How it works
Musaica is a free online sheet music reader, and its intonation trainer uses the score you uploaded as the reference. Open a passage on the practice page, start listening, and play along. Musaica follows your position in the music, detects the pitch you are producing through the microphone, and compares it with the written note in cents (hundredths of a semitone).
- Tuner gauge — shows live whether you are sharp or flat, with a plain-language verdict: "In tune", "Flat — raise 12¢", "Sharp — lower 8¢" or "Wrong note".
- Pitch trace — draws your pitch over the last few seconds against the target notes, so you can see slides, wobbles and late arrivals.
- Session report — at the end, a summary of how each note went, so you know exactly which ones to work on.
It allows a little timing grace: a note that arrives slightly late is still judged against the right target, so you are graded on pitch rather than rhythm.
Who it is for
Any instrument where you place the pitch yourself: violin, viola, cello and double bass; voice; flute, clarinet, saxophone and brass; and fretless instruments such as the oud, ney and duduk. It listens to one note at a time, so it is designed for single-line playing rather than chords.
Getting accurate readings
- Use a quiet room and keep the microphone 30–100 cm from the instrument.
- Use headphones for the playback so the microphone hears only you.
- Allow microphone access when the browser asks; nothing is recorded or uploaded — pitch detection runs in your browser.
- Start slowly: loop a few bars at 50–70% speed before trying full tempo.
The reference is standard equal temperament (12 notes per octave). Expressive intonation — a leading tone pushed high, or the quarter-tones of maqam music — will show as "off", so read the numbers with your musical judgement.
Frequently asked questions
How is this different from a tuner?
A tuner measures you against the nearest note. Musaica measures you against the note written in your score at that moment, and tells you when you played the wrong note entirely.
Is my playing recorded?
Pitch detection runs in your browser; your audio is not uploaded. The session summary is saved to your practice part so you can track progress.
Does it work with chords?
No. It follows a single melodic line, which suits strings, winds, voice and fretless instruments.
Can I use it for maqam music?
You can, but the reference is 12-tone equal temperament, so intended quarter-tones will be flagged as out of tune. Use it for the standard-pitch notes and your ear for the rest.