Help Center

Question 1

Do I need any prior music knowledge to start Gradus?

Accepted Answer

No. Lesson 1 assumes no prior knowledge — not even the ability to read music. You will learn to read notation as part of the curriculum. If you already read music, you will move through the early lessons quickly.

Question 2

How do I create an account?

Accepted Answer

Click Begin Your Journey in the navigation bar. You can sign up with an email and password or with your Google account. Choose your role (Student or Teacher) and, optionally, enter a teacher's class code if your teacher has given you one.

Question 3

How do I sign in to an existing account?

Accepted Answer

Click Log In in the navigation bar and enter your email and password, or sign in with the Google account you used when you registered.

Question 4

What is included with a Gradus account?

Accepted Answer

Your Gradus account gives you full access to everything — every lesson, every tool, every resource: the complete curriculum across all ten stages; composition tools including Rhythm Playground, Melody Builder, Echo Counterpoint, Beginner Sketchbook, Counterpoint Workshop with Mozart master examples, Master Sketchbook, and Critique by Maestro; practice tools including Ear Training, Sight Reading with historical Fétis exercises, Figured Bass with six historical collections, Chorale Harmonization, and Harmonic Standards; 458 score studies with over 14,500 commentary entries; the full Reference Library; and Maestro — context-aware composition coaching in every lesson and tool.

Question 5

Can I use Gradus on a mobile device?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Gradus is fully responsive and works in mobile browsers. The notation tools work best on larger screens, but all lesson content and Maestro chat are fully functional on phones and tablets.

Question 6

What is an overview of everything Gradus includes?

Accepted Answer

Gradus is a comprehensive music composition school. It includes a complete curriculum from single-voice melody through advanced harmony, fugue, and orchestration; composition tools (Rhythm Playground, Melody Builder, Echo Counterpoint, Beginner Sketchbook, Counterpoint Workshop with Mozart-Attwood master examples and a daily routine, Master Sketchbook, and Import Score); practice tools (Ear Training, Sight Reading with generated and historical Fétis exercises, Figured Bass with Vidal and five other historical collections, Chorale Harmonization with Bach-Schiorring chorales, and Harmonic Standards based on Boulanger); 458 score studies; the full Reference Library; and Maestro.

Question 7

How does lesson progress get recorded?

Accepted Answer

Gradus tracks which lessons you have visited and completed. When you finish a lesson, a checkmark appears next to it in the sidebar. Your last visited lesson is saved so the Lessons link in the nav bar takes you back to it automatically.

Question 8

Can I jump ahead to a later lesson?

Accepted Answer

Yes — you can navigate to any lesson from the sidebar. However, the curriculum is sequentially structured, and each lesson assumes mastery of the previous one. Jumping ahead without completing earlier lessons may make later content confusing.

Question 9

How do I use the lesson sidebar?

Accepted Answer

Inside any lesson, the sidebar panel on the left lists all lessons organized by stage (Stages I–X). Click any lesson title to navigate to it. On mobile, the sidebar collapses to a menu icon at the top of the lesson area.

Question 10

How do I navigate between lessons?

Accepted Answer

Inside any lesson, the sidebar panel on the left lists all lessons organized by stage. Click any lesson title to navigate directly to it. Completed lessons show a gold checkmark. On mobile, the sidebar collapses to a menu icon at the top of the lesson area.

Question 11

My progress was not saved. What happened?

Accepted Answer

Progress is saved to your account when you are signed in. If you completed a lesson while logged out, the progress will not be recorded. Make sure you are signed in before working through lessons.

Question 12

Are there different lesson versions for different ages?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Young learners (ages 6–10) see a dedicated curriculum across four stages covering rhythm, melody, instruments, chords, counterpoint, form, and dynamics. The standard version is designed for learners aged 11 and up with 40 steps across ten stages. Both curricula use real staff notation. Three dedicated young learner tools — Rhythm Playground, Melody Builder, and Echo Counterpoint — provide colorful, age-appropriate composition practice. Switch age modes from your account settings.

Question 13

What is the recommended pace for working through the curriculum?

Accepted Answer

There is no required pace — go as slowly or quickly as suits you. Many students find that completing one lesson per week, with daily practice using the composition tools and ear training exercises, gives a solid and enjoyable pace.

Question 14

Can I repeat a lesson I have already completed?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Navigate to any previously completed lesson from the sidebar at any time. Revisiting earlier lessons is a good way to reinforce concepts before moving to more advanced stages.

Question 15

What is the difference between the composition studios?

Accepted Answer

Rhythm Playground lets you place whole, half, and quarter notes on a real staff to build rhythms with color-coded durations. Melody Builder provides guided melody writing with step-by-step prompts, a rainbow piano, and phrase shape guidance. Echo Counterpoint is a two-staff consonance exercise where you write a second voice against a given melody, with color-coded feedback (green = perfect, blue = imperfect, red = dissonant). Beginner Sketchbook is a simple single-voice melody tool ideal for early lessons. Counterpoint Workshop is for species counterpoint practice against historical cantus firmi, with Mozart-Attwood master examples and automated rule-checking. Master Sketchbook is a multi-voice writing environment with up to four staves for Stages III through VI.

Question 16

Can I save my compositions?

Accepted Answer

Your compositions are saved automatically to your account as you work. Each studio maintains a saved state that is restored the next time you open it.

Question 17

The playback sounds wrong — notes are playing at the wrong pitch.

Accepted Answer

This can happen if the audio context has not been initialized. Click anywhere on the page first, then press Play again. If the issue persists, refresh the page and try once more.

Question 18

How does click-to-place note entry work?

Accepted Answer

All notation tools in Gradus use click-to-place entry: click directly on the staff at the pitch you want, and the note appears there. This works on both treble and bass staves. On touch devices, tap the staff to place notes. Each tool has a toolbar above the staff: Beginner Sketchbook has rhythm buttons and an erase toggle; Counterpoint Workshop adds accidental controls, tempo selector, and sound toggle; Master Sketchbook has full engraving controls including rhythm, accidentals, dynamics, articulations, clef, key, voice management, and MIDI input.

Question 19

How do I delete a note I placed incorrectly?

Accepted Answer

Select the Erase tool from the toolbar and click the note you want to remove. In the Master Sketchbook, you can also click a note to select it and then press Backspace or Delete on your keyboard.

Question 20

Can I change the key or time signature?

Accepted Answer

The Counterpoint Workshop uses the key selected by your current exercise. The Master Sketchbook allows key and time signature selection from the toolbar at the top of the score.

Question 21

The notation is not displaying correctly in my browser.

Accepted Answer

Gradus uses VexFlow for notation rendering. If staves appear blank or malformed, try refreshing the page. Make sure JavaScript is enabled. Chrome and Firefox have the best compatibility.

Question 22

Can I write for multiple instruments in the Master Sketchbook?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Each voice or staff in the Master Sketchbook can represent a different instrument. You can add up to four staves and label each one. Playback uses a different synthesizer sound per voice to help distinguish the parts.

Question 23

Can Maestro critique my compositions?

Accepted Answer

Yes. The Critique by Maestro feature (Compose → Critique by Maestro) gives you a structured 32-point evaluation of any composition. Upload a MusicXML file from MuseScore, Sibelius, Finale, or Dorico — or request a critique directly from the Master Sketchbook. A deterministic analyzer first scores your composition across 32 dimensions in eight families: Intent and Style, Melody, Rhythm, Harmony and Tonality, Voice Leading and Texture, Contrapuntal Craft, Unity and Variety, and Expression and Performance. Then Maestro writes a narrative critique identifying your three strongest areas, three areas to develop, and one concrete next step. Critique is always on-request — never automatic.

Question 24

How does Ear Training work?

Accepted Answer

The Ear Training tool plays two notes and asks you to identify the interval between them. Start with the easiest difficulty (Unisons and Octaves) and work up to harder levels as your recognition speed improves. Your session accuracy is tracked on screen.

Question 25

What are the Ear Training difficulty levels?

Accepted Answer

Level 1: Unisons, Octaves, Perfect Fifths. Level 2: All perfect and major intervals. Level 3: All diatonic intervals (major and minor). Level 4: All chromatic intervals including tritone and diminished/augmented.

Question 26

How does Sight Reading work?

Accepted Answer

A short musical excerpt appears on the staff. Your task is to study it silently — reading the rhythm, intervals, and phrase shape with your inner ear — and then press Play to check your mental performance against the actual audio.

Question 27

The audio in Ear Training is not playing.

Accepted Answer

Your browser may be blocking autoplay. Click anywhere on the page to initialize the audio context, then try pressing Play again. If the problem continues, check your browser's site permissions and ensure audio is not muted.

Question 28

How often should I practice Ear Training?

Accepted Answer

Short daily sessions (10–15 minutes) are more effective than long infrequent ones. The goal is to build automatic recognition — consistent daily practice is the fastest path there.

Question 29

What is the Figured Bass tool?

Accepted Answer

The Figured Bass tool lets you practice thoroughbass realization — reading figured bass symbols and constructing chords above a given bass line. It includes six historical collections: Vidal (178 graded exercises, default), Insanguine (16 exercises, easiest), Handel (exercises with beginner and advanced solutions), Kellner (48 graded exercises), Mozart (24 exercises from Mozart's thoroughbass teachings), and Ristori (advanced partimenti, most challenging). Collections with solutions include a Show Solution toggle.

Question 30

What is Chorale Harmonization?

Accepted Answer

The Chorale Harmonization tool presents soprano melodies from Bach-Schiorring chorales. Your task is to write the alto, tenor, and bass voices to create a four-part chorale setting. You can check your harmonization against Bach's own solution and listen to both versions. This develops voice-leading instincts and harmonic vocabulary.

Question 31

How do I enter notes in Figured Bass and Chorale Harmonization?

Accepted Answer

Both tools provide three ways to enter notes: click the staff directly at the pitch and beat you want; use the piano keyboard (C3–C6) above the staff by clicking a key to place a note at the selected beat; or click beat number handles above the treble staff to select a beat for editing. To edit a placed note, click it to select (highlights blue), then use arrow keys to move by step, Delete to remove it, or click a piano key to move it to that pitch. Accidentals are controlled by the sharp, flat, and natural buttons in the toolbar.

Question 32

What is the Harmonic Standards tool?

Accepted Answer

Harmonic Standards is based on Nadia Boulanger's approach to harmony, as codified by Philip Lasser. It has five views: Principles (the foundational axioms of tonal harmony), Doubling Table (interactive reference for which notes to double in every chord type), Exercises (graded harmony exercises mapped to curriculum steps), Practice (interactive voicing tool), and Sing and Play (Boulanger's method of playing three voices while singing the fourth, with MIDI keyboard support).

Question 33

What is the Historical (Fétis) mode in Sight Reading?

Accepted Answer

The Sight Reading tool has two modes: Generated (algorithmically created exercises) and Historical (Fétis). The Fétis mode uses 22 progressive solfege exercises from François-Joseph Fétis's Solfèges Progressifs, organized by interval focus (stepwise, thirds, fourths, fifths, sixths, sevenths, octaves, mixed).

Question 34

What is Keyboard Harmony?

Accepted Answer

Keyboard Harmony follows Nadia Boulanger's method of building harmonic fluency at the keyboard. Five progressive levels take you from basic chord voicing through figured bass realization, transposition, melody harmonization, and the ultimate Boulanger challenge: singing one voice while playing the other three. These exercises require a physical keyboard.

Question 35

What is Classical Improvisation?

Accepted Answer

The Improvisation page restores the classical tradition of real-time composition that Bach, Mozart, and Beethoven all practiced. Five structured levels progress from melody over a given bass through figured bass improvisation, melody continuation, theme and variations, and fugal improvisation.

Question 36

What is Partimento?

Accepted Answer

Partimento is the 18th-century Italian art of composing from a bass line. Unlike figured bass realization (which fills in predetermined chords), partimento is composition — you create melody, counterpoint, and texture above a bass that merely implies the harmonic structure. Four levels progress from fully figured realization to unfigured composition to imitative counterpoint over a bass.

Question 37

What is Maestro?

Accepted Answer

Maestro is your personal composition professor built into every lesson. He can explain theory concepts, give feedback on your compositions, answer questions about counterpoint rules, and help you understand why a particular passage sounds the way it does.

Question 38

How do I open the Maestro chat?

Accepted Answer

Inside any lesson, look for the Maestro panel at the bottom of the page. Click Ask Maestro to open the chat interface. Type your question and press Enter to send it.

Question 39

What kinds of questions can I ask Maestro?

Accepted Answer

Maestro is trained specifically for music composition education. Good questions include: explanations of concepts from the current lesson, feedback on a melody or exercise you describe, why a specific rule exists in counterpoint, how a principle from one lesson connects to a later one, and help getting unstuck on an exercise without giving away the answer.

Question 40

What is auto-feedback?

Accepted Answer

When auto-feedback is enabled, Maestro responds automatically when you submit a composition exercise. It analyzes what you wrote and provides targeted comments. You can toggle auto-feedback on or off in the Maestro panel.

Question 41

Does Maestro remember previous conversations?

Accepted Answer

Within a single lesson session, Maestro retains the conversation context. However, Maestro does not currently carry memory across sessions or between different lessons. Each new session starts fresh.

Question 42

Can Maestro write compositions for me?

Accepted Answer

Maestro is designed as a teacher, not a ghostwriter. It will guide you, explain rules, give examples, and critique your work — but it is built to help you compose, not to compose for you.

Question 43

What is Critique by Maestro?

Accepted Answer

Critique by Maestro is a 32-point composition evaluation tool. It accepts any composition — uploaded as a MusicXML file or written in the Master Sketchbook — and returns a structured scorecard with specific strengths, growth areas, and a concrete next step. A deterministic analyzer first scores your composition across 32 dimensions from the raw note data, then Maestro writes a narrative interpreting those scores. The scorecard shows all 32 dimensions grouped into eight families, with 1–5 bar scores and prose commentary.

Question 44

How do I submit a score for critique?

Accepted Answer

From notation software: export your score as MusicXML (.musicxml or .mxl), go to Compose → Critique by Maestro, drag and drop your file, confirm the parse summary, fill in the submission form, and click Submit. From the Master Sketchbook: click the Critique button in the toolbar, fill in the form, and submit.

Question 45

What does the submission form ask for?

Accepted Answer

The form has three fields: style period (modal, baroque, classical, romantic, impressionist, post-tonal, film/contemporary, jazz, or minimalist — dimensions are calibrated to this style); focus areas (up to twelve checkboxes: voice leading, counterpoint, harmonic progression, chromaticism, modulation, melody contour, rhythm and meter, texture, form and structure, orchestration, fugal techniques, dynamics and expression); and open context (optional text describing your intent, instrumentation, or anything else Maestro should know).

Question 46

What do the 1–5 scores mean?

Accepted Answer

Score 5: Exemplary — the dimension is handled with skill and consistency. Score 4: Strong — minor issues that do not undermine the effect. Score 3: Developing — the technique is present but inconsistent or partially effective. Score 2: Needs work — the dimension creates problems. Score 1: Significant issues requiring direct attention. N/A: the dimension does not apply to this composition.

Question 47

What file formats are accepted for critique?

Accepted Answer

Critique by Maestro accepts .musicxml files (plain XML) and .mxl files (compressed MusicXML archives). Both are standard export formats from MuseScore, Sibelius, Finale, and Dorico.

Question 48

How long should my composition be for a critique?

Accepted Answer

A minimum of 4 bars is recommended — shorter pieces give the analyzer too little data. There is no maximum. Typical useful submissions are 8–32 bars.

Question 49

How is the Orchestra Reference organized?

Accepted Answer

The Orchestra section organizes instruments into four families: Strings, Brass, Woodwinds, and Percussion. Each family has an overview page, and every individual instrument has its own deep-dive page with range, technique, and notation guidance.

Question 50

What information is on each instrument's page?

Accepted Answer

Each instrument page covers: written and sounding range, available techniques (arco, pizzicato, mutes, flutter-tongue, etc.), transposition rules where applicable, notation conventions, and characteristic uses in the orchestral repertoire.

Question 51

Where can I find transposition information for orchestral instruments?

Accepted Answer

Each transposing instrument (Clarinet, Horn, Trumpet, etc.) has a dedicated transposition section on its deep-dive page explaining the interval of transposition and how to write for it in score vs. parts.

Question 52

How do I find a specific instrument quickly?

Accepted Answer

Use the global search and type the instrument name. You will be taken directly to that instrument's page. Alternatively, navigate through the family pages from the Orchestra hub.

Question 53

What is the Instrument Combinations section?

Accepted Answer

The Instrument Combinations page catalogs 117 orchestration pairings and ensemble groupings — strings, woodwinds, brass, cross-family combinations, and special effects. Each entry includes a timbre description, best registers, balance notes, famous examples from the repertoire, and common pitfalls.

Question 54

What are Score Studies?

Accepted Answer

Score Studies are in-depth annotated analyses of major orchestral works. Each study pairs a piece of music with measure-by-measure commentary explaining the harmony, orchestration, melody, form, voicing, rhythm, texture, and dynamics. They are designed to build your ear and analytical eye alongside the lesson curriculum.

Question 55

How many score studies are available, and which works are included?

Accepted Answer

There are 458 score studies — 50 orchestral masterworks plus 408 Bach chorales — totalling over 14,500 commentary entries. Works span Baroque (Bach, Vivaldi), Classical (Mozart, Haydn, Beethoven), Romantic (Brahms, Tchaikovsky, Dvořák, Berlioz, Wagner, Mahler, R. Strauss), Impressionist (Debussy, Ravel, Mussorgsky, Rimsky-Korsakov, Sibelius, Grieg), 20th century (Stravinsky, Prokofiev, Shostakovich, Copland, Barber, Holst), and Film (John Williams).

Question 56

How does the commentary work in a score study?

Accepted Answer

Each score study is divided into measure-range sections. Each section has a type (Harmony, Orchestration, Melody, Form, Voicing, Rhythm, Texture, or Dynamics), a title, and a detailed explanation. Related concepts link back to the relevant lesson.

Question 57

What are the callout boxes in lessons?

Accepted Answer

Lessons contain callout boxes that link directly to score studies relevant to the concept being taught. For example, a lesson on parallel motion links to a score study passage where Debussy or Ravel uses exactly that technique.

Question 58

What is Listen Mode and how does mute/solo work?

Accepted Answer

Each score study page has a Listen Mode that loads a YouTube video of the work. While listening, you can follow along with the measure-range commentary. On studies with multi-voice playback, individual instrumental parts can be muted or soloed.

Question 59

Can I filter score studies by era, difficulty, or topic?

Accepted Answer

Yes. The Score Studies index page includes filters for era, difficulty (1–5), composer, and topic (over 30 analytical topics including motivic development, sonata form, voice leading, and orchestration).

Question 60

What is in the Library?

Accepted Answer

The Library contains all reference materials: Score Study (458 annotated works), Voice-Leading Patterns (cadences, Rules of the Octave, sequences, galant schemata), Orchestra Reference (20 instrument pages), Music History (55 composer profiles from Palestrina to John Williams), Orchestration Assignments, Notation Reference (150+ musical terms), Instrument Combinations (117 profiles), Fugue Reference (complete Marpurg treatise), Melody Writing, Musical Texture, Dynamics and Expression, and Partimento.

Question 61

What is the Voice-Leading Patterns reference?

Accepted Answer

The Voice-Leading Patterns reference catalogs cadences, Rules of the Octave, sequences, and galant schemata from Derek Remes' scholarly edition of the thoroughbass Compendium. Categories include simple, compound, double, and evaded cadences; ascending and descending Rules of the Octave in 2–4 voices; and sequences like fauxbourdon, 5-6, 7-6, suspension chains, lament bass, Romanesca, Monte, and circle of fifths.

Question 62

What is the Fugue Reference?

Accepted Answer

The Fugue Reference is a complete catalog of Friedrich Wilhelm Marpurg's Treatise on Fugue (1753–54), covering both volumes. It includes all entries on imitation, fugue subjects, answer, countersubject, exposition, episode, stretto, double/triple/quadruple counterpoint, inversion, retrograde, augmentation, and canon. Kirchhoff's 16 Preludes and Fugues serve as companion works.

Question 63

What is a cantus firmus and how do I use the catalog?

Accepted Answer

A cantus firmus (Latin: "fixed song") is a pre-existing melody used as the foundation for a counterpoint exercise. In the Counterpoint Workshop, you select a cantus firmus from the catalog and write one or more voices against it. The catalog includes melodies from Fux, Jeppesen, Marpurg, Mozart-Attwood, and the conservatory tradition. Mozart-Attwood entries include model solutions.

Question 64

What is in the Notation Reference?

Accepted Answer

The Notation Reference contains 150+ musical terms organized by category: tempo markings, dynamics, articulation, expression, ornaments, repeat symbols, note values, clefs, time signatures, and performance techniques. Each entry includes the Italian original, English pronunciation, a definition, and links to related terms.

Gradus School of Music Composition

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Composition Tools

Practice Tools

Maestro — Your Composition Professor

Critique by Maestro

Orchestra Reference

Score Studies

Library

Composer History

Account & Settings

Troubleshooting

Meet Maestro

What is Maestro?

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