Play on Sight

How it works

Pick a demo score or import your own, allow access to your audio input, and play the highlighted note on your instrument.
Pitch detection listens in real time. When you play the right note it validates, and the cursor moves to the next one. The score loops endlessly, so reaching the last note simply brings you back to the beginning.
Click any note on the staff to jump straight to it, for example to drill a passage you keep missing.

Why sight-reading matters

Most guitarists learn from tabs, chord charts and ear, and never build the reflex of turning written notation into sound. Sight-reading closes that gap: it connects the note on the page, its position on the neck, and the sound you produce, all at the same time.
It pays off quickly. Reading opens up the huge catalogue of music written for other instruments, makes lessons and rehearsals far smoother, and pushes you to think in pitch and rhythm rather than in shapes and patterns.
Short daily sessions beat rare long ones. Ten minutes a day is enough to see real progress within a few weeks.

Guitar octave transposition

The guitar is a transposing instrument: it sounds one octave lower than it is written. A note printed in the middle of the treble staff is actually produced an octave below on the instrument.
Play on Sight handles this for you. It compares the pitch it hears with the written pitch shifted down one octave, so you simply play what you read, in the position that feels natural.
If you play the right note name in the wrong octave, an octave hint appears with an arrow telling you to play higher or lower. It is the fastest way to find the intended position on the neck instead of guessing.

Playing with the metronome

A metronome is built into the page. Turn it on with the toggle and adjust the tempo in steps of 5 BPM.
The starting tempo comes from the score itself, falling back to 90 BPM when the file does not specify one. The time signature is read from the score too, and the accent falls on beat 1 so you always know where the bar starts.
Use it as a progress ladder: set a tempo where you never stumble, loop the piece a few times, then add 5 BPM. Reading in time is a different skill from reading the right notes, and the click is what trains it.

Tips

Start slower than feels necessary. Reading accuracy at a low tempo transfers to higher speeds later; the opposite is not true.
Let the score loop. Repetition is what turns a note on the page into an automatic hand movement.
Play cleanly so the detector can follow you: one note at a time, no ringing open strings, and mute the previous string as you move on. Fretting just behind the fret gives a stable pitch that validates faster.
Import your own MusicXML files to work on real repertoire. Most notation software, MuseScore included, exports MusicXML.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need a microphone to use Play on Sight?
Yes. Play on Sight listens to what you actually play, so it needs a microphone or audio interface. The built-in microphone of a laptop or phone is enough for an acoustic guitar or a loud electric. If you plug in through an audio interface, select it in the audio settings for a cleaner signal and faster validation. Nothing is recorded or uploaded: the audio is analysed in your browser.

What score formats can I import?
MusicXML files, the standard exchange format for sheet music, exported by MuseScore, Sibelius, Finale, Dorico and most notation software. Two demo scores are included, Ode to Joy and Frère Jacques, so you can try the tool before importing anything of your own.

Why is my note not validating?
There are three usual reasons. The octave: you may be playing the right note name in the wrong octave, and the octave hint arrow tells you which way to go. The tuning: check your instrument with the tuner first, because a note that is noticeably flat or sharp will not be recognised. The cleanliness: overlapping strings, fret buzz or a note that dies too fast make the pitch unstable. Validation needs several consecutive frames of correct pitch, so the note has to ring clearly for a moment.

Does it work with instruments other than guitar?
Pitch detection works with any monophonic instrument, so a bass, a ukulele or even a sung line will move the cursor. The score is read with the guitar transposition, one octave below the notation, so an instrument playing at concert pitch will find the notes an octave off. Guitar is the case Play on Sight is designed and tuned for.

Is it free? Do I need an account?
Play on Sight is free and requires no account. Open the page, allow access to your audio input, and start playing. An account is only useful for features that save your progress across devices; sight-reading practice here works fully without one.