noticeably faster; the whole piece is always allowed, just slow.

### `Revise` — steer the next attempt

Every generated layer in `Generated fingerings` has a `Revise` button. It re-enters passage selection so you can re-frame the spot, and opens a revision box:

1. In `Describe what should change`, type what the next attempt should do differently — or dictate it with the microphone button.
2. Tap `Re-generate with this advice`. The generator reruns with your instruction and lands a fresh layer.

### `Scan ink` — keep your handwritten fingerings

If you've already written fingerings on the page with the Apple Pencil, you don't have to retype them. In the annotation widget's fingering strip, tap `Scan ink`, then draw a blue box around your handwritten digits — recognized numbers are engraved as real fingerings on the score.

## Transpose

1. Tap the `Transpose` row — it unfolds in place.
2. Set the shift with the `−` / `+` buttons or the slider, from −12 to +12 semitones. The interval name is shown under the number.
3. Tap `Apply transpose`.

The transposed copy is saved as a **new version** of the piece — the original stays untouched. Switch between them in Properties → Versions.

> **Note** — On a PDF-only piece the row unfolds to `Convert or find a MusicXML/MEI score to transpose.` instead of the shift controls. Convert the piece first — `Convert to MusicXML` in the Edit menu — then transpose.

## Focus Mode

Focus Mode locks the reader onto one passage: everything else on the page goes blank, and page turns, edge taps and jumps are disabled until you deliberately unlock. Use it to drill a spot without drifting.

1. Tap `Focus Mode` in the Practice section.
2. Under `FOCUS ON`, keep `Quick focus session` — or pick a step from one of your practice packages.
3. Tap `Select passage` and drag a box around the passage to keep.
4. Under `LOCK FOR`, pick `10 min`, `20 min`, `45 min`, `Until I stop`, or `Custom time`.
5. Optionally turn on `Block social apps` (see below).
6. Tap `Lock this view`.

While locked:

- The `Passage scale` slider (1×–3×) enlarges the locked passage — score and frame grow together; there is no scrolling inside the frame.
- `Background` switches the blanked area between white and black.
- A countdown runs if you set a duration.

To end early, press and hold `Hold to unlock`. If the unlock confirmation is on, you get a last `Unlock` / `Stay locked` choice — unlocking ends the session and reveals the rest of the score.

### `Block social apps`

The toggle in the lock panel shields the apps you choose for as long as the passage is locked, using iOS Screen Time. Turning it on the first time asks for Screen Time access, then opens Apple's app picker; your selection is kept for next time, and the row reads `Ready — blocks while locked`. The block applies on this device only — each device blocks its own apps.

> **Limit** — Locking onto a passage is an iPad feature. On iPhone, Focus Mode offers the timer and app blocking, but no passage selection.

## Metronome

Tap `Metronome` to unfold it in place:

- **Tempo** — 40–240 `BPM`, set with the `−` / `+` buttons or the slider. A beat ring pulses on every click so the tempo is readable even muted.
- **`Sound`** — pick the click sound.
- **`Flash`** — a screen flash on the beat, for when you can't hear a click over your playing.
- **`Beats per bar`** — 1 to 12, with an `Accent first beat` toggle.
- A volume slider, and `Start` / `Stop`.

It keeps ticking while you read and turn pages, and the screen flash stays visible after you close the panel.

## Tuner

The tuner sets the **concert A** Page Turner uses as its pitch reference — it feeds Follow's calibration and Live Tracking, so if your instrument sits at 442, 438 or 432, set it here and the follower listens at that pitch.

1. Tap `Tuner` to unfold it.
2. Tap `Press to listen`, then play and hold your A. The microphone starts only when you tap this button — opening the tuner alone never turns it on, and closing the section stops it.
3. When the readout shows your pitch, the button becomes `Press to set A = … Hz` — tap it to commit that A as the reference.

No instrument at hand? Skip listening entirely: tap an A key on the small piano (or one of the preset chips) to audition and set a predefined A.

The panel can scope the reference two ways: pin the A to the piece you're playing now with `Save as Set Config for this piece` — once saved, the row reads `Set for this piece — A = … Hz` — or apply it everywhere with the global-tuner toggle.

> **Limit** — Auto-detection only accepts pitches that fold into an A between 380 and 470 Hz. Outside that band, no reading locks.

> **Note** — The same tuner opens from Settings via the `Reference pitch` row. If the panel says microphone access is denied, enable it in iOS Settings ▸ Privacy ▸ Microphone.

## Piano

`Piano` docks a playable keyboard along the bottom edge of the reader — the score above stays visible and scrollable. Drag the rail at its top edge to make the keyboard taller or shorter; the size sticks across sessions. It opens on two octaves starting at F3, with controls on the right for sound, sustain, the octave range, and closing the dock.

## Recording Studio

The studio records **takes** — real recordings of you playing the piece. Takes are worth making even if you never listen back: they are what the Trainer uses to calibrate Follow (see *Prepare a piece for Follow*).

Where it lives depends on the device:

- **iPad** — tap the headphones button in the reader's top bar (`Recordings`). It opens the piece's Properties on the `Studio` tab.
- **iPhone** — tap `Tool chest`, then in the `Tools` tab the `Piece` section has a `Studio` row that opens the same Properties `Studio` tab.

### Record a take

1. Tap the red circular button (`Start recording a take`).
2. The bar shows `RECORDING`, a timer, and a live level meter that reacts to your playing.
3. Pause and resume freely with the pause button — pausing freezes the mic without ending the take.
4. Tap `Finish` to save. `Take saved` confirms it, and the take appears under `My Takes`.

Two ways out of a bad take: the trash button discards it (after a `Discard this take?` confirmation — the audio captured so far is deleted), and the circular-arrow button is a one-tap retry: it discards **and** immediately starts a fresh take.

`My Takes` lists your saved recordings for the piece — play them back from there, or feed them to the Trainer's calibration step.