Session 22: Repertoire Workshop I
Overview
Section titled “Overview”- Phase: 5 — Performance & Independence
- Duration: 75 minutes
- Prerequisites: Completed Sessions 1-21. Sight-reading strategies mastered. All major and harmonic minor scales (2 octaves, HT). 7th chords, arpeggios, all triads in inversions. Classical, pop, jazz/blues, and Indian repertoire across 20 sessions. Pedal mastery, dynamics pp-ff, articulation, improvisation basics, lead sheet reading.
Learning Objectives
Section titled “Learning Objectives”By the end of this session, you will be able to:
- Polish a classical piece to performance standard with full musical expression
- Polish a pop/contemporary piece with genre-appropriate voicings and feel
- Polish an Indian piece with ornamental playing and CT-X9000IN Indian tones
- Apply performance interpretation: dynamics, pedaling, phrasing, rubato
- Evaluate your own playing using a performance rubric
- Understand the difference between “learned” and “performance-ready”
Materials Needed
Section titled “Materials Needed”- Casio CT-X9000IN keyboard (multiple tones — Grand Piano, Strings, Indian tones)
- Sustain pedal connected
- Metronome (for tempo consistency check)
- Registration memory: save your performance setup for each piece (see CT-X9000IN Tips below)
- This lesson plan open beside you
Warm-Up & Review (10 minutes)
Section titled “Warm-Up & Review (10 minutes)”Performance Warm-Up: Full Scale Circuit (4 minutes)
Section titled “Performance Warm-Up: Full Scale Circuit (4 minutes)”Play each scale 2 octaves, HT, at your fastest clean tempo. This is not learning — this is warming up your fingers for performance:
- C major — aim for 92-100 BPM
- G major — aim for 92-100 BPM
- D major — aim for 80-92 BPM
- A harmonic minor — aim for 72-80 BPM
Arpeggio Warm-Up (3 minutes)
Section titled “Arpeggio Warm-Up (3 minutes)”Play C major, G major, D major arpeggios, 1 octave, HT, at 72 BPM. Then Am arpeggio, 1 octave, HT, at 66 BPM. These patterns appear in all three pieces today.
Dynamic Range Check (3 minutes)
Section titled “Dynamic Range Check (3 minutes)”Play a C major scale, 1 octave, starting pp and ending ff (crescendo over 8 notes). Then play it back down, ff to pp (diminuendo). You need full dynamic control for performance-quality playing.
Theory / Harmony (10 minutes)
Section titled “Theory / Harmony (10 minutes)”What Makes a Performance “Performance-Ready”?
Section titled “What Makes a Performance “Performance-Ready”?”You have learned over 15 pieces across this course. But there is a difference between “I can play this” and “I could perform this in front of someone.” Today we bridge that gap.
The Performance Readiness Checklist
Section titled “The Performance Readiness Checklist”A piece is performance-ready when ALL of these are true:
- Notes are secure — you can play the entire piece without stopping, with no more than 1-2 minor slips
- Tempo is consistent — no slowing down in hard passages, no speeding up in easy ones
- Dynamics are intentional — you have planned where to be loud, soft, crescendo, diminuendo
- Pedaling is clean — no muddy sustained notes, pedal changes at the right moments
- Phrasing is musical — the melody “breathes,” phrases have shape (rise and fall)
- You can recover from mistakes — if you play a wrong note, you keep going without stopping
- Expression matches the genre — classical pieces have classical phrasing, Indian pieces have ornamental touches, pop pieces have groove
Performance Rubric
Section titled “Performance Rubric”Use this rubric to evaluate each piece today:
| Category | 1 (Needs Work) | 2 (Developing) | 3 (Performance-Ready) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Notes | Frequent errors, stops | Occasional errors, no stops | Secure, 0-1 minor slips |
| Tempo | Uneven, slows in hard spots | Mostly steady, minor fluctuations | Consistent throughout |
| Dynamics | All one volume | Some dynamic contrast | Full range, intentional |
| Pedaling | Muddy or absent | Mostly clean | Clean legato pedaling |
| Phrasing | Mechanical, note-by-note | Some musical shape | Phrases breathe and sing |
| Recovery | Stops at every mistake | Hesitates but continues | Seamless recovery |
| Style | Generic playing | Some genre awareness | Genre-authentic expression |
Target: Score 2 or 3 in every category. A score of 1 in any category means that area needs focused practice this week.
Technique (15 minutes)
Section titled “Technique (15 minutes)”Piece 1: Classical — Bach “Minuet in G” BWV Anh. 114 (Performance Polish)
Section titled “Piece 1: Classical — Bach “Minuet in G” BWV Anh. 114 (Performance Polish)”You first learned this piece in Session 10. Today we polish it to performance standard.
Full Performance Arrangement
Section titled “Full Performance Arrangement”Performance Polish Notes
Section titled “Performance Polish Notes”-
Dynamics Plan: Start p (gentle opening), build through mp to mf in the middle, reach f at the climax (Phrase 2, bar 3), then pull back to mp and p for the ending. This creates an arch shape — the hallmark of classical phrasing.
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Phrasing: The Minuet is a dance in 3/4. Feel a gentle “1-2-3, 1-2-3” pulse. Slight emphasis on beat 1 of each measure. The melody should “lilt” — imagine a dancer stepping gracefully.
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Pedaling: Light pedal, changing every measure (or every 2 beats). Do NOT hold pedal through the entire piece — that would muddy the Baroque clarity. Lift pedal cleanly at phrase endings.
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Tempo: quarter note = 108-120 BPM. Steady. No rubato — Baroque music is metrically strict. Use your metronome.
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Touch: Fingers 1 and 2 play legato (connected). Lift gently at phrase endings. The LH should be softer than the RH — the melody must sing above the bass.
Play through now. Then rate yourself using the Performance Rubric above.
Repertoire / Genre (25 minutes)
Section titled “Repertoire / Genre (25 minutes)”Piece 2: Pop/Contemporary — “Perfect” by Ed Sheeran (Performance Polish)
Section titled “Piece 2: Pop/Contemporary — “Perfect” by Ed Sheeran (Performance Polish)”You first learned this in Session 16. Now we add full performance interpretation.
Full Performance Arrangement
Section titled “Full Performance Arrangement”Key: G major. Tempo: quarter note = 66 BPM (slow ballad). Pedal throughout.
Performance Polish Notes
Section titled “Performance Polish Notes”-
Dynamics Plan: Start pp for the verse — intimate, like a whispered confession. Build to mp, then mf in the pre-chorus. The chorus blooms to f. This is the emotional arc of a ballad.
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Pedaling: Hold pedal for each chord (change every bar). The 6/8 broken chord pattern in the LH creates a gentle rocking feel — the pedal sustains this beautifully.
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Rubato: Pop ballads allow rubato. Slow down slightly at the end of phrases (before the chorus). Speed up slightly when the emotion builds. This is your musical freedom — use it.
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Touch: RH melody should float above the LH accompaniment. Press the melody notes slightly louder than the LH. This is called “voicing” — you learned it in Session 12.
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CT-X9000IN Layer Mode: For the chorus, try Layer mode: Grand Piano + Strings. This adds warmth and fullness. See CT-X9000IN Tips below.
Play through now. Rate yourself using the Performance Rubric.
Piece 3: Indian — “Lag Ja Gale” by Lata Mangeshkar (Performance Polish)
Section titled “Piece 3: Indian — “Lag Ja Gale” by Lata Mangeshkar (Performance Polish)”You first learned this in Session 15. Today we add full performance interpretation with Indian expression.
Full Performance Arrangement
Section titled “Full Performance Arrangement”Key: Based on Raga Yaman (uses F#). Tempo: quarter note = 60 BPM (slow, emotional). CT-X9000IN: Santoor or Bansuri tone.
Performance Polish Notes
Section titled “Performance Polish Notes”-
Indian Expression: This is not a Western pop ballad — it is a ghazal. The melody should have a vocal quality. Imagine Lata Mangeshkar singing — the notes slightly bend, slide, and breathe.
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Meend (Glides): Use the CT-X9000IN pitch bend wheel for meend between notes that are a whole step or more apart. Especially on the descending phrases (F# to E, A to G). This is what makes Indian music sound Indian, not Western.
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Dynamics Plan: Start p — intimate, like a private confession of love. Build to mf in the antara (higher section). Return to p for the resolution. Never play f — this song is about tenderness, not power.
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Pedaling: Light sustain pedal, change every 2 beats. Let the notes ring but never muddy.
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Rubato: Essential for this song. Slow down at the end of each phrase. Let the melody breathe. Indian music does not follow strict metronomic time — it follows the singer’s breath.
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CT-X9000IN Tone: Switch to Santoor (Tone 459 — check your tone list) or Bansuri (Tone 465). The timbre transforms the piece from “piano playing Indian music” to “Indian music on keyboard.” Set up Indian rhythm Keherwa if you want accompaniment.
Play through now. Rate yourself using the Performance Rubric.
Creative / Ear Training (10 minutes)
Section titled “Creative / Ear Training (10 minutes)”Performance Self-Assessment (5 minutes)
Section titled “Performance Self-Assessment (5 minutes)”Fill out this rubric for each of your 3 pieces:
| Category | Bach Minuet (Classical) | Perfect (Pop) | Lag Ja Gale (Indian) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Notes (1-3) | |||
| Tempo (1-3) | |||
| Dynamics (1-3) | |||
| Pedaling (1-3) | |||
| Phrasing (1-3) | |||
| Recovery (1-3) | |||
| Style (1-3) | |||
| Total (/21) |
Target: 15+ per piece = Performance-Ready. 11-14 = Developing (focus on weak categories this week). Below 11 = Needs more work before moving to Session 23.
Listening Exercise: Genre Differences (5 minutes)
Section titled “Listening Exercise: Genre Differences (5 minutes)”Play the opening 4 bars of each piece back-to-back:
- Bach Minuet — notice the crisp, even, dance-like rhythm
- “Perfect” — notice the flowing, rubato, emotional arc
- “Lag Ja Gale” — notice the ornamental bends, breathy phrasing
You should sound like three different musicians playing three different styles, not one person playing three songs the same way. If all three sound the same, you are not yet using genre-appropriate expression. This is what we refine.
Review & Homework (5 minutes)
Section titled “Review & Homework (5 minutes)”Summary
Section titled “Summary”Today you:
- Learned the Performance Readiness Checklist and Performance Rubric
- Polished Bach “Minuet in G” with Baroque dynamics, strict tempo, and light pedaling
- Polished “Perfect” with ballad dynamics, rubato, layer mode, and voiced melody
- Polished “Lag Ja Gale” with Indian expression, meend, Santoor tone, and ghazal phrasing
- Self-assessed all 3 pieces using the performance rubric
- Compared genre differences in expression across classical, pop, and Indian
Self-Check Questions
Section titled “Self-Check Questions”- What are the 7 categories of the Performance Rubric?
- How does pedaling differ between Baroque and pop ballad styles?
- What is rubato and which of the 3 pieces uses it most?
- Why should you use meend (pitch bend) in “Lag Ja Gale” but NOT in the Bach Minuet?
Practice Homework (Before Next Session)
Section titled “Practice Homework (Before Next Session)”- Bach Minuet — 10 minutes daily. Focus on your lowest-scoring rubric category. Use metronome at 108-120 BPM. NO rubato.
- “Perfect” — 10 minutes daily. Practice the chorus build (pp to f). Try Layer mode (Piano + Strings) for the chorus.
- “Lag Ja Gale” — 10 minutes daily. Practice meend (pitch bend) on the descending phrases. Use Santoor or Bansuri tone.
- Choose 2 more pieces for Session 23 — Review all pieces you have learned in this course. Select 1 jazz/blues piece and 1 student’s choice piece. You will polish these next session. Good candidates: “Fly Me to the Moon” (jazz), “Clocks” (pop), “Kabira” (Indian), “Kun Faya Kun” (Indian), 12-Bar Blues in C (jazz), any piece from the sight-reading session.
- Total: ~45-50 minutes daily
Common Mistakes to Watch For
Section titled “Common Mistakes to Watch For”- Playing everything at the same volume: Each piece needs its own dynamic plan. Bach is an arch shape (p to f to p). “Perfect” builds from pp to f. “Lag Ja Gale” stays in the pp-mf range.
- Same pedaling for everything: Baroque = light, changing every measure. Pop ballad = sustained, changing every chord. Indian = light sustain, letting notes ring but not muddy.
- No genre distinction: If you play all three pieces with the same touch and feel, you are not performing — you are just pressing keys. Classical precision, pop groove, Indian ornamentation — these are different skills.
- Skipping the rubric: Self-assessment is not optional. Honest self-evaluation is how you identify what to practice. A musician who cannot hear their own weaknesses cannot improve.
CT-X9000IN Tips
Section titled “CT-X9000IN Tips”Registration Memory for Performance Setups
Section titled “Registration Memory for Performance Setups”Save your performance setup for each piece so you can switch instantly during the recital:
- Registration 1: Classical — Grand Piano (Tone 000). Touch Response: Normal. No Layer. No Split. Reverb: Hall (medium).
- Registration 2: Pop Ballad — Layer: Grand Piano + Strings (Tone 000 + Tone 049). Touch Response: Light (for sensitivity). Reverb: Hall (large).
- Registration 3: Indian — Santoor (Tone 459) or Bansuri (Tone 465). Touch Response: Normal. Reverb: Room (small — Indian instruments sound more intimate with less reverb).
To save: Set up your tone, then hold STORE and press the Registration button (1, 2, 3, or 4). To recall: just press the Registration button.
This way you can switch between classical, pop, and Indian setups with a single button press during your graduation recital.
Layer Mode for Pop Chorus
Section titled “Layer Mode for Pop Chorus”For “Perfect” chorus:
- Press LAYER button
- Select Tone 1: Grand Piano (000)
- Select Tone 2: Strings (049)
- Adjust balance: Tone 1 louder than Tone 2 (strings should be subtle background warmth)
- Play the chorus — hear the difference? The strings add emotional depth that a solo piano cannot achieve.