My Lesson Plans
COURSE
Date:
Cherie Chooljian’s Final Lesson Plan Part 2
Lesson Plan:
5. Creative Exploration
Goal: Develop your personal voice.
Step #1: Compose short etudes using the tools you’ve learned.
A. Pick a pattern or rhythmic idea and build a solo from it
Step #2: Reharmonize a tune in your own way.
Step #3: Create full solo piano arrangements with intros, endings, and spontaneous moments.
Step #4: Record your own work and reflect.
6. Maintenance & Self-Direction
Goal: Stay consistent and balanced.
Step #1: Rotate through tunes to keep your repertoire alive.
Step #2: Review old exercises to stay sharp.
Step #3: Record yourself once a week. Even 30 seconds is enough.
Step #4: Reflect in a journal or checklist to notice what’s improving and what feels stuck.
Final Reminder
You don’t have to do everything at once. Trust what you are drawn to. Some weeks you’ll feel technical. Some weeks you’ll feel creative. Both are valuable. As long as you are sitting down and listening to yourself with intention, you’re on the right path.
Sample Weekly Practice Structure
Use this flexible structure to stay consistent and keep your progress moving forward.
*Weekly Rotation:
Mon: Solo Piano (Ballad)
Tues: Improvisation Tools
Wed: Transcription + Listening
Thurs: Improv Over a Tune
Fri: Solo Piano (Swing tune)
Sat: Creative Project (Etude/Arrangement)
Sun: Review + Light Improv
*Sample Daily Practice (60 minutes):
– 10 Minute Warm Up:
A. Shells or rootless voicings in all keys
B. Use metronome on triplet subdivision
– 25 Minute Focus Area:
A. Practice ballad arrangement (e.g., ‘Body and Soul’) at 50 bpm
B. Harmonize melody with RH 4-5 note voicings, LH 1+7 or 10
C. Use pedal carefully and sing the melody while playing.
– 15 Min Integration
A. Improvise with iRealPro at a slow tempo
B. Focus on bebop tools: triplet skips, approach notes
C. RH only, no LH
– 10 Min Reflection:
A. Record a short excerpt
B. Listen back and write 1 thing you liked + 1 thing to improve.