Add reference note duration and wait-for-silence options

- Settings: reference note duration slider (0.5-4s, default 1.5s) applies to
  ear-training auto-play, sight-reading auto-play and the manual Play Note
  button/keys alike.
- Settings: 'Wait for Silence' toggle holds the next reference note until the
  mic detects the instrument has gone quiet (a still-ringing string masking
  the next note was easy to miss). Safety cap of 8s so continuously
  detectable room noise can't stall the app; without a mic it plays
  immediately. The quiet state is a boolean dep (not the per-frame pitch
  object) so the play timer isn't reset 60x/sec.
- Gate all live feedback (staff preview, readout, tuner) during speaker
  playback: the mic inevitably hears the reference note and would briefly
  leak the target in ear training. Virtual fretboard taps (explicit user
  input) still display instantly.

src/App.tsx

@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-import { useState, useEffect, useCallback, useMemo } from 'react';
+import { useState, useEffect, useLayoutEffect, useCallback, useMemo } from 'react';
 import { Logo } from './components/Logo';
 import { LandscapeSuggestion } from './components/LandscapeSuggestion';
 
@@ -9,9 +9,10 @@ import { SettingsModal } from './components/SettingsModal';
 import { OpenSourceModal } from './components/OpenSourceModal';
 import { usePitchDetector } from './hooks/usePitchDetector';
 import { useAudioPlayer } from './hooks/useAudioPlayer';
-import { useSettings } from './context/SettingsContext';
+import { useSettings } from './context/useSettings';
 import { useGameLogic } from './hooks/useGameLogic';
-import { getNoteDetails } from './music/NoteUtils';
+import { audioEngine } from './audio/AudioEngine';
+import { getNoteDetails, midiToFrequency } from './music/NoteUtils';
 import {
   TUNINGS,
   getFretboardPositions,
@@ -35,9 +36,30 @@ function App() {
   // Alias to keep existing code working with minimal changes
   const setSettings = updateSettings;
 
-  const { pitchData, error, audioLevel, debugInfo, isListening } = usePitchDetector(listening, settings.micSensitivity);
+  const currentTuning = TUNINGS[settings.tuningId];
+  const currentInstrumentDef = INSTRUMENT_DEFINITIONS[settings.instrument];
 
-  // Game Logic Hook
+  // Lowest note the instrument can produce: the pitch analysis window adapts
+  // to it (shorter window = lower latency for instruments without deep bass)
+  const instrumentMinMidi = useMemo(() => {
+    let min = Infinity;
+    for (const r of currentInstrumentDef.ranges) {
+      if (r.min !== undefined) min = Math.min(min, r.min);
+    }
+    if (currentTuning) {
+      for (const stringMidi of currentTuning.strings) min = Math.min(min, stringMidi);
+    }
+    return min === Infinity ? 40 : min; // Fallback: guitar low E
+  }, [currentInstrumentDef, currentTuning]);
+
+  // One semitone of margin below the lowest note (detuned strings, flat playing)
+  const { pitchData, error, audioLevel, debugInfo, isListening } = usePitchDetector(
+    listening,
+    settings.micSensitivity,
+    midiToFrequency(instrumentMinMidi - 1)
+  );
+
+  // Game Logic Hook (matching uses the raw detection; display is gated below)
   const {
     targetMidi,
     feedbackMessage,
@@ -47,6 +69,13 @@ function App() {
     handleVirtualInstrumentPlay
   } = useGameLogic(pitchData);
 
+  // Live feedback shows only what the USER plays. While the app itself makes
+  // sound (ear-training reference note, Play Note, virtual instruments), the
+  // mic picks up the speaker — displaying that would leak the target note in
+  // ear training. The moment playback ends (plus decay tail), the note the
+  // user is playing appears again. Re-evaluated on every detection frame.
+  const displayedPitch = audioEngine.isAudible() ? null : pitchData;
+
   const [isSettingsOpen, setIsSettingsOpen] = useState(false);
   const [isOpenSourceModalOpen, setIsOpenSourceModalOpen] = useState(false);
   const [hoveredMidi, setHoveredMidi] = useState<number | null>(null);
@@ -63,8 +92,12 @@ function App() {
     return () => window.removeEventListener('resize', handleResize);
   }, []);
 
-  // Theme support
-  useEffect(() => {
+  // Theme support — MUST be a layout effect: children (e.g. SheetMusic) read the
+  // resolved theme colors from getComputedStyle inside their own passive
+  // effects. Layout effects run before any passive effects, so the
+  // data-theme attribute is applied by the time they read it — otherwise the
+  // rendered notation lags one theme switch behind.
+  useLayoutEffect(() => {
     const root = document.documentElement;
     const theme = settings.theme || 'auto';
     if (theme === 'auto') {
@@ -94,9 +127,6 @@ function App() {
     }
   }, []);
 
-  const currentTuning = TUNINGS[settings.tuningId];
-  const currentInstrumentDef = INSTRUMENT_DEFINITIONS[settings.instrument];
-
   // Resolve overrides
   const currentRangeDef = useMemo(() => {
     return currentInstrumentDef.ranges.find(r => r.id === settings.difficulty);
@@ -128,7 +158,7 @@ function App() {
           break;
         case 'r': // Replay
         case 'p': // Play
-          playNote(targetMidi, 1.0);
+          playNote(targetMidi, settings.referenceNoteDuration ?? 1.5, settings.autoPlayVolume ?? 0.5);
           break;
         case 'm': // Toggle Game Mode
           setSettings(s => ({
@@ -157,7 +187,9 @@ function App() {
 
     window.addEventListener('keydown', handleKeyDown);
     return () => window.removeEventListener('keydown', handleKeyDown);
-  }, [settings.zenMode, showHelp, generateNewNote, playNote, targetMidi]);
+    // `settings` (not individual fields): the handler reads several settings
+    // (gameMode, referenceNoteDuration, ...) and re-attaching a listener is cheap.
+  }, [settings, showHelp, generateNewNote, playNote, targetMidi, setSettings]);
 
   // Hint text construction
   const hintPositions = useMemo(() => {
@@ -181,10 +213,12 @@ function App() {
     return getFretboardPositions(targetMidi, currentTuning);
   }, [settings.showHint, settings.showFretboard, targetMidi, currentTuning, currentInstrumentDef]);
 
-  // Auto-enable mic when tuner is turned on
+  // Auto-enable mic when tuner is turned on (rAF defers the state update
+  // out of the effect phase to avoid cascading renders)
   useEffect(() => {
     if (settings.showTuningMeter && !listening) {
-      setListening(true);
+      const id = requestAnimationFrame(() => setListening(true));
+      return () => cancelAnimationFrame(id);
     }
   }, [settings.showTuningMeter, listening]);
 
@@ -250,7 +284,9 @@ function App() {
           <div className="sheet-music-container">
             <SheetMusic
               targetMidi={targetMidi}
-              playedMidi={virtualNote ?? pitchData?.midi}
+              // Virtual fretboard taps are explicit user input and always
+              // show; the mic preview is gated during speaker playback.
+              playedMidi={virtualNote ?? displayedPitch?.midi}
               keySignature={settings.keySignature}
               clef={activeClef}
               transpose={activeTranspose}
@@ -262,6 +298,7 @@ function App() {
               }
               hideTargetNote={settings.gameMode === 'ear_training' && !revealed}
               hoverMidi={settings.showHint ? hoveredMidi : null}
+              theme={settings.theme}
             />
           </div>
 
@@ -354,7 +391,7 @@ function App() {
 
               <button
                 className="hint-button"
-                onClick={() => playNote(targetMidi, 1.0)}
+                onClick={() => playNote(targetMidi, settings.referenceNoteDuration ?? 1.5, settings.autoPlayVolume ?? 0.5)}
                 title="Keyboard Shortcut: P or R"
               >
                 <Volume2 size={18} />
@@ -382,13 +419,13 @@ function App() {
                 {listening ? <Mic size={28} /> : <MicOff size={28} />}
               </button>
 
-              <div className={`pitch-readout ${pitchData ? 'active' : ''}`}>
-                {pitchData ? (
+              <div className={`pitch-readout ${displayedPitch ? 'active' : ''}`}>
+                {displayedPitch ? (
                   <>
-                    <span className={`detected-note ${pitchData.midi === targetMidi ? 'match' : ''}`}>
-                      {pitchData.note}
+                    <span className={`detected-note ${displayedPitch.midi === targetMidi ? 'match' : ''}`}>
+                      {displayedPitch.note}
                     </span>
-                    <span className="detected-hz">{Math.round(pitchData.frequency)} Hz</span>
+                    <span className="detected-hz">{Math.round(displayedPitch.frequency)} Hz</span>
                   </>
                 ) : (
                   <span className="placeholder">{listening ? "Listening..." : "Mic Off"}</span>
@@ -402,7 +439,7 @@ function App() {
       {!settings.zenMode && (
         <footer className="settings-footer">
           <Controls
-            currentPitch={pitchData ? { note: pitchData.note, cents: pitchData.cents } : null}
+            currentPitch={displayedPitch ? { note: displayedPitch.note, cents: displayedPitch.cents } : null}
           />
           <div className="app-subtitle">
             <button className="link-button" onClick={() => setIsOpenSourceModalOpen(true)}>Open Source Libraries</button>

src/components/SettingsModal.tsx

@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 import React, { useState } from 'react';
-import { X, Volume2, VolumeX, ChevronDown, ChevronUp, Mic, MicOff, Sun, Moon, Monitor } from 'lucide-react';
+import { X, Volume2, VolumeX, ChevronDown, ChevronUp, Mic, MicOff, Sun, Moon, Monitor, Clock } from 'lucide-react';
 import type { AppSettings } from '../types/SettingsTypes';
 import { MIC_SENSITIVITY_DB_RANGE, MIC_DEFAULT_SENSITIVITY } from '../AppConfig';
 import type { MicrophoneDebugInfo } from '../hooks/usePitchDetector';
@@ -19,6 +19,9 @@ interface SettingsModalProps {
 const LevelMeter: React.FC<{ level: number; isActive: boolean }> = ({ level, isActive }) => {
     // Convert RMS to dB for display, then normalize to 0-100%
     // RMS of 0.001 = -60dB, RMS of 1.0 = 0dB
+    // `level` is already EMA-smoothed in the detection loop — no CSS transition
+    // here (a transition on a value that changes every frame gets interrupted
+    // 60x/sec, which Safari/WebKit handles by leaving the bar stuck).
     const db = level > 0 ? 20 * Math.log10(level) : -120;
 
     // Map full range from -100dB to 0dB => 0% to 100%
@@ -47,8 +50,7 @@ const LevelMeter: React.FC<{ level: number; isActive: boolean }> = ({ level, isA
                     height: '100%',
                     width: `${percentage}%`,
                     background: percentage > 80 ? '#ef4444' : percentage > 50 ? '#f59e0b' : '#22c55e',
-                    borderRadius: '6px',
-                    transition: 'width 0.05s ease-out'
+                    borderRadius: '6px'
                 }} />
             </div>
             <span style={{ fontSize: '11px', opacity: 0.7, minWidth: '45px', textAlign: 'right' }}>
@@ -91,7 +93,7 @@ export const SettingsModal: React.FC<SettingsModalProps> = ({
                         ].map(mode => (
                             <button
                                 key={mode.id}
-                                onClick={() => onUpdateSettings({ ...settings, theme: mode.id as any })}
+                                onClick={() => onUpdateSettings({ ...settings, theme: mode.id as AppSettings['theme'] })}
                                 style={{
                                     flex: 1,
                                     display: 'flex',
@@ -213,6 +215,52 @@ export const SettingsModal: React.FC<SettingsModalProps> = ({
                         : "Automatically plays the note audio when a new note appears."}
                 </p>
 
+                {/* Reference note duration */}
+                <div className="control-group" style={{ marginTop: '16px' }}>
+                    <div style={{ display: 'flex', alignItems: 'center', justifyContent: 'space-between', marginBottom: '8px' }}>
+                        <label className="control-label" style={{ marginBottom: 0, fontSize: '16px' }}>
+                            <span>Reference Note Duration</span>
+                        </label>
+                        <span style={{ fontSize: '14px', fontWeight: 600, minWidth: '40px', textAlign: 'right' }}>
+                            {settings.referenceNoteDuration ?? 1.5}s
+                        </span>
+                    </div>
+                    <div style={{ display: 'flex', alignItems: 'center', gap: '12px' }}>
+                        <Clock size={20} style={{ opacity: 0.7 }} />
+                        <input
+                            type="range"
+                            min="0.5"
+                            max="4"
+                            step="0.25"
+                            value={settings.referenceNoteDuration ?? 1.5}
+                            onChange={(e) => onUpdateSettings({ ...settings, referenceNoteDuration: parseFloat(e.target.value) })}
+                            style={{ flex: 1 }}
+                            aria-label="Reference note duration"
+                        />
+                    </div>
+                </div>
+
+                {/* Wait for silence before the next reference note */}
+                <div className="control-group" style={{ marginTop: '16px' }}>
+                    <div style={{ display: 'flex', alignItems: 'center', justifyContent: 'space-between', marginBottom: '8px' }}>
+                        <label className="control-label" style={{ marginBottom: 0, fontSize: '16px' }}>
+                            <span>Wait for Silence</span>
+                        </label>
+                        <button
+                            className={`switch-button ${settings.waitForQuiet ? 'active' : ''}`}
+                            onClick={() => onUpdateSettings({ ...settings, waitForQuiet: !settings.waitForQuiet })}
+                            title={settings.waitForQuiet ? "Play the next reference note immediately" : "Hold the next reference note until you stop playing"}
+                            aria-label="Wait for silence"
+                        >
+                            <div className="switch-thumb" />
+                        </button>
+                    </div>
+                    <p style={{ fontSize: '12px', opacity: 0.7, margin: 0 }}>
+                        Holds the next reference note until your instrument has gone quiet,
+                        so a still-ringing string can't mask it. (Requires the microphone.)
+                    </p>
+                </div>
+
                 <hr style={{ borderColor: 'rgba(255,255,255,0.1)', margin: '24px 0' }} />
 
                 {/* Microphone Toggle */}