Session 19: Extra Scales & Review

Overview

Phase: 4 — Consolidation
Duration: 1 hour
Prerequisites: Completed Sessions 1-18. Has chosen 3 graduation recital pieces. Knows 4 scales (C major, G major, F major, A minor) and 8 chords.

Learning Objectives

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

Play the D natural minor scale with both hands using correct fingering
Play the E natural minor scale with both hands using correct fingering
Diagnose and target your personal weak areas with specific exercises
Continue polishing your 3 recital pieces toward performance-ready quality
Play 6 scales total with correct fingering (C major, G major, F major, A minor, D minor, E minor)

Materials Needed

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

Warm-Up (5 minutes)

Four-Scale Warm-Up

Play each scale once, each hand, at your fastest comfortable tempo:

C major — RH then LH
G major — RH then LH (remember F#)
F major — RH then LH (remember Bb)
A minor — RH then LH

Chord Fluency Check

All chords, LH, 2 beats each, no pauses:

C — Am — Dm — Em — F — Bb — G — D — C

Theory (10 minutes)

D Natural Minor Scale

The D natural minor scale is the relative minor of F major — just as A minor is the relative of C major, they share the same notes:

F major scale: F - G - A - Bb - C - D - E - F

D natural minor scale: D - E - F - G - A - Bb - C - D

The D minor scale uses the same notes as F major but starts on D:

D --W--> E --H--> F --W--> G --W--> A --H--> Bb --W--> C --W--> D

The D natural minor scale: D E F G A Bb C D

This scale has one flat: Bb. Play it slowly and hear the minor quality — darker and more intense than D major (which has F# instead of F).

E Natural Minor Scale

The E natural minor scale is the relative minor of G major:

G major scale: G - A - B - C - D - E - F# - G

E natural minor scale: E - F# - G - A - B - C - D - E

E --W--> F# --H--> G --W--> A --W--> B --H--> C --W--> D --W--> E

The E natural minor scale: E F# G A B C D E

This scale has one sharp: F#. It has a gentle, wistful quality — less intense than D minor, more reflective.

Your Complete Scale Collection

Scale	Notes	Accidentals	Relative
C major	C-D-E-F-G-A-B-C	None	A minor
G major	G-A-B-C-D-E-F#-G	1 sharp (F#)	E minor
F major	F-G-A-Bb-C-D-E-F	1 flat (Bb)	D minor
A minor	A-B-C-D-E-F-G-A	None	C major
D minor	D-E-F-G-A-Bb-C-D	1 flat (Bb)	F major
E minor	E-F#-G-A-B-C-D-E	1 sharp (F#)	G major

Six scales with correct fingering — this meets the exit standard for this course. Well done.

Technique (15 minutes)

D Natural Minor Scale — Right Hand

RH D Minor Scale Fingering:

Note: D E F G A Bb C D

Finger: 1 2 3 1 2 3 4 5

^ thumb under finger 3

Start with RH finger 1 on D (above Middle C):

Play: D(1), E(2), F(3).
Thumb under: pass thumb under finger 3 to land on G.
Continue: G(1), A(2), Bb(3), C(4), D(5). Note: Bb is the black key.

Coming back down:

Note: D C Bb A G F E D

Finger: 5 4 3 2 1 3 2 1

^ finger 3 over thumb

Practice the crossover:

RH: F(3) → G(1) → F(3) → G(1) — repeat 10 times

Full RH scale at 50 BPM:

X:1 T:D Minor Scale — RH (up and down) M:4/4 L:1/4 K:Dm "1"D "2"E "3"F "↑1"G | "2"A "3"B "4"c "5"d | "5"d "4"c "3"B "2"A | "1"G "↑3"F "2"E "1"D4 |]

Play 5 times.

D Natural Minor Scale — Left Hand

LH D Minor Scale Fingering:

Going up:

Note: D E F G A Bb C D

Finger: 5 4 3 2 1 3 2 1

^ finger 3 over thumb

Going down:

Note: D C Bb A G F E D

Finger: 1 2 3 1 2 3 4 5

^ thumb under finger 3

Start with LH finger 5 on D (below Middle C):

Play: D(5), E(4), F(3), G(2), A(1).
Finger 3 crosses over thumb to Bb.
Continue: Bb(3), C(2), D(1).

Full LH scale at 50 BPM:

X:1 T:D Minor Scale — LH (up and down) M:4/4 L:1/4 K:Dm clef=bass "5"D, "4"E, "3"F, "2"G, | "1"A, "↑3"B, "2"C "1"D | "1"D "2"C "3"B, "↑1"A, | "2"G, "3"F, "4"E, "5"D,4 |]

Play 5 times.

E Natural Minor Scale — Right Hand

RH E Minor Scale Fingering:

Note: E F# G A B C D E

Finger: 1 2 3 1 2 3 4 5

^ thumb under finger 3

Start with RH finger 1 on E (above Middle C):

Play: E(1), F#(2), G(3). Note: F# is the black key.
Thumb under to A: A(1), B(2), C(3), D(4), E(5).

Coming back down:

Note: E D C B A G F# E

Finger: 5 4 3 2 1 3 2 1

^ finger 3 over thumb

Full RH scale at 50 BPM:

X:1 T:E Minor Scale — RH (up and down) M:4/4 L:1/4 K:Em "1"E "2"F "3"G "↑1"A | "2"B "3"c "4"d "5"e | "5"e "4"d "3"c "2"B | "1"A "↑3"G "2"F "1"E4 |]

Play 5 times.

E Natural Minor Scale — Left Hand

LH E Minor Scale Fingering:

Going up:

Note: E F# G A B C D E

Finger: 5 4 3 2 1 3 2 1

^ finger 3 over thumb

Going down:

Note: E D C B A G F# E

Finger: 1 2 3 1 2 3 4 5

^ thumb under finger 3

Start with LH finger 5 on E (below Middle C):

Play: E(5), F#(4), G(3), A(2), B(1).
Finger 3 crosses over to C: C(3), D(2), E(1).

Full LH scale at 50 BPM:

X:1 T:E Minor Scale — LH (up and down) M:4/4 L:1/4 K:Em clef=bass "5"E, "4"F, "3"G, "2"A, | "1"B, "↑3"C "2"D "1"E | "1"E "2"D "3"C "↑1"B, | "2"A, "3"G, "4"F, "5"E,4 |]

Play 5 times.

Diagnostic: Finding Your Weak Areas

Honestly evaluate yourself on each skill below. Rate each 1-3:

1 = Needs significant work
2 = Getting there, needs practice
3 = Confident

Skill	Self-Rating	Targeted Exercise
Scales (C, G major)		If 1-2: Play each 5 times at 60 BPM daily with metronome
Scales (F major, A/D/E minor)		If 1-2: Play each 5 times at 50 BPM. Focus on accidentals (Bb, F#)
Chord transitions		If 1-2: Six-chord drill — C-Am-Dm-G-Em-F-C, 5 times at 60 BPM
LH independence		If 1-2: Play “Someone Like You” LH arpeggio pattern 5 times alone
Rhythm/tempo steadiness		If 1-2: Play any piece with metronome. If you lose the beat, slow the tempo by 10 BPM
Sight-reading		If 1-2: Re-read Session 17’s 3 pieces. Then create your own 4-measure exercise
Dynamics/expression		If 1-2: Play any scale from pp to ff and back. Then replay your best piece with exaggerated dynamics
Pedal technique		If 1-2: Play C-F-G-C progression with pedal changes, 10 times. Listen for muddiness
Playing by ear		If 1-2: Try to find 4 notes of “Happy Birthday” or any familiar melody daily

Focus your remaining practice time on your weakest 2-3 areas. The exercises above are specific prescriptions for each common weak point.

Repertoire (20 minutes)

Polishing Your 3 Graduation Pieces

Divide the 20 minutes evenly among your 3 pieces (about 7 minutes each):

For each piece, follow this protocol:

Minutes 1-2: Slow run-through Play the full piece at 60-70% of performance tempo. No metronome. Focus on correct notes and fingering. Mark any trouble spots.

Minutes 3-4: Trouble spot surgery Take the hardest 2-4 measures and practice them in isolation. Play them 5 times slowly, then 3 times at performance tempo. The rest of the piece should not suffer because of these few measures.

Minutes 5-6: Full run-through at tempo Play the full piece at performance tempo with metronome. Add dynamics and pedal. Do not stop for mistakes — keep going.

Minute 7: Recording Record the piece on your CT-X9000IN. Listen back. Note one thing you did well and one thing to improve.

Performance Run-Through

If time remains, play all 3 pieces back-to-back without stopping between them. This simulates the recital format:

Sit. Breathe. Hands in starting position for Piece 1.
Play Piece 1 completely.
Brief pause (5-10 seconds). Move hands to starting position for Piece 2.
Play Piece 2 completely.
Brief pause. Prepare for Piece 3.
Play Piece 3 completely.
Hold the last note. Pause. Lift hands.

This continuous performance is tiring — both mentally and physically. That is normal. By Session 20, it will feel natural.

Review & Homework (10 minutes)

Summary

Today you completed your scale collection and prepared for graduation:

D natural minor scale — your fifth scale, with Bb
E natural minor scale — your sixth scale, with F#
Self-diagnostic to identify and target weak areas
Continued polishing of your 3 graduation recital pieces
6 complete scales with correct fingering — meeting the exit standard

Looking Ahead: Session 20

Session 20 is your graduation. Here is what will happen:

You will perform your 3 pieces back-to-back (your “recital”).
You will complete a self-assessment rubric.
You will review the intermediate readiness checklist.
You will learn about next steps: what to study next, resources, finding a teacher.
You will celebrate 20 sessions of dedicated learning.

To prepare: Your 3 pieces should be as polished as possible. This week, practice them daily with full expression, pedal, and dynamics. Record at least once more and compare to earlier recordings.

Self-Check Questions

What notes are in the D natural minor scale? (Answer: D, E, F, G, A, Bb, C, D)
What notes are in the E natural minor scale? (Answer: E, F#, G, A, B, C, D, E)
How many scales can you now play with correct fingering? (Answer: 6 — C major, G major, F major, A minor, D minor, E minor)

Practice Homework (Before Session 20 — Your Most Important Practice Week)

New scales — D minor and E minor, RH and LH, 5 times each at 50 BPM. (4 minutes daily)
All 6 scales rotation — Play one different scale per day (both hands). Aim for C and G at 72+ BPM, others at 55-60 BPM. (2 minutes daily)
Piece 1 polishing — Full run-through with dynamics, pedal, phrasing. 3 times daily. (5 minutes daily)
Piece 2 polishing — Full run-through with expression. 3 times daily. (4 minutes daily)
Piece 3 polishing — Full run-through with expression. 3 times daily. (4 minutes daily)
Full recital run — All 3 pieces back-to-back, at least twice during the week. Record the final attempt. (10 minutes, twice during the week)
Weak area work — Focus on your lowest-rated skills from the diagnostic. Do the targeted exercises. (3 minutes daily)

Total daily practice: approximately 22 minutes (plus two recital run-throughs during the week).

This is your heaviest practice week. You are preparing for a performance. Give it your full effort — the difference between “good enough” and “genuinely polished” is this final week of focused practice.

Common Mistakes to Watch For

D minor: F instead of Bb: The D minor scale has Bb (black key between A and B). If you play a white B, the scale will sound major, not minor.
E minor: F instead of F#: The E minor scale has F# (black key between F and G). If you play F-natural, the opening E-F sounds like a half step, which sounds wrong for this scale’s character.
Practicing pieces at full speed only: Polish requires SLOW practice. Play your recital pieces at 60-70% speed at least once daily to reinforce accuracy. Then bring them up to tempo.
Ignoring weak areas: It is human nature to practice what you are already good at (it feels better). Fight this. Spend more time on your weaknesses. That is where the greatest improvement comes from.
Not simulating the recital: Playing 3 pieces back-to-back is harder than playing them separately. The mental fatigue accumulates. Practice the full recital format at least twice this week so it is not a surprise on Session 20.

CT-X9000IN Tips

Recording Your Pre-Recital Run

Record your best full recital attempt (all 3 pieces) this week. Steps:

Use the MIDI recorder — record to Track 1.
Play all 3 pieces with pauses between them.
Listen back to the entire recording.
Compare to your Session 10 recording. You will hear dramatic improvement in:
- Variety (more chords, more styles, more expression)
- Confidence (steadier rhythm, fewer hesitations)
- Musicality (dynamics, phrasing, pedal use)

Saving Your Recordings

If you want to keep your recordings permanently:

The CT-X9000IN can store recordings in internal memory, but they may be lost if the keyboard is reset.
If you have a USB drive, you can save recordings to USB. Check your keyboard’s manual for USB MIDI file export instructions.
Alternatively, use a phone or other device to audio-record your playback through the speakers or headphone output.

Save your Session 10 and Session 19/20 recordings. They are powerful proof of how far you have come.