Help & FAQ
A few answers to help you settle in, connect your piano, or bring a small passage of your own.
Getting started
Who is it for?
Adult beginners and returning players who want a little structure between lessons.
What does it cost?
Free for now.
What is saved when I sign in?
Guests can save an individual ear training, free sight reading or rhythm round with Save this result. Sign in first to save progress from other activities.
Other guest history lasts for this visit. Imported music is never saved to your account.
How can I ask for help or share an idea?
Use Share feedback to send the maker a private message. Describe what happened and your device/browser. You can leave an optional email address for a reply about your feedback.
Playing & sound
How do I play?
Tap the on-screen keys, use your computer’s letter keys, or connect a digital piano by USB MIDI. Acoustic piano audio isn’t supported. Turn your phone sideways for more room.
Which browsers and devices can connect a MIDI piano?
Use desktop Chrome or Edge, or Chrome on Android, with a compatible USB data cable and adapter. Safari on Mac, iPhone and iPad does not support Web MIDI; Firefox may need extra permission setup.
Open Sound & piano to check support, then choose Connect piano. On-screen keys work without MIDI; timed Sight reading requires it.
Does Arpessa listen to my acoustic piano?
No. Arpessa does not use a microphone or assess acoustic piano audio. Note feedback comes from MIDI, the on-screen piano or computer keys. You can practice alongside an acoustic piano, but Arpessa will not hear or grade that playing.
What if I cannot hear the notes?
Turn up your device’s media volume, check your headphones or sound output, then tap Test sound or Play. Browsers may need a tap before audio can start.
For rhythm timing, wired headphones or speakers are more reliable than Bluetooth. Tap the screen’s Tap pad, press Space, or play a connected MIDI key.
Practice & progress
When does an exercise end? How do I move on?
Ear training ends after ten questions; free note practice after ten notes; rhythm after five patterns. A scale ends after one octave up and down (15 notes). The mixed session has ten reading, listening and rhythm exercises. Phrases and imported music end with the passage.
Choose another round or a next step on the results screen. All levels stay open; 80% is a suggestion to try something harder.
What do the Sight reading modes check?
Free practice: choose notes or phrases; checks notes only.
In Guided sight reading, choose At your own pace for note checks, or Timed · MIDI piano for notes and note-start timing after a count-in.
Neither assesses note length, fingering, pedal or dynamics. Imported music checks notes only and not rhythm.
Is this a course? Does it assess my technique?
No. Arpessa supports practice between lessons; it doesn’t replace a teacher. Warm-ups are self-reported logs. Arpessa does not assess posture, fingering or performance.
How does Scales work?
Choose a scale type, key and hand. Major, natural minor, harmonic minor and melodic minor are available in all 12 keys. Hear the example, then play one octave up and down. Results count first attempts.
Melodic minor raises the sixth and seventh notes going up and returns to natural minor going down. Checks notes only and not rhythm; fingering is suggested. Follow your teacher’s guidance.
Practice your own music
Open a MusicXML file and compare the selected passage with your score. Choose “Looks right—start” to play, or “Change passage” to choose different bars. During practice, use Listen, Restart or Show note whenever needed.
Choose “Try the sample” in Practice your own music to start immediately. No file or notation app is needed.
What is MusicXML? Can I use a PDF or photograph?
MusicXML stores the musical notation itself, including pitches, rhythms and staves. A PDF or photograph shows a page of notation; Arpessa cannot read the notes from that page yet.
Choose an uncompressed .musicxml or .xml file, up to 2 MB. Compressed .mxl, PDF, photos, audio and native notation-app files are not accepted. Renaming a file’s extension does not convert it.
Where can I get a file, or export one I already have?
Try the sample above, download a MusicXML edition, or export your score as uncompressed MusicXML from a notation app. In MuseScore Studio, use File → Export → MusicXML → Uncompressed.
Which files work?
Your score can be longer than four bars. Select one melodic line of up to four bars and 64 notes/rests to practice.
Uncompressed .musicxml or .xml, up to 2 MB. C, G or F major and relative minors; 2/4, 3/4 or 4/4.
Is my score uploaded or saved to my account?
No. Your score and results stay in this browser’s memory for this visit. They aren’t uploaded, saved to your account or sent to analytics.
Returning from Help keeps your passage. Opening it again from Studio starts fresh, as do removing the file, reloading or changing accounts. Keep your original file.