This project can be found in two versions: 1) the preliminary index in my 2020 dissertation; and 2) the expanded version in my 2025 article in the MTNA eJournal. The index itself is intended to support instructors and students alike by allowing them to filter for accessible (both technical accessibility and online availability) piano repertoire that fits their needs to reinforce technical demands and specific theoretical concepts.

The link can be found here at “Dr. Jesse Pierson’s Repertoire Index – Version 2.”

The most recent update took place in February of 2025.

Additional information on this tool can be found below. Detailed recommendations for use and implementation can be found in either:

• Pierson, J. (2025). “Indexed Piano Repertoire in Support of Music Theory and Aural Skills Reinforcement.” MTNA eJournal 16, no. 3 (2025): 14–29.
• Pierson, Jesse. “An Index of Graded Piano Repertoire to Support Undergraduate Music Theory and Secondary Piano Sequences.” DA diss., University of Northern Colorado, 2020. ProQuest (28262063).

Research Abstract

Indexed piano Repertoire in Support of Music Theory and Aural Skills Reinforcement

Piano, music theory and aural skills curricula include an abundance of opportunities for mutual reinforcement. Whether in a private piano studio or the collegiate setting, piano repertoire includes thick enough textures to provide students with kinesthetic, visual and aural exposure
to music theory topics. Due to discrepancies in the sequencing of music theory, aural skills and piano pedagogy, however, implementation becomes challenging. Not only are many reinforcement opportunities overlooked, but limited student facility at the piano can lead to
contradictory presentations of certain topics. To reconcile the pacing differences in piano, music theory and aural skills, this study presents a searchable index of beginning and intermediate piano repertoire that is cross-listed for level of difficulty and the concepts of music theory that
are present within each piece. Instructors will be able to use this index to supplement their existing curricula with repertoire that is accessible to their students at the piano that also reinforces music theory more effectively. Implementation strategies are then presented for teaching
scenarios in a private piano studio and college courses including class piano, music theory and
aural skills.

The project presents a teaching tool in the form of automated digital sheets that help to plan and log intensive systematic piano practicing programs. The programs are modeled after sports science, motor learning research, and piano pedagogy scholarship.

Inspired by my experience as a performing pianist, pedagogue, sponsored rock climber, and youth baseball coach, these digital sheets provide students and instructors with the structure of a personal training strength training mesocycle, with the rigorous and nuanced needs for piano practicing.

This project will be presented at the CSMTA State Conference in October of 2026.

Updates, teaching demonstrations, and public access coming soon!

Visit my Contact Page for troubleshooting or for access to the BETA version.

Research Abstract

From Guesswork to Data: Systematic Piano Practice Models Informed by Athletic Training

While piano instructors provide practice assignments with nuanced guidance, the time constraints of the weekly lesson often prevent them from prescribing systematic repetition counts and incremental tempo targets. These granular details are the building blocks of student practice and essential for long-term retention, yet providing them manually is time-intensive and rarely data-informed. When this level of structure is omitted, students rely on guesswork in their practice planning, and instructors miss out on data that could guide their evaluations. Both issues contribute to an inefficient learning process.

Despite perceived differences between their fields, piano pedagogues can borrow from data-driven athletic training protocols to strengthen their practice assignments. Through this presentation, I provide a literature review of athletic training and motor-learning research to inform the process of building detailed practice regimens down to individual repetitions. With the resulting data, I present original automated practice frameworks—in the form of accessible digital sheets—that translate systematic athletic-training protocols into piano practice.

These tools are programmed to generate systematic practice steps that detail repetition quantity and sequenced tempi based on the user’s maximum speed and weekly objectives. With each step logged, instructors receive a weekly diagnostic summary to inform future assignments and target weaknesses. The built-in programming is modeled after athletic training concepts such as “circuit training,” motor learning research on the value of slow practice, and insights from piano pedagogy literature, to ensure that each training cycle supports both students and instructors. After presenting the digital sheets, I offer suggestions for their implementation across diverse piano curricula, therefore illustrating the impacts of a systematic practice plan on student demographics who find it most impactful. I conclude with results—both in terms of student performance and my own pedagogical adaptations—of employing an approach informed by athletic training through case studies within my private studio.

Come back soon for access to Technique Practicing Templates!