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Singing Carrots Sustain Training: Full Technical Walkthrough

URL: https://singingcarrots.com/sustain-training

Overview

Sustain Training is a premium vocal exercise tool designed to help singers develop breath control, pitch stability, and vocal stamina. Users practice holding individual notes accurately for extended periods while receiving real-time visual feedback. Progress is tracked per note with a level system, and carrot points are awarded based on achievement.

Availability: Paid subscribers only (all Pro plans). No free trial available.

Core Concept

The Level System

Each note in the user's vocal range has an independent level that increases with sustained accurate singing:

Duration Sustained Level Achieved
5 seconds Level 1
10 seconds Level 2
15 seconds Level 3
20 seconds Level 4
25 seconds Level 5
...and so on +1 level per 5 seconds

Key Points: - Levels are tracked separately for each MIDI note - Progress resets daily (encourages consistent practice) - All-time best is tracked separately for long-term progress visualization

Step-by-Step User Flow

Section 1: Page Load and Initialization

Upon page load: 1. Loading Modal appears with progress indicator while audio samples load 2. Intro Modal displays with instructions 3. Once loaded, the main interface appears with: - Interactive piano keyboard - Pitch visualization area - Daily stats panel - Control buttons

Section 2: Main Interface Components

Interactive Piano Keyboard

  • Location: Bottom of the visualization area
  • Function: Click any key to select that note as the target
  • Visual Indicators:
  • Selected note highlighted in green
  • Currently sung pitch highlighted in pink
  • Blue indicator shows target note position
  • Octave labels (C2, C3, C4, etc.) on white keys

Control Buttons

  • Listen Button: Plays the target note audio so user can hear the pitch to match
  • Scaling Buttons: Adjust how many octaves are visible on the piano (2-5 octaves)

Pitch Visualization Area

  • Real-time pitch chart: Shows user's sung pitch over time
  • Target note indicator: Horizontal line showing the note to match
  • Zoom view: Detailed pitch accuracy display centered on target note
  • Circular progress indicator: Shows progress toward next level during active sustaining

Section 3: Sustain Training Gameplay

How to Practice

  1. Select a note by clicking on the piano keyboard
  2. Tap "Listen" to hear the target pitch
  3. Sing the note into your microphone
  4. Watch the visualization to see if you're on pitch
  5. Sustain accurately to build levels (5 seconds per level)

Visual Feedback During Sustaining

  • Pitch line: Real-time display of sung pitch relative to target
  • Progress circle: Fills up as you approach the next level threshold
  • "Nice start!" bubble: Appears after 2 seconds of accurate sustaining (first level only)
  • Level achievement celebration: Visual and audio feedback when a level is reached

Progress Tracking and Visualization

Stacking Blocks Display

Progress is visualized as colored blocks stacking on each note of the piano:

  • Each block represents one level achieved
  • Block height corresponds to 5 seconds of sustain time
  • Blocks stack vertically on their respective piano key

Color Tiers

Block colors change based on consecutive notes mastered at each level:

Consecutive Notes Color Hex Code
1-5 notes Blue #007bff
6-11 notes Bronze #CD7F32
12-23 notes Silver #C0C0C0
24-35 notes Gold #FFD700
36+ notes Diamond/Purple #871094

How consecutive notes are counted: - The system looks at each level independently - For a given level, it counts how many adjacent notes (going both up and down) have achieved that level or higher - Higher streaks = higher tier color = more carrot points

Best Day Comparison

  • Light gray background blocks show the user's best-ever performance for each note
  • Current day's colored blocks overlay on top
  • Allows users to see if they're matching or exceeding their personal best

Carrot Points Reward System

Reward Structure

Carrot points are earned based on levels achieved and consecutive note streaks:

Consecutive Notes at Level Carrots per Level
1-5 notes 3 carrots
6-11 notes 4 carrots
12-23 notes 5 carrots
24-35 notes 6 carrots
36+ notes 7 carrots

Cumulative Level Rewards

Important: A note at level N earns rewards for ALL levels 1 through N.

Example: - Note A at Level 3 → earns carrots for levels 1, 2, AND 3 (3 rewards) - Note B at Level 2 → earns carrots for levels 1 AND 2 (2 rewards) - Note C at Level 1 → earns carrots for level 1 only (1 reward)

Calculation Example

If a user has achieved: - C4 at Level 3 (within a 10-note streak) - D4 at Level 2 (within a 10-note streak) - E4 at Level 1 (within a 10-note streak)

Reward calculation: - C4: 3 levels × 4 carrots (bronze tier) = 12 carrots - D4: 2 levels × 4 carrots (bronze tier) = 8 carrots - E4: 1 level × 4 carrots (bronze tier) = 4 carrots - Total: 24 carrots

Daily Record Management

  • One carrot points record per user per day (score_type: SUSTAIN_LEVEL)
  • Record is recalculated and updated on each progress save (not duplicated)
  • Rewards appear in real-time as the user practices

Daily Stats Panel

Stats Displayed

  • Total Levels: Sum of all levels achieved across all notes today
  • Carrots Earned: Total carrot points earned from sustain training today

Best Day Stats

  • Loads and displays the user's best-ever single-day performance
  • Provides a target for users to beat

Technical Details

MIDI Note System

Sustain Training uses an adjusted MIDI system (same as AI vocal coach):

Note Adjusted (Our System) Canonical MIDI
C4 37 60

The offset is -23 from canonical MIDI. All note values in the system use this adjusted notation.

Data Persistence

  • Cookies: Progress saved locally for non-authenticated users
  • API: Progress synced to server for authenticated users
  • Cookie key format: sustain-training-progress-YYYY-MM-DD

API Endpoints

  • POST /api/v1/user-stats/sustain-progress - Save progress for a note
  • Parameters: note, level, date
  • Returns: totalReward, newCarrots
  • GET /api/v1/user-stats/sustain-progress - Load progress
  • Parameters: date
  • Returns: noteLevels (map), totalRewards

FAQ

Access and Availability

Q: Who can access Sustain Training? A: Sustain Training is available exclusively to paid subscribers. It's included in all Pro plans. There is no free trial for this feature.

Q: Does it work on mobile? A: Yes. Sustain Training works on any modern browser with microphone access—desktop or mobile.

Q: Do I need to download an app? A: No. It runs directly in your web browser.

Progress and Rewards

Q: Why does my progress reset daily? A: Daily resets encourage consistent practice habits. Your all-time best is tracked separately so you can see long-term improvement.

Q: How are carrot points calculated? A: You earn 3-7 carrots per level depending on how many consecutive notes you've mastered. Higher streaks = more carrots. Each level achieved earns rewards cumulatively (Level 3 pays for levels 1, 2, and 3).

Q: Do my carrot points count toward the weekly leaderboard? A: Yes. Carrot points from Sustain Training contribute to your weekly total and leaderboard ranking.

Practice Tips

Q: How long should I practice? A: Start with 10-15 minutes. Sustaining notes is more tiring than it seems—don't strain your voice.

Q: What if I can't sustain for 5 seconds? A: Start with notes in your comfortable middle range. As your breath control improves, you'll reach 5 seconds and beyond.

Q: Should I warm up first? A: Yes. Start with comfortable notes before pushing into the edges of your range.

Technical Issues

Q: The pitch detection seems inaccurate. What can I do? A: Use headphones to reduce echo, find a quiet environment, and keep your device at a consistent distance from your mouth.

Q: My progress isn't saving. Why? A: Make sure you're logged in for server-side sync. Progress also saves to cookies locally as a backup.