Advanced Readiness Checklist

Am I Ready for Advanced Study?

This checklist is the definitive “graduation gate” for the intermediate course. Its criteria are aligned with ABRSM Grade 3 benchmarks — the internationally recognised threshold for intermediate competence. If you can check 80% or more of these items, you are ready for advanced study (ABRSM Grade 4+ or self-directed learning).

Work through each section carefully. For each item, mark Yes (you can do this consistently and confidently) or No (you cannot yet do this reliably). Be honest — this assessment is for your own benefit.

Items marked (Essential) are core competencies that must be met for advanced readiness. Items marked (Bonus) indicate strengths that go beyond the minimum requirement.

Technical Skills

Aligned with ABRSM Grade 3 benchmarks

Scales

(Essential) Play all common major scales (C, G, D, A, E, F, Bb, Eb, Ab) 2 octaves hands together at 80-100 BPM with correct ABRSM fingering
(Essential) Play harmonic minor scales (A, D, E, G) 2 octaves hands together at 60-80 BPM
(Bonus) Play melodic minor scales (A, D, E, G) ascending with raised 6th and 7th, descending as natural minor
(Bonus) Play contrary motion scales in C and G major

Arpeggios

(Essential) Play arpeggios for major and minor triads 1 octave hands together for common keys (C, G, D, F, Am, Em)
(Essential) Play arpeggios 2 octaves hands together for C and G major
(Bonus) Play arpeggios with smooth thumb-under at 66-72 BPM

Chords

(Essential) Play 7th chords (maj7, dom7, min7) in at least 4 keys — e.g., Cmaj7, G7, Am7, Dm7, Em7, C7, D7
(Essential) Demonstrate V7-I resolution in at least 3 keys
(Bonus) Play shell voicings (root + 3rd + 7th) for jazz chord progressions
(Bonus) Play sus2, sus4, and add9 voicings for pop/contemporary playing

Voicing & Touch

(Essential) Demonstrate proper voicing: bring out melody over accompaniment (RH louder than LH in melody-driven pieces)
(Essential) Use legato pedaling, syncopated pedaling, and half-pedaling appropriately
(Essential) Play with full dynamic range (pp through ff) and varied articulation (staccato, legato, accents, tenuto)
(Bonus) Execute trills and grace notes (acciaccatura, appoggiatura) cleanly

Music Theory

Ear Training & Creativity

(Essential) Identify intervals up to an octave by ear
(Essential) Distinguish major, minor, dominant 7th, and major 7th chords by ear
(Essential) Transcribe a simple 8-bar melody by ear (find key, find notes, write them down)
(Essential) Improvise a coherent 12-bar blues solo using the blues scale
(Essential) Improvise over a I-IV-V-I progression using pentatonic and chord tones
(Essential) Play a familiar song by ear (find the melody and basic chords)
(Bonus) Compose an 8-bar melody using a mode with chord symbols
(Bonus) Record compositions on the CT-X9000IN

Musical Skills

(Essential) Play 5+ polished performance pieces from memory across classical, pop, jazz, and Indian genres
(Essential) Sight-read Grade 2-3 level pieces (both hands, with key signature and basic accidentals)
(Essential) Play a song from a lead sheet/chord chart (create accompaniment from chord symbols)
(Essential) Play with genre-appropriate style: classical precision, pop groove, swing feel, raga ornamentation
(Essential) Use CT-X9000IN features: layer, split, registration memory, MIDI recording to USB, Indian tones/rhythms
(Bonus) Perform a complete graduation recital (5 pieces) from memory with genre-appropriate expression
(Bonus) Demonstrate performance confidence and pacing between pieces

Indian Music

(Essential) Explain basic raga structure (aroha/avaroha)
(Essential) Play Raga Yaman and Raga Bhairavi on keyboard with correct ascending/descending patterns
(Essential) Perform 3+ Bollywood songs with advanced arrangements (melody + chords + CT-X9000IN Indian features)
(Essential) Use CT-X9000IN’s Indian tones and rhythms idiomatically
(Bonus) Play Raga Des with correct ascending/descending pattern
(Bonus) Compose a simple melody using raga notes
(Bonus) Demonstrate meend (glide between notes) using the pitch bend wheel

CT-X9000IN Mastery

(Essential) Set up and use layer mode (two simultaneous tones)
(Essential) Set up and use split mode (different tones per hand)
(Essential) Save and recall registration memory setups
(Essential) Record to MIDI and export to USB
(Bonus) Select genre-appropriate tones for different styles (Harpsichord for Bach, Electric Piano for jazz, Indian tones for raga)
(Bonus) Use rhythm accompaniment as a practice backing track
(Bonus) Demonstrate Chordana Play connectivity (if applicable)

How to Score Your Readiness

Count Your Results

Category	Essential Items	Your “Yes” Count
Technical Skills	9	___/9
Music Theory	7	___/7
Ear Training & Creativity	6	___/6
Musical Skills	5	___/5
Indian Music	4	___/4
CT-X9000IN Mastery	4	___/4
Total Essential	35	___/35

Category	Bonus Items	Your “Yes” Count
Technical Skills	6	___/6
Music Theory	3	___/3
Ear Training & Creativity	2	___/2
Musical Skills	2	___/2
Indian Music	3	___/3
CT-X9000IN Mastery	3	___/3
Total Bonus	19	___/19

Grand Total: ___/54

Readiness Levels

Score	Level	What It Means
80%+ (44+ items)	Ready for Advanced Study	You meet or exceed ABRSM Grade 3 benchmarks. Proceed to advanced material (Grade 4-5), specialisation tracks, or ABRSM examination with confidence.
70-79% (38-43 items)	Nearly Ready	You have strong intermediate skills with a few gaps. Address unchecked Essential items before starting advanced study. Estimated catch-up: 2-4 weeks of focused practice.
60-69% (33-37 items)	Developing	Solid progress, but core competencies need strengthening. Revisit the relevant phase checkpoints and spend 4-6 weeks on weak areas.
Below 60% (under 33)	Continue Intermediate	Keep working through the intermediate material. Focus on Essential items first. You are building the skills — they need more practice time to solidify.

Remediation Guide for Unchecked Essential Items

For each unchecked Essential item, here is exactly what to do:

Scales below 80 BPM: Practice with metronome daily. Start at your current max clean BPM, increase by 4 BPM per week. Review Sessions 2-3 for fingering. Target: 15 minutes daily for 4 weeks.

Harmonic minor scales shaky: Focus on one scale per week (A, then D, then E, then G). Say “sharp” aloud on the raised 7th each time. Review Session 4. Target: 10 minutes daily for 4 weeks.

Arpeggios not fluent HT: Practice hands-separate first, then hands-together at 40 BPM. Let the wrist guide the thumb-under motion. Review Session 7. Target: 10 minutes daily for 3 weeks.

7th chords incomplete: Learn the three formulas: major triad + major 7th = maj7, major triad + minor 7th = dom7, minor triad + minor 7th = m7. Build each from C, G, D, F. Review Session 6. Target: 5 minutes daily for 2 weeks.

Pedaling inconsistent: Practice legato pedaling on a simple chord progression (C-F-G-C). The sequence: play chord, press pedal, release pedal, play next chord. Review Session 11. Target: 5 minutes daily for 1 week.

Dynamic range limited: Play scales with the hairpin exercise (pp to ff ascending, ff to pp descending). Check CT-X9000IN touch response settings. Review Session 12. Target: 5 minutes daily for 1 week.

Key signatures uncertain: Make flashcards or use a reference sheet. Quiz yourself: “Eb major = 3 flats: Bb, Eb, Ab.” Review Sessions 2-3 Theory sections. Target: 5 minutes daily for 2 weeks.

Modes unfamiliar: Start with D Dorian (white keys from D), then G Mixolydian (white keys from G), then C Lydian (C major with F#). Play each as a scale, then improvise over a 2-chord vamp. Review Session 24. Target: 10 minutes daily for 2 weeks.

Ear training weak (intervals): Use song associations: 2nd = “Happy Birthday,” 3rd = “Kumbaya,” 4th = “Here Comes the Bride,” 5th = “Twinkle Twinkle,” 6th = “My Bonnie.” Play and sing 5 minutes daily. Review Session 13. Target: 5 minutes daily for 3 weeks.

Improvisation uncomfortable: Start with 2 notes. Seriously — improvise using only C and Eb over a blues backing track. Add one note per day. Review Session 18. Target: 10 minutes daily for 2 weeks.

Sight-reading weak: Read 1 new short piece daily that you have never seen before. Do not stop for mistakes. Keep going. The skill develops through volume. Review Session 21. Target: 10 minutes daily, ongoing.

Repertoire not memorised: Use 3-method memorisation: muscle memory (play 10 times), harmonic analysis (know the chords), visualisation (close eyes and imagine). Review Session 23. Target: 1 piece at a time, 15 minutes daily per piece.

Lead sheet reading slow: Practice with simple 4-chord songs first. See symbol, play chord immediately, choose a LH pattern. Review Session 19. Target: 10 minutes daily for 2 weeks.

Raga knowledge incomplete: Focus on aroha/avaroha for Yaman and Bhairavi. Say the sargam aloud while playing. Review Sessions 14 and 20. Target: 10 minutes daily for 2 weeks.

CT-X9000IN features unused: Spend one practice session exploring each feature: Day 1 = layer mode, Day 2 = split mode, Day 3 = registration memory, Day 4 = MIDI recording. Your keyboard manual and the keyboard advanced features guide are your references. Target: 15 minutes per feature.

These criteria are aligned with ABRSM Grade 3 benchmarks

The ABRSM (Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music) Grade 3 standard represents the internationally accepted threshold for intermediate piano competence. A student who meets 80%+ of the Essential items on this checklist is performing at or above that standard. This means you have the technical, theoretical, and musical foundation to pursue advanced study — whether through ABRSM Grade 4-5 examinations, self-directed learning, or specialisation in a genre of your choice.

Your keyboard (Casio CT-X9000IN) has served you brilliantly through this course. As you consider advanced study, the “What Comes Next — Advanced” guide discusses when and whether to consider upgrading to a weighted 88-key instrument, and how to continue maximising the CT-X9000IN’s capabilities for different musical paths.