diff --git a/app.js b/app.js
index 91fa837..297daaf 100644
--- a/app.js
+++ b/app.js
@@ -416,7 +416,7 @@ function renderTable() {
   emptyMsg.hidden = rows.length > 0;
 
   rows.forEach(({ tune, entry }) => {
-    const hasNotes = (tune.notes?.length > 0) || (entry?.notes?.length > 0);
+    const hasNotes = tune.has_notes ?? false;
 
     // ── Mobile 2-line card data ──────────────────────────────────
     const nameRaw   = tune.name ?? '';
@@ -431,7 +431,7 @@ function renderTable() {
     const mobPills  = entry ? pillStatus(entry.status, 'mob-pill') : '';
     const mobActions = [
       hasNotes ? `<button class="action-btn btn-notes" data-tune-id="${tune.id}" data-entry-id="${entry?.id ?? ''}">📝</button>` : '',
-      tune.references?.length > 0 ? `<button class="action-btn btn-show-refs" data-tune-id="${tune.id}">🔗</button>` : '',
+      (tune.reference_count ?? 0) > 0 ? `<button class="action-btn btn-show-refs" data-tune-id="${tune.id}">🔗</button>` : '',
       `<button class="action-btn btn-edit-row" data-tune-id="${tune.id}" data-entry-id="${entry?.id ?? ''}" ${unlocked ? '' : 'hidden'}>✏️</button>`,
     ].join('');
 
@@ -446,7 +446,7 @@ function renderTable() {
       <td>${hasNotes
             ? `<button class="action-btn btn-notes" data-tune-id="${tune.id}" data-entry-id="${entry?.id ?? ''}">📝</button>`
             : ''}</td>
-      <td>${tune.references?.length > 0
+      <td>${(tune.reference_count ?? 0) > 0
             ? `<button class="action-btn btn-show-refs" data-tune-id="${tune.id}" title="References">🔗</button>`
             : ''}</td>
       <td><button class="action-btn btn-edit-row"
@@ -512,22 +512,37 @@ function openAdd() {
   tuneModal.showModal();
 }
 
-function openEdit(tuneId, entryId) {
+async function openEdit(tuneId, entryId) {
   editingTuneId  = tuneId;
   editingEntryId = entryId;
 
-  const tune  = allTunes.find(t => t.id === tuneId);
-  const entry = entryId ? tune?.instruments.find(e => e.id === entryId) : null;
-
-  $('modal-title').textContent = `Edit: ${tune?.name ?? ''}`;
+  // Open modal immediately — name from slim data gives instant feedback
+  const slimTune = allTunes.find(t => t.id === tuneId);
+  $('modal-title').textContent = `Edit: ${slimTune?.name ?? ''}`;
   tuneForm.reset();
+  refsList.innerHTML = '';
+  btnDeleteTune.hidden = false;
+  btnEditNotes.hidden  = false;
+  tuneModal.showModal();
 
-  tuneForm.elements.name.value    = tune?.name  ?? '';
-  tuneForm.elements.key.value     = tune?.key   ?? '';
-  tuneForm.elements.modal.checked = !!tune?.modal;
-  sourceInput.value = tune?.source?.name ?? '';
+  // Fetch full tune for references and confirmed field values
+  let fullTune;
+  try {
+    fullTune = await apiFetch(`/tunes/${tuneId}`);
+  } catch (e) {
+    setStatus(e.message, true);
+    tuneModal.close();
+    return;
+  }
+
+  const entry = entryId ? fullTune.instruments.find(e => e.id === entryId) : null;
+
+  $('modal-title').textContent = `Edit: ${fullTune.name ?? ''}`;
+  tuneForm.elements.name.value    = fullTune.name  ?? '';
+  tuneForm.elements.key.value     = fullTune.key   ?? '';
+  tuneForm.elements.modal.checked = !!fullTune.modal;
+  sourceInput.value = fullTune.source?.name ?? '';
 
-  // Instrument entry
   populateInstrumentSelect(entry?.instrument_id ?? null);
   if (entry) {
     tuneForm.elements.inst_tuning.value        = entry.tuning       ?? '';
@@ -537,13 +552,7 @@ function openEdit(tuneId, entryId) {
     tuneForm.elements.inst_difficulty.value    = entry.difficulty   ?? '';
   }
 
-  // References
-  refsList.innerHTML = '';
-  (tune?.references ?? []).forEach(r => addRefRow(r.link, r.site?.name ?? '', r.id, r.site_id, r.musicians ?? []));
-
-  btnDeleteTune.hidden = false;
-  btnEditNotes.hidden  = false;
-  tuneModal.showModal();
+  (fullTune.references ?? []).forEach(r => addRefRow(r.link, r.site?.name ?? '', r.id, r.site_id, r.musicians ?? []));
 }
 
 // ── Musician chip picker (shared by ref rows + bulk form) ──────
@@ -739,22 +748,30 @@ async function openNotesModal(tuneId, entryId) {
   notesTuneId  = tuneId;
   notesEntryId = entryId;
 
-  const tune  = allTunes.find(t => t.id === tuneId);
-  const entry = entryId ? tune?.instruments.find(e => e.id === entryId) : null;
-
-  $('notes-modal-title').textContent = `Notes — ${tune?.name ?? ''}`;
-  $('inst-notes-heading').textContent = entry
-    ? `${entry.instrument_name} notes`
-    : 'Instrument notes';
-  $('inst-notes-section').hidden = !entry;
-
-  renderTuneNotes(tune?.notes ?? []);
-  renderInstNotes(entry?.notes ?? []);
-
-  $('btn-add-tune-note').hidden = !unlocked;
-  $('btn-add-inst-note').hidden = !unlocked || !entry;
-
+  // Open immediately with name from slim data
+  const slimTune = allTunes.find(t => t.id === tuneId);
+  $('notes-modal-title').textContent = `Notes — ${slimTune?.name ?? ''}`;
+  $('tune-notes-list').innerHTML  = '';
+  $('inst-notes-list').innerHTML  = '';
+  $('inst-notes-section').hidden  = !entryId;
+  $('btn-add-tune-note').hidden   = !unlocked;
+  $('btn-add-inst-note').hidden   = !unlocked || !entryId;
   notesModal.showModal();
+
+  // Fetch full tune for note data
+  try {
+    const fullTune = await apiFetch(`/tunes/${tuneId}`);
+    const entry    = entryId ? fullTune.instruments.find(e => e.id === entryId) : null;
+
+    $('inst-notes-heading').textContent = entry ? `${entry.instrument_name} notes` : 'Instrument notes';
+    $('inst-notes-section').hidden = !entry;
+    $('btn-add-inst-note').hidden  = !unlocked || !entry;
+
+    renderTuneNotes(fullTune.notes ?? []);
+    renderInstNotes(entry?.notes ?? []);
+  } catch (e) {
+    setStatus(e.message, true);
+  }
 }
 
 function renderTuneNotes(notes) {
@@ -848,11 +865,20 @@ async function deleteInstNote(noteId) {
 }
 
 async function reloadNotesModal() {
-  await loadAll();
-  const tune  = allTunes.find(t => t.id === notesTuneId);
-  const entry = notesEntryId ? tune?.instruments.find(e => e.id === notesEntryId) : null;
-  renderTuneNotes(tune?.notes ?? []);
-  renderInstNotes(entry?.notes ?? []);
+  try {
+    const fullTune = await apiFetch(`/tunes/${notesTuneId}`);
+    const entry    = notesEntryId ? fullTune.instruments.find(e => e.id === notesEntryId) : null;
+    renderTuneNotes(fullTune.notes ?? []);
+    renderInstNotes(entry?.notes ?? []);
+    // Keep has_notes in sync so the 📝 button stays accurate
+    const idx = allTunes.findIndex(t => t.id === notesTuneId);
+    if (idx >= 0) {
+      allTunes[idx].has_notes = !!fullTune.notes?.length
+        || fullTune.instruments.some(e => !!e.notes?.length);
+    }
+  } catch (e) {
+    setStatus(e.message, true);
+  }
 }
 
 $('btn-notes-close').addEventListener('click', () => notesModal.close());
@@ -860,29 +886,33 @@ $('btn-notes-close').addEventListener('click', () => notesModal.close());
 // ── References display modal ────────────────────────────────────
 $('btn-refs-modal-close').addEventListener('click', () => refsModal.close());
 
-function openRefsModal(tuneId) {
+async function openRefsModal(tuneId) {
   const tune = allTunes.find(t => t.id === tuneId);
   $('refs-modal-title').textContent = `References — ${tune?.name ?? ''}`;
-  refsModalList.innerHTML = '';
-
-  const refs = tune?.references ?? [];
-  if (refs.length === 0) {
-    refsModalList.innerHTML = '<p style="color:var(--muted);font-size:.875rem">No references.</p>';
-  } else {
-    refs.forEach(r => {
-      const item = document.createElement('div');
-      item.className = 'refs-modal-item';
-      const musicians = r.musicians?.map(m => m.name).join(', ') ?? '';
-      const siteName  = r.site?.name ?? '';
-      const meta      = [siteName, musicians].filter(Boolean).join(' · ');
-      item.innerHTML  = `
-        <a href="${esc(r.link ?? '')}" target="_blank" rel="noopener" class="ref-link-anchor">${esc(r.link ?? r.site?.name ?? 'link')}</a>
-        ${meta ? `<span class="ref-meta">${esc(meta)}</span>` : ''}`;
-      refsModalList.appendChild(item);
-    });
-  }
-
+  refsModalList.innerHTML = '<p style="color:var(--muted);font-size:.875rem">Loading…</p>';
   refsModal.showModal();
+
+  try {
+    const refs = await apiFetch(`/tunes/${tuneId}/references`);
+    refsModalList.innerHTML = '';
+    if (refs.length === 0) {
+      refsModalList.innerHTML = '<p style="color:var(--muted);font-size:.875rem">No references.</p>';
+    } else {
+      refs.forEach(r => {
+        const item = document.createElement('div');
+        item.className = 'refs-modal-item';
+        const musicians = r.musicians?.map(m => m.name).join(', ') ?? '';
+        const siteName  = r.site?.name ?? '';
+        const meta      = [siteName, musicians].filter(Boolean).join(' · ');
+        item.innerHTML  = `
+          <a href="${esc(r.link ?? '')}" target="_blank" rel="noopener" class="ref-link-anchor">${esc(r.link ?? r.site?.name ?? 'link')}</a>
+          ${meta ? `<span class="ref-meta">${esc(meta)}</span>` : ''}`;
+        refsModalList.appendChild(item);
+      });
+    }
+  } catch (e) {
+    refsModalList.innerHTML = `<p style="color:#eb5757;font-size:.875rem">${esc(e.message)}</p>`;
+  }
 }
 
 // ── Call / Learn mode ────────────────────────────────────────────
@@ -1086,8 +1116,8 @@ function getBulkRefsFiltered() {
     if (search && !(t.name ?? '').toLowerCase().includes(search)) return false;
     if (srcId  && t.source_id !== parseInt(srcId))  return false;
     if (instId && !t.instruments.some(e => e.instrument_id === parseInt(instId))) return false;
-    if (hasRefs === 'no'  && t.references.length > 0) return false;
-    if (hasRefs === 'yes' && t.references.length === 0) return false;
+    if (hasRefs === 'no'  && (t.reference_count ?? 0) > 0)  return false;
+    if (hasRefs === 'yes' && (t.reference_count ?? 0) === 0) return false;
     return true;
   });
 
@@ -1124,7 +1154,7 @@ function renderBulkRefsList() {
     row.dataset.tuneId = tune.id;
 
     const instruments = tune.instruments.map(e => e.instrument_name).filter(Boolean).join(', ');
-    const refCount    = tune.references.length;
+    const refCount    = tune.reference_count ?? 0;
     const refPill     = refCount > 0
       ? `<span class="pill pill-yes">${refCount} ref${refCount !== 1 ? 's' : ''}</span>`
       : `<span class="pill" style="background:#222">0</span>`;