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Playing Notation

Hear your music played back with realistic instrument sounds.

Basic Playback​

Click the Play button (▶) to start playback. The button changes to Pause (⏸) while playing.

Playback Controls​

Play/Pause​

  • Click to start or pause playback
  • Keyboard shortcut: Space (when not in a text field)

Seek Slider​

The progress slider shows current position:

  • Drag to jump to any point in the music
  • Click anywhere on the slider to jump there
  • Works while playing or paused

Seek Before Play​

You can position the slider before pressing play:

  1. Drag the slider to where you want to start
  2. Press Play
  3. Playback begins from that position

Visual Feedback​

During playback, notes highlight in red as they play. This helps you:

  • Follow along with the music
  • Identify which note is currently sounding
  • Match what you hear to what you see

Sound Quality​

Noteshift uses high-quality instrument samples:

  • Acoustic instruments - FatBoy soundfont for realistic sounds
  • Synthesizers - Custom WebAudio synthesis

Tempo​

The playback tempo is set by the notation:

  • Defined in the ABC header (e.g., Q:1/4=120 means 120 BPM)
  • Currently cannot be adjusted during playback
  • To change tempo, edit the ABC code or request a different tempo from the AI

Tips​

  • Use playback to check if your music sounds as expected
  • The cursor tracking helps identify problem areas
  • If audio doesn't play, check your browser's audio permissions