Quick Start Guide
Get up and running with Woodshedding in minutes. This guide covers everything you need to know to start tracking your practice sessions today.
1. Download & Install
Woodshedding is available for free on the Apple App Store for iPhone (iOS 16 or later).
- Open the App Store on your iPhone
- Search for "Woodshedding"
- Tap "Get" to download and install
- Wait for the app to install on your device
Note: You'll need an Apple ID to download apps from the App Store.
2. Create Your Account
When you first open Woodshedding, you'll be prompted to create an account. This allows you to save your practice sessions, track your progress over time, and back up your data.
- Open the Woodshedding app
- Enter your email address
- Create a secure password
- Tap "Sign Up" to create your account
3. Grant Permissions
Woodshedding needs three key permissions to function properly:
🔊 Volume
The metronome requires your volume to be turned on so you can hear the click track during practice sessions. Make sure your device isn't on silent mode.
🎤 Microphone Access
Needed for the Tuner (detects pitch of your instrument) and Recording features (captures practice audio). Tap "Allow" when prompted.
🔔 Notifications
Helps you stay motivated with daily practice reminders, goal progress updates, and achievement alerts. Needed for timed sessions if your screen turns off. All notifications are configurable in Settings.
4. Start Your First Practice Session
There are two ways to start tracking your practice:
Quick Start (Fastest)
Hit the quickstart timer button at the top of most pages to instantly begin a practice session.
Full Timer (Best)
- Open the app and tap the Timer tab
- Select a practice time under Timer Presets
- Choose a Practice type (Scales, Songs, Technique, etc.)
- Tap the play button and begin practicing
- When the session is finished, tap "Complete Session" to save it to your history, or keep going and add the additional time when you are ready to stop
The timer will track your session in the background, even if you lock your phone or switch to another app. You'll receive a notification when your target time is reached.
5. Set Your First Goal
Goals help you stay consistent with structured practice targets:
- Tap the Goals tab
- Tap "Create New Goal"
- Choose your practice type
- Set a weekly target (e.g., 3 days/week)
- Select which days of the week to practice
- Set your session duration
- Optionally enable the metronome for that goal
- Tap "Create Goal"
The app will track your progress and celebrate when you hit your milestones! Free users can create 1 active goal. Premium users can set unlimited goals.
6. Explore Premium Features
Want to unlock the full potential of Woodshedding? Premium includes:
- Unlimited practice goals
- Full statistics history (free is limited to 30 days)
- Audio looping and recording filters with warmth processing
- Advanced tuner features with 17 alternate tunings
- Advanced metronome patterns with polyrhythms and claves
- Custom timer presets
Try Premium free for 2 weeks!
No commitment required. You can cancel anytime through your Apple ID subscription settings.
To upgrade: Open the app → Settings → Manage Subscription → Start Free Trial
Next Steps
Now that you're set up, explore these detailed tutorials to master each feature: