Quickstart — JazzPracticePro Help

First-Time Setup

Complete Onboarding

When you first open JazzPracticePro, you'll be guided through:

• Authentication Sign in with email + OTP code
• Restore options: Import existing data or start fresh if you're a returning user
• Instrument selection: Choose your primary instrument (this seeds relevant practice pillars)
• Experience context: Describe your playing level (helps AI provide personalized feedback)
• Pillar preview: See 5-7 recommended practice categories for your instrument
• Backup: Create your first backup to save your setup and start using the application.

Note: You can skip the backup and use the app locally. The cloud backup is optional, but will enable you to restore your data easily from any device.

Core Workflows

Log Your First Practice Session

Quick Entry:

1. Tap "Log Practice" from the home screen
2. Select your instrument and date
3. Add exercises to relevant practice pillars (e.g., "Repertoire", "Technique")
4. Each exercise includes a description and duration in minutes
5. Optionally add session notes
6. Save your session

Fast Entry with Voice Import:

1. Open the practice editor and tap "Voice Import"
2. Speak what you practiced: "I did 20 minutes of long tones and 30 minutes on Giant Steps"
3. Review the transcription (edit if needed)
4. Let AI parse your spoken notes into structured entries
5. Preview parsed entries and confirm
6. Entries merge into your session automatically (5-10x faster!)

Track Your Repertoire

1. Navigate to the Repertoire page
2. Search for a tune from our database of 525+ jazz standards (fuzzy search works great!)
3. Add tunes to your personal repertoire
4. When you practice a tune, reference it in your practice session
5. View practice history and momentum for each tune

Customize Your Practice Pillars

What are practice pillars?
Pillars are customizable practice categories that structure your sessions. You have 30 total slots:

• 2 system pillars (Repertoire, Transcription) - cannot be renamed
• 28 custom pillars - activate from templates or create your own

To customize:

1. Go to Settings → Practice Settings
2. Choose from 21 pedagogically-grounded templates (recommended based on your instrument)
3. Rename pillars to match your teacher's terminology
4. Configure which pillars appear for each instrument (great for multi-instrumentalists!)
5. Reset unused pillars to free up slots (only works if no practice data exists)

Backup Your Data

Local Backup (no sign-in required):

1. Go to Settings → Local Backup
2. Tap "Export Backup"
3. Download JSON file to your device
4. Store safely for later import

Cloud Backup (requires sign-in):

1. Sign in with email (you'll receive a 6-digit OTP code)
2. Go to Settings → Cloud Backup
3. Create a passphrase (12+ characters, never sent to server!)
4. Tap "Create Cloud Backup"
5. Your data is encrypted on your device, then uploaded to secure cloud storage
6. Restore anytime with your email and passphrase

Get AI-Powered Feedback

Prerequisites: Sign in to check AI credit balance (free tier includes 5 AI calls/month)

To generate feedback:

1. Navigate to AI Feedback page
2. Choose feedback type (weekly review, practice plan, etc.)
3. Tap "Generate AI Feedback"
4. AI analyzes your recent practice patterns
5. Get personalized insights, strengths, and actionable suggestions
6. Credits are automatically reserved, confirmed on success, or refunded on failure

Set Up Free Unlimited AI Feedback

Step 1: Get Your Free API Key

1. Go to Google AI Studio
2. Sign in with any Google account
3. Click "Create API Key"
4. Select "Create API key in new project"
5. Copy the key that appears

Tip: The key looks like a long string starting with "AIza..."

Step 2: Add to JazzPracticePro

1. Open JazzPracticePro
2. Go to Settings → AI Setup (BYOK)
3. Paste your API key
4. Tap "Test & Save"

That's it! You now have unlimited AI-powered practice feedback.

Is This Really Free?

Yes. Google's Gemini API includes a free tier that should cover typical daily practice feedback usage. You're using Google's AI directly — JazzPracticePro just helps you connect to it securely. Free tier limits may vary; check Google's current limits for details.

Is My Key Safe?

Your API key is:

• Encrypted with AES-256 on your device
• Never sent to JazzPracticePro servers
• Not included in backups or data exports
• Only used when you actively request AI feedback

Pro Tips

🎤 Voice Import

Use voice import to log practice hands-free while warming down or packing up

📝 Session Notes

Add context to sessions - AI uses these for more personalized feedback

🎵 Tune History

Update repertoire after each focused session to see progress over time

🎹 Pillar Visibility

Multi-instrumentalists can configure different pillars for each instrument

📊 Statistics

Check the Statistics page regularly to track streaks and identify practice patterns

💾 Backup Regularly

Create cloud or local backups weekly to protect your practice data

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need to pay for AI features?

No! You can bring your own Google Gemini API key (free from Google) for unlimited AI feedback. We also offer 5 free AI calls per month for users who don't want to set up their own key.

What is BYOK?

BYOK stands for "Bring Your Own Key." It means you use your own Google Gemini API key to power AI features in JazzPracticePro. This gives you unlimited usage at no cost.

How do I get a Gemini API key?

Visit Google AI Studio, sign in with any Google account, and click "Create API Key." It takes about 2 minutes.

Is my API key safe?

Yes. Your key is encrypted with AES-256 on your device and never sent to our servers. It's not included in backups or data exports.

What are the limits of the free Gemini tier?

Google's free tier limits vary by model and may change over time. For most users, the free tier provides enough requests for regular practice feedback. Check Google's rate limits page for current details.

Quickstart Guide