Skitter User Guide
A complete walkthrough of everything Skitter can do. For quick fixes to common issues, see Troubleshooting.
Getting Started
First Launch
When you open Skitter for the first time, a three-page onboarding flow helps you set up:
- Instrument: choose Guitar (6-string), Bass (4-string), or Ukulele. Expand the list for 7-string and 8-string guitars or 5-string and 6-string basses.
- Display mode: pick how you want exercises displayed (fretboard view is always available; tab and notation are Pro features).
- iCloud sync: opt in to sync your practice data across devices.
A “Use defaults” button lets you skip remaining pages without tapping through all three.
Navigation
Skitter has five main tabs along the top bar:
- Practice: start exercises, manage templates and progressions
- Progress: stats, charts, streaks, and trophies
- Exercises: browse the full exercise library
- Tuner: tune your instrument before or during practice
- Settings: configure everything
The active instrument is shown in the top-right corner.
Exercises
Skitter includes 60 exercises across five categories. Beginner exercises are free; Intermediate and Advanced exercises require Skitter Pro.
Spider / Coordination (14 exercises)
These are key-agnostic. They train finger independence without targeting a specific musical key.
| Exercise | Level | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| Classic Spider Walk | Beginner | 1-2-3-4 finger pattern across all strings, then reversed |
| Single-String Stretch | Beginner | 5-6-7-8 on one string with alternating picking |
| Chromatic Exercise | Beginner | 1-2-3-4 on every fret across all strings |
| Spider 1-3-2-4 | Beginner | Spider walk in 1-3-2-4 finger order; trains an inside-out pattern |
| Spider 1-4-2-3 | Beginner | Spider walk in 1-4-2-3 order, pairing outer fingers with inner ones |
| Spider 2-4-1-3 | Beginner | Spider walk in 2-4-1-3 order, a harder permutation led by the middle finger |
| Reverse Spider (Pinky Lead) | Beginner | Classic spider in 4-3-2-1 order, leading with the pinky on every string |
| Legato Spider | Intermediate (Pro) | Classic spider pattern using hammer-ons and pull-offs instead of picking |
| Finger Independence: Holding 1-2-3 | Intermediate (Pro) | Fingers 1-2-3 stay anchored while finger 4 plays independently |
| Finger Independence: Walking 3 & 4 | Intermediate (Pro) | Fingers 1-2 anchored while 3 and 4 walk back and forth |
| Non-Adjacent Independence | Intermediate (Pro) | Alternates 3-1-3 and 4-2-4, isolating the non-adjacent finger pairs (ring with index, pinky with middle) |
| String-Skip Spider | Intermediate (Pro) | Four-finger box across string pairs that skip the string between (6&4, 5&3, 4&2, 3&1) |
| Diagonal Spider | Intermediate (Pro) | 1-2-3-4 pattern that shifts up one fret on each string change |
| Descending Stretch | Intermediate (Pro) | Starts at fret 7 and works downward (fixed starting position) |
Scales (21 exercises)
Scales are key-selectable. You choose which of the 12 musical keys to practice in.
- Basic (5): Major / Ionian (Beginner), Natural Minor / Aeolian (Beginner), Harmonic Minor (Pro), Melodic Minor (Jazz) (Pro), Melodic Minor (Classical) (Pro)
- Pentatonic (3): Major Pentatonic (Beginner), Minor Pentatonic (Beginner), Blues Scale (Pro)
- Modes (7, all Pro): Ionian, Dorian, Phrygian, Lydian, Mixolydian, Aeolian, Locrian
- Exotic / Advanced (6, all Pro): Whole Tone, Diminished Whole-Half, Diminished Half-Whole, Phrygian Dominant, Harmonic Major, Double Harmonic Major
Arpeggios (12 exercises)
- Triads (4): Major (Beginner), Minor (Beginner), Augmented (Pro), Diminished (Pro)
- Seventh Chords (7, all Pro): Dominant 7th, Major 7th, Minor 7th, Minor Major 7th, Half-Diminished 7th (m7b5), Diminished 7th, Augmented Major 7th
- Diatonic Cycle (1, Pro): Diatonic Seventh Arpeggios (Advanced): the seventh chord on each scale degree in turn (Imaj7, ii m7, iii m7, IV maj7, V7, vi m7, vii m7b5)
Broken Intervals (8 exercises, all Pro)
Two-note patterns that train your ear and hand together: Thirds, Fourths, Fifths, Sixths, Sevenths, Octaves, Ninths, Tenths.
Circle Progressions (2 exercises, all Pro)
Circle of Fourths and Circle of Fifths, cycling major triads through all 12 keys.
String coverage and the root note
Scales and arpeggios are laid out to use as many strings as possible, so you get more of the neck to work on. This is the default, because Skitter is built for finger coordination first.
If you would rather each scale or arpeggio start on the key you picked (more musical, but it covers fewer strings), turn on Start on the Root Note in Settings → Practice Defaults. It only affects scales and arpeggios; spider drills, broken intervals, and the diatonic seventh cycle are unchanged.
Setting Up a Session
When you tap an exercise, you land on the Setup screen. Here you configure every aspect of your practice session before starting.
Practice Mode
A toggle at the top switches between two modes:
- Tempo: the metronome drives the pace. Notes advance on each beat at the BPM you set.
- Learn: self-paced. The app listens through the microphone and waits for you to play the correct note (pitch-detected) before advancing. No metronome. Great for learning new patterns slowly.
Tempo (BPM)
Visible in Tempo mode only.
The large number in the Tempo card shows your current BPM. You can adjust it several ways:
- +/- buttons: tap to nudge by 5 BPM
- Tap the number: opens a direct-entry field (accepts 20–300)
- Slider: drag for quick adjustments
- Tap Tempo: tap the button rhythmically and Skitter calculates the BPM from your tapping speed
Free users are capped at 100 BPM. Pro unlocks the full 20–300 range.
Starting Fret
The stepper sets where your index finger (finger 1) lands on the neck. The exercise’s four-finger window extends from this fret. Range: 1–24.
Some exercises have a fixed starting fret. For example, Descending Stretch always starts at fret 7. The stepper is replaced with an explanation when this applies.
Session Length
Toggle between two duration modes:
- Time: pick a preset (1, 2, 3, 5, 10, 15, 20, or 30 minutes) or create a custom length. Tap the duration display to open the full picker. Free users are limited to 1–2 minutes; longer options show a lock icon.
- Reps: set a target number of repetitions with the +/- stepper. Tap the number for direct entry.
Custom session lengths: In the duration picker, tap “Add Custom Length” to create your own minute/second duration. Custom lengths appear in a separate section. To remove one, long-press and tap “Remove.”
Key Picker
Visible for theory exercises only (scales, arpeggios, intervals, circle progressions).
A 12-key grid lets you select which musical key to practice in: C, C♯, D, D♯, E, F, F♯, G, G♯, A, A♯, B.
Rhythm Grading
Available in Tempo mode only.
Two toggles control the grader:
- Grade my timing: enables the rhythm grader, which listens to your playing and scores how accurately you hit each beat.
- Also grade note accuracy: when grading is on, also checks that you played the correct pitch (not just the correct timing). Requires microphone access.
Metronome Sound
The footer has a checkbox that toggles the metronome between your preferred sound and silent. This is a per-session toggle. It doesn’t change your default sound in Settings.
Start Practice
The “Start Practice” button at the bottom launches the session with your configured settings.
Saved Presets
Presets let you save an exercise configuration for one-tap access later.
What’s saved
BPM, starting fret, display mode, duration mode (time or reps), duration, rep count, grading toggles, and practice mode (tempo or learn).
How to save
On the Setup screen, tap an empty slot in the Presets rail. Enter a name and the current configuration is saved. You can store up to 6 presets per exercise.
How to use
Tap a saved preset card to instantly load all its settings into the setup form.
Managing presets
Tap the ⋯ icon on a preset card (or long-press the card) to open a menu with:
- Rename: change the preset’s name
- Update with current settings: overwrite the preset with whatever’s currently configured on the setup screen
- Delete: remove the preset
Quick Presets
Below the saved presets, three built-in Quick Presets offer common configurations:
- Slow & Clean: 60 BPM, 3 minutes (“Tone first, speed later”)
- Build Speed: 100 BPM, 2 minutes (“Push it. Misses are okay.”)
- Endurance: 80 BPM, 5 minutes (“Long, steady set”)
Tapping a quick preset loads its BPM and duration into the setup form.
During a Session
The header shows the exercise name; on iPad and Mac the session’s key and starting fret appear next to it, so you can confirm the setup at a glance.
Controls
The control bar at the bottom of the screen offers:
- Play / Pause: pause and resume the metronome and exercise
- Stop: end the session and see results
- Display mode toggle (Pro): cycle between fretboard, tab, and notation views
- Dot label menu: switch what’s shown inside fretboard dots: finger numbers (1-4), fret numbers, or note names
- Tuner: open the tuner as a sheet for a quick mid-session retune
- Settings: open Settings as a modal (returns to session when dismissed)
- Legend toggle: show/hide the finger color legend
Keyboard shortcuts (Mac Catalyst)
- ← / →: cycle display mode (Pro only)
- ↑ / ↓: cycle dot label mode
Fretboard color coding
Finger dots are color-coded consistently across all display modes:
- Index (1): Blue
- Middle (2): Green
- Ring (3): Orange
- Pinky (4): Red
The current note is highlighted; upcoming notes appear as a lead-in preview (configurable in Settings).
Session Completion
When a session ends (time expires, reps completed, or you stop manually), a completion screen appears showing your results.
Completion Tiers
Your session falls into one of three tiers based on how much of the target you completed:
| Tier | Threshold | What counts toward stats |
|---|---|---|
| Complete | 100% of target | Everything: BPM personal bests, accuracy trends, fretboard coverage, exercise breakdown, streaks, trophies |
| Partial | 50% or more, stopped early | Practice time and calendar only. Accuracy is saved but does not count toward personal bests or accuracy trends |
| Cancelled | Less than 50% | Nothing toward progress stats. Session appears in history but is excluded from all metrics |
Rhythm Score
If the grader was enabled, your timing accuracy score (0–100%) appears on the completion screen along with per-beat breakdowns.
Trophy Unlocks
If you earned any trophies during the session (first session, BPM milestone, streak, etc.), they appear as unlock cards on the completion screen.
Rhythm Grader in Depth
The rhythm grader listens to your playing through the microphone and scores how accurately you hit each beat.
How scoring works
Each metronome beat is graded independently:
- Perfect: your note attack landed within the tightest timing window
- On Time: within a slightly wider window but outside “perfect”
- Early: you played before the beat, but close enough to count
- Late: you played after the beat, but close enough to count
- Missed: no note attack detected near this beat
- Wrong Note: (when note validation is on) you played at the right time but the wrong pitch
Your final score is a weighted percentage of how many beats you hit accurately.
Timing Sensitivity
Three levels control how strict the grading windows are:
| Level | Perfect | On Time | Early/Late |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lenient | ±40ms | ±80ms | ±160ms |
| Normal (default) | ±25ms | ±55ms | ±120ms |
| Strict | ±15ms | ±35ms | ±80ms |
Set in Settings → Practice Defaults → Timing Sensitivity.
Note Validation
When “Grade Note Accuracy” is enabled, the grader uses pitch detection to verify you played the correct note, not just any note at the right time. It uses a ±50 cent tolerance (about a quarter tone).
Accuracy Feedback During Practice
Configure how you see grading feedback in real-time:
- Shapes: colored geometric shapes trail behind the current note (circle = perfect, square = on time, triangle = early/late, X = missed)
- String Glow: the active string briefly glows in the accuracy color
- Shapes + Glow: both at once
- Accuracy Trail: how many past notes show accuracy markers (off, 1, 3, 5, or 8). Optional offset pushes the trail further behind the current note.
All configurable in Settings → Practice Defaults → Rhythm Grader.
Learn Mode
Learn mode replaces the metronome with pitch detection. The exercise waits for you to play the correct note before advancing.
How it works
- The fretboard shows which note to play.
- Play the note on your instrument. The microphone detects the pitch.
- When the correct pitch is detected, a confirmation sound plays and the exercise advances to the next note.
- Repeat until the session ends (by time or rep count).
Confirmation sound
Choose the sound that plays on a correct note in Settings → Practice Defaults → Learn Sound: Bell, Blip, Click, Ping, or Silent.
Derived BPM
Even though there’s no metronome, Skitter measures the average time between your note attacks and calculates a “derived BPM”: how fast you actually played. This appears on the completion screen and in your session history.
Templates
A template is a playlist of exercises that run back-to-back in a single practice session.
Creating a template
- Go to Practice → Templates → New Template.
- Name the template.
- Tap “Add Exercise” to pick exercises from the library. Each gets its own BPM, duration (minutes), and starting fret.
- Configure transition settings:
- Count-In: number of lead-in bars between exercises (1, 2, 4, or 8 bars of metronome clicks before each exercise starts)
- Auto-Advance: when on, the next exercise starts automatically after the count-in. When off, you tap “Next” manually.
- Configure grading defaults (rhythm grader toggle, note accuracy toggle).
- Tap “Save Template.”
Per-exercise settings in the builder
Each exercise entry has:
- BPM stepper (20–300, step 5)
- Duration stepper (1–30 minutes, step 1)
- Starting fret stepper (1–12, step 1)
- Move up / move down buttons to reorder
- Delete (X) to remove
Running a template
Tap a template card on the Practice dashboard. A preview screen shows the exercise lineup. Tap “Start” to begin.
During a template session, exercises run in sequence. A progress indicator shows which exercise you’re on (e.g., “Exercise 2 of 5”). When one exercise finishes, the next begins after the configured count-in.
Managing templates
- Manage link appears on the Practice dashboard once you have templates
- Swipe right on a template row to Edit (opens the builder with existing data)
- Swipe left to Delete
- Reorder: tap “Edit” in the toolbar to enter reorder mode with drag handles
Progressions
A progression is a long-term practice plan that automatically increases difficulty across sessions.
How progressions work
You set a starting BPM and a target BPM. Each time you complete a session, the progression advances, bumping the BPM by a configurable increment. Duration can also ramp up over time. When you reach the target BPM and duration, the progression is complete.
Creating a progression
- Go to Practice → Progressions → New Progression.
- Name the progression.
- Add one or more exercise types. Each exercise row shows the starting fret and key it will run with (for example “Fret: 5 - Key: C”).
- Configure tempo ramp:
- Starting BPM: where you begin
- Target BPM: your goal
- BPM Increment: how much BPM increases per session
- Configure duration ramp:
- Starting Duration: initial session length
- Target Duration: longest session length
- Duration Step: how much longer each session gets (10s, 15s, 20s, 30s, 1 min, or 2 min)
- Configure options:
- Auto-Advance: automatically increase BPM/duration when you complete a session
- Randomize: shuffle the exercise order each session
- Session Style: “All Exercises” (template-runner style, all exercises in sequence per session) or “One at a Time” (single exercise per session, cycling through the list)
- Ramp Style: how BPM and duration scale together (see below)
- Minimum Accuracy: if set above 0%, sessions below this rhythm score do not advance the progression. Ensures you maintain quality before increasing difficulty.
Ramp styles
- Proportional: BPM and duration advance together each session. The app calculates how many sessions it takes to reach both targets and scales them evenly.
- Time First: duration ramps fully at each BPM level before the BPM bumps up. Models “master each tempo before moving on.”
A plain-language summary below the settings explains the ramp plan (e.g., “Tempo reaches target in ~30 sessions. Each session adds 30 sec of duration”).
Progression management
- Update: saves your edits
- Save as New: creates a copy (name auto-disambiguated)
- Reset Progress: clears session history and resets to starting BPM (confirmation required)
- Delete: permanently removes (confirmation required)
- Manage: same swipe-to-edit/delete and reorder as templates
Starter Library progressions
The Starter Library includes 10 pre-built progressions organized by skill tier. Tap “Save as Custom” to adopt one into your personal collection and start tracking progress.
Starter Library
The Starter Library provides pre-built templates and progressions organized by difficulty:
| Tier | Templates | Progressions | Access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Beginner | First Steps, Foundation Builder | Spider Foundations, Steady Walker | Free |
| Beginner & Intermediate | Warm-Up Circuit, Spider Variety Pack | Walking Up the Neck, Stretch Builder | Free |
| Intermediate | Coordination Push, Theory Blend | Spider Climb, Scale Speed | Free |
| Intermediate & Advanced | Speed Ladder, Stretch & Precision | Shred Prep, Cross-Pattern | Pro |
| Advanced | Full Shred, Mastery Circuit | Max Spider, Full Neck Sprint | Pro |
Free users can adopt 1 starter progression. Pro users have no limit.
Tuner
Standard Mode (Free)
Shows your instrument’s strings and detects which one you’re playing. An arc dial displays how sharp or flat the detected pitch is relative to the nearest target note. Per-string status indicators show whether each string is in tune.
- In-tune zone: the center of the dial highlights green when you’re within ±5 cents
- Hz readout: shows the detected frequency
- Cents readout: shows deviation in cents (e.g., “+3¢” or “−7¢”)
Chromatic Mode (Pro)
Detects any of the 12 chromatic notes freely, not locked to your tuning’s strings. Useful for checking intonation at any fret, verifying harmonics, or tuning non-standard instruments.
Shows a horizontal strip of all 12 notes (C through B) with the detected note highlighted. The sliding cents gauge shows deviation.
Switching modes
- iPad / Mac Catalyst: a Standard / Chromatic toggle button appears in the title area
- iPhone: tap the small icon button in the top-right corner of the dial (a tuning fork switches to Chromatic; a guitars icon switches back to Standard). You can also long-press anywhere on the tuner for 2 seconds to toggle. Both are Pro only.
Reference pitch
The standard concert pitch is A4 = 440 Hz. If you need a different reference (e.g., for an ensemble tuned to 442 Hz), adjust it in Settings → Tuner → Reference Pitch (A4). Range: 432–445 Hz.
Microphone
The tuner requires microphone permission. If permission was denied, the tuner shows an alert with a link to open iOS Settings.
Guided First Week
A seven-day program designed for complete beginners. Each day introduces a focused exercise with a brief explanation of what it trains and why.
| Day | Title | Exercise | BPM | Duration | Fret |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Meet the Fretboard | Classic Spider Walk | 60 | 2 min | 5 |
| 2 | Build Consistency | Classic Spider Walk | 65 | 3 min | 5 |
| 3 | Open the Hand | Single-String Stretch | 60 | 2 min | 5 |
| 4 | Speed Up | Classic Spider Walk | 75 | 3 min | 5 |
| 5 | Independent Fingers | Holding 1-2-3 | 60 | 3 min | 5 |
| 6 | Other Direction | Descending Stretch | 60 | 3 min | 7 |
| 7 | Graduation | Classic Spider Walk | 80 | 3 min | 5 |
Completing Day 7 earns the Graduated trophy. You can skip the program and return to it later from the Practice tab.
Progress & Analytics
The Progress tab tracks your practice history and shows improvement over time.
Dashboard cards
- Practice Calendar: heatmap showing which days you practiced and how much. Drill down for a full calendar view.
- Exercise Breakdown: pie chart showing how your practice time is distributed across exercise categories (Scales, Arpeggios, Spider/Coordination, etc.).
- Practice Time: weekly bar chart of minutes practiced with goal line overlay. Toggle between Week, Month, and Year views in the detail.
- Personal Records: your best BPM achievements per exercise. Shows whether each record is improving.
- BPM & Accuracy: line chart tracking BPM progression and rhythm accuracy over the last 12 weeks.
- Fretboard Coverage: heatmap showing which frets you’ve practiced on. Coverage is computed from the actual fret range each exercise uses (not a fixed window).
Tap any card to drill into a detail view with full charts, time range filters, and deeper statistics.
Streaks
A streak is the number of consecutive days you’ve practiced. Skitter allows one “freeze” day: miss a single day and your streak survives, but miss two in a row and it resets.
Trophies
Trophies are awarded for practice milestones. View your collection in the Trophy Gallery on the Progress tab.
| Trophy | How to earn |
|---|---|
| First Steps | Complete your first session |
| First Perfect | Earn a perfect rhythm score (100%) |
| Steady Hand | Practice 3 days in a row |
| One Week | Practice 7 days in a row |
| Thirty Days | Practice 30 days in a row |
| First Hour | Reach 60 minutes total practice |
| Five Hours | Reach 5 hours total practice |
| Ten Sessions | Complete 10 sessions |
| Fifty Sessions | Complete 50 sessions |
| Hundred BPM | Run any session at 100+ BPM (Complete tier only) |
| One-Forty BPM | Run any session at 140+ BPM (Complete tier only) |
| Graduated | Complete every day of the Guided First Week |
Newly earned trophies appear as unlock cards on the session completion screen.
Display Modes
Fretboard View (Free)
A top-down view of the guitar neck with colored dots showing finger positions. The current note is highlighted; upcoming notes preview what’s coming next.
Tab View (Pro)
Standard guitar tablature: six horizontal lines (one per string) with fret numbers. Scrolls in sync with the metronome.
Notation View (Pro)
Standard music notation on a five-line staff with treble or bass clef (depending on instrument), ledger lines, accidentals, stems, and finger-colored note heads.
Display settings
All configured in Settings → Display:
- Dot Labels: what to show inside fretboard dots: Finger Number (1-4, default), Fret Number, or Note Name. Also switchable mid-session from the dot label menu.
- Left-Handed Mode: mirrors the fretboard so the lowest string appears on the right.
- Prefer Flats: show B♭ instead of A♯.
- Show Finger Color Legend: displays the color-to-finger mapping below the fretboard.
- Display Size: slider to make the fretboard, tab, and notation views larger or smaller.
- Lead-In Guide: preview upcoming notes (off, 1, 3, 5, or 8 notes ahead). “Scale Lead-In” makes upcoming notes progressively smaller with distance.
- Fretboard Motion: how the viewport tracks the active note:
- Static: no motion when the exercise fits on screen
- Minimal (default): shifts only when the active note would leave the viewport
- Centered: re-centers on every note
- Seamless Scrolling: tab and notation views scroll forward continuously across repetitions. When off, the view rewinds to the beginning on each rep.
Metronome
Built-in sounds
Three click sounds ship with the app: Click (default), Wood Block, and Cowbell.
Custom sounds
You can create custom click sounds with the Sound Designer:
- Go to Settings → Metronome → Default Sound → Custom Sound.
- Adjust six sliders: Pitch, Brightness, Snap, Length, Accent, Volume.
- Use a “Start from” seed button to begin from a preset recipe.
- Tap the preview button to hear 4 beats with your settings.
- Save with a custom name.
Custom sounds appear in the sound picker alongside built-in presets. Swipe left to delete, swipe right to edit, or long-press for a Rename / Edit / Delete menu.
Per-session muting
The metronome checkbox on the session setup footer toggles between your preferred sound and silent for that session only. It does not change your default sound.
Quick Start
The Quick Start block at the top of the Practice dashboard gives you three one-tap rows:
- The first row is always the daily suggestion (see Key of the Day). It changes each day and can feature any exercise in the library, including Pro ones, so it doubles as a way to sample exercises outside your tier.
- The other two rows are custom slots for the exercises you are currently working on. An unused slot shows “+ Add Quick Start”; tap it to pick an exercise from the library.
Tapping a filled row opens that exercise’s Setup screen.
Managing Quick Start
Once you have pinned at least one exercise, a Manage link appears next to the Quick Start header. The Manage screen works like the ones for Templates and Progressions:
- Pencil: replace the slot’s exercise with another from the picker
- Trash: remove the exercise from its slot
- Swipe right to Edit, swipe left to Remove (same gestures as the other lists)
- Reorder: tap “Edit” in the toolbar to drag the two custom slots into a different order
- Plus: fill the first empty slot with a new exercise
The daily suggestion appears at the top of the Manage screen as a read-only row, since it always occupies the first dashboard slot.
Quick Start is identical on the free and Pro tiers.
Key of the Day
Skitter suggests a different musical key and exercise each day. The suggestion appears as a card on the Practice dashboard.
How it works
The key cycles through all 12 keys based on the day of the year. The exercise cycles through all theory exercises (scales, arpeggios, etc.). Tapping the suggestion opens the Setup screen with the suggested key pre-selected.
Push notifications
Enable daily Key of the Day notifications in Settings → User Experience → Key-of-the-Day. Configure the notification time (6 AM – 10 PM, default 9 AM). The notification text shows the key and exercise: “Try [Exercise] in [Key] today!”
Settings Reference
Instrument
- Active Instrument: switch between guitar (6/7/8-string), bass (4/5/6-string), and ukulele. Changes the fretboard layout, available tunings, and exercise positions.
- Active Tuning: pick from built-in tuning presets or create custom tunings. Custom tunings let you set each string’s note name and octave.
Practice Defaults
- Starting Fret: default fret position for new sessions (1–22)
- Start on the Root Note: off by default. When off, scales and arpeggios use as many strings as possible (best for coordination across the neck). When on, they begin on the key you picked, which is more musical but uses fewer strings.
- Count-In: metronome lead-in before exercises start: None, 1 bar (4 beats), or 2 bars (8 beats)
- Show Exercise Name: display the exercise name during the count-in
- Default Reps: starting rep count for rep-based sessions (1–99)
- Rep Increment: step size for the +/- buttons on the rep stepper (1–10)
- Direct-to-Session: skip the preview screen and jump straight into practice for templates and progressions
- Learn Sound: confirmation sound for correct notes in Learn mode (Bell, Blip, Click, Ping, Silent)
Display
- Appearance: System, Light, or Dark
- Default View (Pro only): Fretboard, Tab, or Notation
- Dot Labels: Finger Number, Fret Number, or Note Name
- Left-Handed Mode: mirror the fretboard
- Prefer Flats: B♭ instead of A♯
- Show Finger Color Legend: show/hide during practice
- Display Size: slider for fretboard/tab/notation scaling
- Lead-In Guide: Off, 1, 3, 5, or 8 notes ahead
- Scale Lead-In: upcoming notes shrink with distance (toggle + target scale slider)
- Fretboard Motion: Static, Minimal, or Centered
- Seamless Scrolling: continuous scroll vs. rewind each rep
Metronome
- Default BPM: starting tempo for new sessions (20–300)
- Default Sound: built-in or custom click sound
Tuner
- Reference Pitch (A4): adjustable from 432 to 445 Hz (default 440)
Audio Input
- Input Source: Auto (use default microphone) or a specific input device. Useful if you have a USB audio interface connected.
- Input Channel: appears when a multi-channel interface is connected. Picks which input jack Skitter listens to (Channel 2 is your interface’s second input). The choice takes effect the next time the tuner or a session starts, and it stays on this device rather than syncing over iCloud.
User Experience
- Show Welcome Messages: toggle the context-aware greeting banner on the Practice screen. Shows streak celebrations and friendly messages.
- Key-of-the-Day: toggle daily practice suggestions + set notification time
- Weekly Goal: set a target in minutes (in 15-minute increments). Set to 0 to disable. Tap the number to type hours:minutes directly.
Data & Privacy
- iCloud Sync: syncs sessions, progressions, templates, presets, trophies, and settings across Apple devices. Toggle requires app restart.
- Storage: shows “Local” or “Local + iCloud”
- Clear History: delete practice sessions older than a chosen time range (30 days, 90 days, 6 months, 1 year, all, or a custom date range). Shows the exact count of sessions to be deleted. Does NOT delete exercises, settings, progressions, templates, or trophies.
Data & Sync
iCloud Sync
Syncs your practice data across all Apple devices signed into the same Apple ID. Toggle in Settings → Data & Privacy → iCloud Sync. Changes take effect on next app launch.
What syncs: practice sessions, progressions, templates, saved presets, trophies, and most settings.
What stays per-device: notification preferences, tuner mode (standard/chromatic), and default display mode, since these depend on screen size.
Free vs Pro
Skitter is free to download. A one-time Skitter Pro purchase removes all limits, no subscription.
| Feature | Free | Pro |
|---|---|---|
| Exercises | 13 Beginner exercises | All 60 (adds 31 Intermediate + 16 Advanced) |
| Metronome BPM | Up to 100 | Up to 300 |
| Session duration | Up to 2 minutes | Unlimited |
| Display modes | Fretboard only | Fretboard + Tab + Notation |
| Tuner | Standard mode | Standard + Chromatic |
| Starter Library tiers | Beginner through Intermediate | All 5 tiers |
| Starter progression adoption | 1 | Unlimited |
| Custom progressions | No | Unlimited |
| Quick Start slots | 3 (daily suggestion + 2 custom) | 3 (daily suggestion + 2 custom) |
| All other features | Full access | Full access |
Everything not listed (saved presets, templates, progress tracking, trophies, iCloud sync, all settings) is fully available on the free tier.
Need Help?
- Troubleshooting for common fixes
- Email nospam@edcaspersen.com for anything else
Still stuck? Email nospam@edcaspersen.com.