Frequently asked questions

Getting started

Where should I start?

With Lessons, in order. The path starts at a single note, explains one idea at a time, and gives you a short piece to read with each one. If you already read a bit, take the placement test on a locked grade and skip ahead to where you are.

What’s the difference between Lessons and Exam practice?

Lessons teaches you to read, one idea at a time, from your first note to Grade 8. Exam practice rehearses the test itself: graded levels written to ABRSM’s sight-reading requirements. If you aren’t sitting an exam soon, follow Lessons.

Free vs Pro

What’s free?

• All scales and notes practice, unlimited
• All of Foundation and Initial in Lessons, plus the first unit of Grade 1
• The first 5 levels of every grade from Initial through Grade 5
• A 54-piece library taster (Schäfer & Schytte)
• Virtual piano (no MIDI keyboard needed)
• Five rated sight-reading exercises a day, plus three more at any level you choose, from up to ten new exercises a day

What does Pro add?

• All 9 grades fully unlocked (Initial + Grades 1–8)
• The full 3,700+ piece library
• Daily Practice: a curated 5-piece session each day
• A downloadable certificate for every grade you finish
• Upload your own MusicXML pieces
• Unlimited generated exercises, aimed at whatever you want to work on (chords, dotted rhythms, the left hand), and keep as many as you like

Pricing?

See the pricing page for prices in your currency. Pro is a monthly or annual subscription.

Grade coverage

Which exam board?

The grade ladder follows ABRSM’s sight-reading requirements: key signatures, time signatures, hand position and length all match the published syllabus parameters. Initial through Grade 8 are all available.

Are these the real exam pieces?

No. Sight-reading exams use unseen, single-use material on the day. SightReader’s grade pieces are a combination of newly composed pieces and original, procedurally-generated exercises aligned to the same parameters as the syllabus: keys, time signatures, length, hand position and articulation. Practising them builds the same reading skills.

How many pieces per grade?

Initial Grade ships 20 pieces (4 sections of 5). Grades 1–8 ship 40 pieces each (4 sections of 10). Total: ~340 graded exercises.

Will you add other exam boards?

Not yet: Exam practice follows ABRSM. If you teach to Trinity, RCM, AMEB or another syllabus and would like it covered, email [email protected].

How do I prepare for a grade exam?

Our grade-by-grade guide covers Initial to Grade 8: what examiners expect at each level, across ABRSM, Trinity, LCM, RCM, MTAC and AMEB, and how to practise for it. Read the grade-by-grade guide

Levelling and XP

How does the levelling system work?

Every piece you play earns XP, and harder pieces and better star ratings earn more. As your XP builds you climb 8 tiers, from Novice to Legend. It makes practice feel a bit more like a game, which makes it easier to keep coming back.

Tiers

Practice and results

Will I actually get better?

Yes. Research shows sight reading improves with practice, and five minutes a day is enough for steady progress. What matters is reading music you haven’t seen before, little and often. That’s what the daily session gives you.

Where can I use SightReader?

Anywhere you can use a web browser: Mac, Windows, laptop or tablet, with nothing to install. There are iOS and Android apps too, with the same library, grades and uploads. On iPhone and iPad the app is the only way to use a MIDI keyboard, because no iOS browser supports Web MIDI.

Rhythm and timing

Does SightReader check if I’m playing in time?

Yes. Turn on the metronome and every note is scored against the beat as well as the pitch: early notes shade blue, late notes shade yellow, and your results card shows how much of the piece you played on time. It works on every piece, free tier included.

What’s the difference between Pitch Only and Pitch & Rhythm mode?

Pitch Only checks which notes you play and waits for you, so you can take your time over each one. Pitch & Rhythm also checks when you play them: the music moves at the beat, with or without you. The metronome is what switches you between the two.

How do I turn on rhythm scoring?

Turn on the metronome. That’s the whole switch. You get a count-in of at least four clicks, then the piece moves at the beat and each note is scored for timing. The mode tag above the score shows which mode you’re in, and you can tap it to switch back whenever you like.

What does the rhythm score mean?

It breaks your attempt into on time, early and late, with your average tendency in milliseconds (“94ms early”, say). The lean is the useful part. Early usually means you’re rushing the click, and late usually means you’re stopping to read before each note. We’re still adjusting how forgiving the windows are.

Can I practise without the metronome?

Of course. That’s Pitch Only mode, and it’s the right place to start. The score waits while you find each note, and plenty of players stay there for good reasons: new clefs, tricky keys, unfamiliar territory. The metronome is there when you want it, not a requirement.

Cancellation

How do I cancel?

Open your account page, click Manage subscription. You’ll land in the Stripe customer portal. Click “Cancel plan” and confirm. Cancelling takes effect at the end of the current billing period: you keep Pro until then, and you won’t be charged again.

Bought Pro in the iOS or Android app? Cancel it in your App Store or Google Play subscriptions instead. We can’t cancel an in-app purchase from our side.

Can I pause instead of cancelling?

Not at the moment. Cancelling stops future charges, and you can resubscribe whenever you’re ready. Your progress, sessions and grade certificates are kept either way.

What happens to my data after cancelling?

Your account, progress, and history stay intact. You move to the free tier, which locks Lessons after the first unit of Grade 1, grade levels after the first five in Initial to Grade 5, all of Grades 6–8, and the library beyond its 54 free pieces. Email [email protected] if you’d like full account deletion (your rights are detailed in the privacy policy).

Refunds

Refund policy

If you’re within 14 days of a Pro purchase and feel SightReader isn’t working for you, email [email protected] from the address on your account and we’ll refund you in full. No forms, and no questions about why.

Outside the 14-day window?

We don’t offer routine refunds after 14 days, but if something has gone wrong (a billing error, say, or a long outage), write in anyway and we’ll work it out.

UK / EU statutory rights

Nothing in our refund practice limits your statutory rights under UK or EU consumer protection law. The “right to change your mind” period for digital content begins when the subscription starts. By completing checkout you’re consenting to immediate access.

Why does the app cost more than the website?

Buying Pro inside the iOS or Android app costs a little more than buying it on the website. Apple and Google take a cut of every in-app purchase, and the app store price covers it. If you’d rather pay the lower price, subscribe on the website and sign in to the app with the same account. You get the same Pro either way.

Whichever way you buy, you manage and cancel the subscription where you bought it: in your App Store or Google Play settings for an in-app purchase, or from your account page for a website subscription.

MIDI

Do I need a MIDI keyboard?

No. You can practise through your device’s microphone , which listens to whatever piano you have, or with the on-screen virtual piano. A real MIDI keyboard is still recommended: it marks every note exactly, it is what Pitch & Rhythm mode needs, and the gesture you’re training is “see the note, find the key without looking”, which is hard to build with mouse clicks.

Which keyboards work?

Almost any digital piano or keyboard with a USB port, and most with Bluetooth MIDI. The keyboard setup guide walks you through it step by step, in the browser or the app, with tips for Yamaha, Roland, Casio, Kawai, Korg and Nord.

Your data

Do you share my practice data?

No. Practice sessions, accuracy, and progress are private to your account. Aggregate usage informs product decisions, but individual data isn’t shared or sold. Full processor list in the privacy policy.

Can I export everything?

Yes. Email [email protected] and we’ll send you a copy of all your account data within 30 days (your right of access under UK GDPR).

Getting in touch

Response times

Email [email protected]. We aim to reply within three working days (UK time), often sooner. If something’s urgent (payment, account access, lost progress), put “urgent” in the subject line and we’ll prioritise it.