Overview#
NoteRider is an app for learning to read musical notes, practising sight-reading and reviewing music theory (solfège).
Its philosophy rests on two complementary qualities: accuracy and regularity. Playing the right note is essential, but linking notes at a steady tempo matters just as much. The app works on both aspects at once.
Regularity is measured against your own pace, not an imposed speed. At the start of each series, the app detects your pace over the first notes, then uses it as a reference to assess how steady the rest of your playing is. You progress at your own level: aim for accuracy first, then for playing that is increasingly smooth and steady.
The app is designed to help you:
- learn to read notes on the staff
- gain accuracy and regularity in reading
- review music theory
- progress chapter after chapter
Quick start#
To get started quickly:
- Open the list of chapters
- Select a chapter, then a phase
- Start an exercise
- Play the notes as they arrive
The first chapters start from the basics. It is best to follow the suggested order, as each phase adds new notes to the previous ones.
Learning path#
The content is organised into three levels.
Chapters#
Each chapter groups a set of concepts around a clef or a difficulty.
An introduction explains what the chapter will cover.
Phases#
A phase is a learning step within a chapter.
Each phase introduces new notes while reusing those already seen, to build up reading progressively.
Exercises#
An exercise is a series of notes to read and play.
At the end of the exercise, a summary presents your results.
Theory and tutorials#
Before playing, a theory page may be shown to introduce the useful concepts: a new note, a new clef, a music theory idea, and so on.
These reminders appear at the start of a phase and before certain exercises.
Theory is illustrated with examples in musical notation, which you can listen to using a play button. Note names follow the notation system chosen in the settings.
Once you have read through the theory, tap "START" to begin the exercise.
The note-reading game#
How it works#
Notes scroll from right to left toward a marker.
You must play each note when it reaches this marker. The next note then moves forward in turn.
This approach, close to a rhythm game, lets you read continuously rather than note by note.
Screen orientation#
For greater comfort while playing, you can play in landscape mode: just turn your device.
Error feedback#
If you play a wrong note, visual feedback signals the error: the incorrect note is highlighted in red on the staff.
If you make several mistakes on the same note, the name of the expected note is then shown below the staff to help you.
Real-time statistics#
During the exercise, a few indicators are shown:
- your progress in the series (notes played out of the total)
- your playing tempo, compared with a reference tempo
- the score
These indicators help you gauge your reading during the exercise. A more complete summary is shown at the end of the exercise.
Metronome#
An optional metronome can help you play steadily.
It is disabled by default and can be enabled in the general settings.
Once enabled, it beats a tempo based on your own reading pace, measured over the first notes of the series.
The metronome is mostly useful for working on regularity once the notes are already known. When discovering new notes, hesitation is normal: in that case, you can leave it disabled.
Playing the notes#
Choosing the input mode#
Several input modes let you play the notes. A selector, marked "Source", lets you switch between them during play. Your choice is remembered for next time.
Virtual piano#
The on-screen piano keyboard lets you play the requested notes.
The keys can show note names to make them easier to find at first.
To stay readable, the keyboard shows only a limited number of keys, sized to your screen. This is not a problem: only the note played matters, regardless of octave. The same notes repeat from one octave to the next, and playing the right note on the keys shown is always accepted, even when the note to read is in a different octave on the staff.
The keys matching the notes of the current sequence can be highlighted in blue, so you can spot at a glance the ones you will need to play. This cue is enabled with the "Show allowed notes" option.
On a computer, you can also play directly with the device keyboard. By default, one row of keys reproduces the natural notes and the row above the accidentals, like on a real keyboard.
The keyboard behaviour is set in the input settings:
- enable or disable keyboard shortcuts;
- show, on the on-screen piano keys, the matching keyboard letter;
- customise the mapping between keys and notes, with the option to return to the default configuration.
MIDI keyboard or piano#
You can connect a MIDI-compatible keyboard or digital piano and play directly on your instrument. The app validates the notes you play in real time.
Wired connection#
Connect the instrument over USB. Most digital pianos have a USB port made for this. If yours only has traditional MIDI ports (round 5-pin sockets), a MIDI-to-USB adapter is required. Once connected, the instrument appears in the list and you simply select it to connect.
Bluetooth connection#
Your instrument must support wireless MIDI. Tap the Bluetooth button and allow access if the app asks for it. After pairing, the instrument appears in the list, ready to connect.
MIDI mode is ideal for working on reading while practising your instrument: you read the staff on screen and play on your own keyboard.
Microphone#
With the microphone, you can play an acoustic instrument: the app listens and recognises the note played. This mode works note by note: play a clear, sustained note, then leave a short silence before playing the next one.
Two recognition modes are available:
- in automatic mode, the note is validated as soon as it is recognised steadily;
- in manual mode, the recognised note is shown and you validate it yourself with the dedicated button, which is handy in a slightly noisy environment.
Two settings let you fine-tune recognition:
- the microphone sensitivity, to match the volume of your instrument;
- the tolerance, expressed in semitones (exact or more lenient), which sets how in-tune the played note must be to be accepted.
Microphone access must be granted.
Note grid#
This is an alternative to the piano, handy on a touch screen: you choose the note by its name, without having to locate it on a keyboard. Natural notes and, when the exercise contains them, accidentals (sharps and flats) are shown in separate grids.
The names shown follow the notation system chosen in the settings.
Note naming system#
Note names can be shown using different conventions, for example Do Re Mi or C D E, depending on your reading habits.
This setting applies throughout the app: on the piano, in hints and in summaries.
Clefs#
The clef, placed at the start of the staff, sets the pitch of the notes: it indicates which note each line corresponds to. The same position on the staff is therefore read differently depending on the clef.
The app covers the three clef families:
- the treble (G) clef, the most common, for high notes (singing, right hand on the piano);
- the bass (F) clef, for low notes (bass, left hand on the piano);
- the C clefs, for middle registers, on different lines: 1st line (soprano), 2nd line (mezzo-soprano), 3rd line (alto) and 4th line (tenor).
The learning path introduces the clefs progressively, with generally one chapter devoted to each. Some exercises also change clef mid-series to train you to switch from one to another.
Key signatures and accidentals#
A key signature indicates the sharps or flats to apply throughout the exercise.
The affected notes are altered automatically. For example, with a sharp in the key signature, an F becomes F sharp.
Hints take the key signature into account and show the note with its accidental.
Statistics#
From the home screen, the "Statistics" page brings together your progress across your whole practice.
Progress by note#
Your results are grouped by note and by clef. By comparing your last practice session with the previous one, an arrow shows how each note is evolving: improving, stable or declining.
This lets you see at a glance which notes are improving and which still need work.
Scores by chapter#
A second view presents your scores, exercise by exercise and grouped by chapter, to follow your progress along the path.
Exercise summary#
At the end of an exercise, a summary sums up your performance according to the two qualities you work on:
- accuracy: the percentage of notes played correctly, with the number of correct notes and errors;
- regularity: how steady your tempo is compared with your reference tempo, along with a short comment.
A medal rewards perfection:
- an accuracy medal when every note is played correctly (100%);
- a regularity medal when your playing is perfectly steady (100%).
Both medals can be earned on the same exercise.
The summary also gives access to the detailed statistics of the exercise, which highlight in particular the notes that gave you the most trouble: you can quickly see what still needs consolidating.
From the summary, you can replay the exercise or continue your progress.
Settings#
Note naming system#
Choose the note-naming convention that suits you.
Validation sound#
A sound can play when a correct note is played. It can be enabled or disabled.
Metronome#
The metronome can be enabled or disabled. It is disabled by default.
Troubleshooting#
I can't hear any sound#
First check:
- that the device volume is on
- that the validation sound is not disabled in the settings
- that the app is not in silent mode
I can't hear the metronome#
Check:
- that the metronome is enabled in the general settings
- that you have played enough notes for the tempo to be established
The metronome only starts after a few notes, the time needed to measure your reading pace.
My MIDI device is not detected#
Check:
- that the device is turned on
- that the cable or adapter is properly connected
- that MIDI mode is selected in the "Source" selector
- that Bluetooth permissions are granted, for a wireless connection
- that the device is compatible with your platform
I find the reading too difficult#
This is often a sign that a new note has just been introduced.
Try to:
- go back to the previous phase to consolidate
- slow down and aim for accuracy before speed
- aim for 100% in accuracy and regularity before moving to the next exercise
- show the note names on the piano
Tips#
To make effective progress:
- follow the chapters in order
- favour accuracy over speed
- practise regularly, in short sessions
- enable the metronome to work on regularity once the notes are known
- check the per-note detail to target what still needs work
Contact#
For any question, you can contact support@urionsoft.com.