Session 18: Repertoire Workshop

Overview

Phase: 4 — Consolidation
Duration: 1 hour
Prerequisites: Completed Sessions 1-17. Can sight-read simple pieces. Has interval recognition skills. Has played 10+ pieces throughout the course.

Learning Objectives

By the end of this session, you will be able to:

Choose 3 pieces for your “graduation recital” from a menu of 6-8 options
Apply a systematic polishing process to each chosen piece
Recover gracefully from mistakes during performance
Use proper performance preparation: starting position, breathing, clean endings
Begin refining your 3 chosen pieces to performance level

Materials Needed

Casio CT-X9000IN keyboard (Grand Piano tone — Tone 000, metronome and recorder ready)
Sustain pedal connected
This lesson plan open beside you

Warm-Up (5 minutes)

Scale Review

Play two scales today — your strongest and your weakest:

Strongest scale (probably C major): both hands at your fastest comfortable tempo.
Weakest scale (probably F major): both hands slowly, with careful attention to fingering.

Chord Fluency

Play every chord you know as block chords, one after another, LH:

C — F — G — Am — Dm — Em — D — Bb — C

Each chord for 2 beats, no pauses. Think of it as a chord alphabet — these are your building blocks.

Theory (10 minutes)

Performance Skills

Playing for yourself in practice and “performing” (even for an audience of one) are different experiences. Today you learn performance skills that transform practice into polished playing.

Starting a Performance

Sit and settle. Adjust your bench. Place your feet (one on the pedal if using it). Take a breath.
Hands on keys. Place your hands in the starting position BEFORE you play the first note. Do not fumble for the right keys after starting.
Breathe. Take one slow breath. In your mind, hear the first few notes. Feel the tempo.
Start cleanly. The first note should be confident, not tentative. Count yourself in silently: “1-2-3-4” (or “1-2-3” for 3/4 time), then play on the next beat 1.

Recovering from Mistakes

Mistakes will happen. How you handle them defines your performance:

Rule 1: Never stop. Keep the rhythm going. A missing note is a tiny blip. A full stop is a crash.

Rule 2: Never make a face. If you wince, grimace, or say “oops,” you draw attention to the mistake. Your audience probably did not even notice. Keep your expression neutral or pleasant.

Rule 3: Jump to the nearest safe point. If you lose your place entirely, skip ahead to the next measure or the next phrase. It is better to miss 2 beats than to stop for 10 seconds.

Rule 4: Practice the recovery. In practice, deliberately make a mistake and practice continuing. Train your brain to keep going automatically.

Ending a Performance

Hold the last note. Do not rush the ending. Let the final note (or chord) ring for its full value.
Keep the pedal down (if using one) until the sound naturally fades.
Keep your hands on the keys for a moment after the sound stops. This creates a sense of completion.
Then lift your hands and relax. If performing for someone, this is when you acknowledge them.

Technique (15 minutes)

The Polishing Process

Taking a piece from “I can play the notes” to “this is a real performance” involves 5 steps:

Step 1: Accuracy check. Play through at a slow tempo. Are all notes correct? Mark any spots where you consistently play wrong notes.

Step 2: Rhythm check. Play with the metronome. Are you speeding up or slowing down? Are held notes getting their full value?

Step 3: Dynamics. Add your expression plan. Where is the piece quiet? Where is it loud? Where are the crescendos and diminuendos?

Step 4: Phrasing. Shape each phrase. Where do you breathe? Where is the peak of each phrase?

Step 5: Run-through. Play the complete piece without stopping, at performance tempo, with all dynamics and phrasing. Record it and listen back.

Performance Preparation Drill

Practice the start-and-end ritual:

Sit down. Place feet. Hands on starting position.
Breathe. Count “1-2-3-4” silently.
Play the first 4 measures of any piece.
Stop at the end of Measure 4 as if the piece ended there.
Hold the last note. Keep hands on keys. Pause. Lift.

Repeat this with a different piece. The ritual should feel natural.

Mistake Recovery Drill

Play “Ode to Joy” (both hands) at 80 BPM. At Measure 3, deliberately play a wrong note. Do NOT stop. Continue to Measure 4 as if nothing happened. This trains your brain to maintain rhythm through errors.

Do this 3 times, making the deliberate mistake at different points.

Repertoire (20 minutes)

Below are 8 pieces spanning different styles. You must choose 3 pieces for your “graduation recital” in Session 20. At least one must be an Indian piece.

Read through the menu, then choose your 3. The rest of this session (and your homework this week) will focus on polishing those 3 choices.

Option 1: “Ode to Joy” (Beethoven) — Classical You learned this in Sessions 3 and 7. Play with C chord drone (Session 7 arrangement), plus dynamics and pedal (Session 16 expressive version).

Difficulty: Easy
Style: Classical
What it shows: Clean melody, dynamic control, phrase shaping

Option 2: “Let It Be” (The Beatles) — Pop You learned this in Session 10. Full both-hands arrangement with C-G-F chord progression.

Difficulty: Medium
Style: Pop/Rock
What it shows: Chord changes, melody + harmony, steady rhythm

Option 3: “Tum Hi Ho” (Arijit Singh) — Indian Film You learned this in Session 13. Full arrangement with arpeggio accompaniment.

Difficulty: Medium
Style: Bollywood
What it shows: Arpeggio accompaniment, emotional expression, Indian melodic sense

Option 4: “House of the Rising Sun” (Traditional) — Folk You learned this in Session 11. Am arpeggio pattern in 3/4 time.

Difficulty: Medium
Style: Folk/Traditional
What it shows: Minor key playing, 3/4 time, arpeggio pattern, atmospheric dynamics

Option 5: “Imagine” (John Lennon) — Pop/Classical You learned this in Session 14. Broken chord accompaniment with sustain pedal.

Difficulty: Medium-Hard
Style: Pop ballad
What it shows: Pedal technique, broken chords, sustained musical line

Option 6: “Lean on Me” (Bill Withers) — Soul/Gospel You learned this in Session 15. Block chords with melody and pedal.

Difficulty: Medium
Style: Soul/Gospel
What it shows: Form awareness, chord variety, warm expression

Option 7: “Kal Ho Naa Ho” (Sonu Nigam) — Indian Film (NEW)

The iconic title melody from the 2003 film. This simplified arrangement captures the unforgettable opening.

Tempo: 72 BPM (Andante — gentle, nostalgic) Time Signature: 4/4 Key: C major (simplified from original)

Dynamics: p in Measures 1-4 (nostalgic, wistful). Crescendo through 5-6. mf in 7-8. Measures 9-10: the emotional peak (f). Diminuendo through 11-12 to a gentle, resolved ending.

Option 8: “Raghupati Raghav Raja Ram” — Indian Devotional/Bhajan (NEW)

This beloved bhajan is one of the most recognized devotional songs in India. Its simple, beautiful melody is perfect for piano and works well within your skill range.

Tempo: 66 BPM (Adagio — devotional, meditative) Time Signature: 4/4 Key: C major (simplified)

X:1 T:Raghupati Raghav Raja Ram M:4/4 L:1/4 K:C V:1 clef=treble name="RH" "5"G "5"G "3"E "5"G | A "5"G "3"E2 | "5"G "3"E "2"D "3"E | "1"C2 z2 | "1"C "2"D "3"E "5"G | "3"E "2"D "1"C2 | "2"D "3"E "2"D "1"C | "1"C3 z | "5"G "5"G "3"E "5"G | A "5"G "3"E2 | "2"D "3"E "2"D "1"C | "1"C3 z |] V:2 clef=bass name="LH" [C,E,G,]4 | [F,A,C]4 | [C,E,G,]4 | [C,E,G,]4 | [C,E,G,]4 | [F,A,C]2 [C,E,G,]2 | [G,,B,,D,]4 | [C,E,G,]4 | [C,E,G,]4 | [F,A,C]4 | [G,,B,,D,]2 [C,E,G,]2 | [C,E,G,]4 |]

Dynamics: Play the entire piece at mp to mf — dignified, warm, devotional. No dramatic dynamic changes — the beauty is in the simplicity and sincerity. Slight crescendo on the ascending phrases (Measures 5, 9), gentle diminuendo on the descending phrases.

CT-X9000IN tip: Try Tone 193 (Santoor) or Tone 049 (Strings) for an Indian classical ambiance.

Choosing Your 3 Pieces

Consider these factors when choosing:

Variety: Choose different styles (not 3 pop songs). Mix of major/minor, fast/slow, classical/pop/Indian.
At least 1 Indian piece (from “Tum Hi Ho,” “Kal Ho Naa Ho,” or “Raghupati Raghav”).
Confidence: You should feel mostly comfortable with each piece. Session 19 will give you review time, but you should not be starting from scratch.
Challenge: Include at least one piece that pushes you slightly beyond comfort.

Write down your 3 choices now. For the rest of this session, begin the polishing process on your first choice.

Polishing Your First Piece (Remaining Time)

Choose the piece you want to polish first. Apply the 5-step polishing process:

Play through slowly — note any wrong notes or uncertain spots.
Play with the metronome — check rhythm accuracy.
Add dynamics — follow the expression plan from the session where you learned it.
Shape phrases — add breathing points and phrase peaks.
Record a full run-through. Listen back. Identify 2 specific things to improve.

Spend the remaining time on Steps 1-3. Steps 4-5 will continue throughout the week and in Session 19.

Review & Homework (10 minutes)

Summary

Today was about preparing for performance:

Performance skills: starting, recovering from mistakes, ending
A menu of 8 pieces covering pop, classical, folk, Bollywood, and devotional styles
Two new Indian arrangements: “Kal Ho Naa Ho” and “Raghupati Raghav Raja Ram”
The 5-step polishing process for bringing pieces to performance level
You chose your 3 graduation recital pieces

Ear Training: Song Identification by Opening Interval

This exercise combines interval recognition with musical memory:

Think of your 3 chosen pieces.
For each piece, identify the interval of the first two notes:
- “Ode to Joy” starts: E-E (same note = unison, or 1st)
- “Tum Hi Ho” starts: E-D (descending 2nd)
- “House of the Rising Sun” starts: A-C (ascending 3rd)
- What about your choices?
This awareness helps you recognize songs by their opening intervals — a professional musician’s trick.

Self-Check Questions

What should you do if you make a mistake during a performance? (Answer: Keep going — never stop. Maintain the rhythm and move to the next note or the nearest safe point.)
What are the 5 steps in the polishing process? (Answer: 1. Accuracy check, 2. Rhythm check with metronome, 3. Add dynamics, 4. Shape phrases, 5. Full run-through and recording)
How many pieces must you prepare for the graduation recital? (Answer: 3, including at least 1 Indian piece)

Practice Homework (Before Next Session)

Piece 1 (your first choice) — Full polishing process. Play 5 times daily with expression. Record at least once. (6 minutes daily)
Piece 2 (your second choice) — Accuracy and rhythm check. Play 3 times daily with metronome. (4 minutes daily)
Piece 3 (your third choice) — Learn or review the notes. If it is a new piece (Option 7 or 8), learn RH alone first, then LH, then combine. (5 minutes daily)
Performance practice — At least once this week, play all 3 pieces back-to-back without stopping between them. This simulates the recital format. (5 minutes, once during the week)

Total daily practice: approximately 15-20 minutes (plus one performance run-through during the week).

Common Mistakes to Watch For

Choosing 3 easy pieces: It is tempting to pick the 3 you find easiest. But your recital should demonstrate your full range. Include at least one piece that challenges you.
Practicing only the beginning: Most students know the first 4 measures of every piece perfectly and stumble at Measure 8. Practice from the MIDDLE of each piece. Practice the ENDING. Give equal attention to every section.
Forgetting dynamics when focusing on notes: When you concentrate hard on accuracy, dynamics disappear. After you fix a wrong note, immediately re-add the dynamics. Accuracy without expression is a mechanical exercise, not music.
Not recording: Recording and listening back is the single most effective improvement tool. You hear things in playback that you miss while playing. Do not skip this step.

CT-X9000IN Tips

Setting Up for Recording

For your polishing recordings, set up the CT-X9000IN recorder with care:

Choose Grand Piano (Tone 000) for the clearest recording.
Set the volume to 70-80% — not too loud (distortion) or too soft (inaudible).
Record in a quiet room. Turn off fans or other noise sources if possible.
Let 2-3 seconds of silence pass before and after playing.

Indian Tones for Indian Pieces

If you chose “Tum Hi Ho,” “Kal Ho Naa Ho,” or “Raghupati Raghav” for your recital:

Practice on Grand Piano (for accuracy and technique).
Then perform with an Indian tone for the recital. Tone 193 (Santoor) or Tone 049 (Strings) work beautifully.
You could also record the LH on Grand Piano, then play back while performing the RH melody on an Indian tone. This creates a rich, fusion sound.

Using Indian Rhythms for Practice

For “Raghupati Raghav,” try a gentle Indian rhythm like Rhythm 230 (or browse the Indian rhythm bank for a Bhajan or Keherwa rhythm) at 66 BPM. The tabla backing adds an authentic devotional feel. For “Kal Ho Naa Ho,” try a Filmi rhythm at 72 BPM.