Learning Sequences in Music A Contemporary Music L... - (Part 1)

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Chapter 8
PATTERN LEARNING
SEQUENCE
Unlike tonal learning sequence and rhythm learning sequence, there
are no comprehensive learning sequences for tonal patterns or rhythm
patterns. There are, however, established sequential difficulty levels of
tonal patterns and rhythm patterns. They are important for appropriately
teaching to students’ individual musical differences. How this is best
accomplished is explained in detail in Part 2. By way of introduction, in
tonal learning sequence, tonic, dominant, and subdominant patterns in
major and minor tonalities are introduced initially, and in the remaining
tonalities, tonic and subtonic patterns are introduced initially. In
rhythm learning sequence, macro/macrobeat and division patterns are
introduced initially in all meters. Thus, choice of tonal patterns takes
place in accordance and combination with tonal learning sequence, and
choice of rhythm patterns takes place in accordance and combination
Copyright © 2018. GIA Publications. All rights reserved.
with rhythm learning sequence.

Tonal patterns and rhythm patterns are fundamental in audiating
music. By their nature, individual pitches and durations advance
linearly to and fro in flow of melody and therefore contribute minimally
to pragmatic meaning in music. In contrast, tonal patterns move in
irregular linear space toward and away from one or more tonal centers.
Rhythm patterns move in continuous circular space as they relate to
number and grouping of underlying macrobeats. Thus, patterns, not
isolated sounds, are compelling fonts of content and context in music.
Gordon, E. E. (2018). Learning sequences in music : A contemporary music learning theory (2012 edition). ProQuest Ebook
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218 Learning Sequences in Music
Students begin to acquire a vocabulary of tonal patterns and rhythm

patterns at the aural/oral and verbal association levels of skill learning
sequence. These vocabularies continue to grow as more patterns
become familiar to students while they move from level to level and
from discrimination learning to inference learning. Tonal patterns and
rhythm patterns students learn and perform have different functions
as defined by tonalities and meters. Students notice this difference as
their pattern vocabularies increase. Because tonal syllables and rhythm
syllables used in learning sequence activities have clear and logical
connections to tonal patterns and rhythm patterns, they provide
foundation for audiating tonal context and rhythm context.
Pattern research
Three pattern difficulty levels were uncovered in objective research:
easy, moderately difficult, and difficult. Complete taxonomies of tonal
patterns and rhythm patterns and relative difficulty of levels may be
found in reports of theoretical and practical research. With regard
to practical research, a complete collection of tonal patterns may be
found in Tonal Register Book One and Two of Jump Right In: The Music
Curriculum. A complete collection of rhythm patterns may be found
in Rhythm Register Book One and Two of Jump Right In: The Music
Curriculum. With regard to theoretical research, three studies cited in
the Bibliography are: 1) Toward the Development of a Taxonomy of Tonal
Patterns and Rhythm Patterns: Evidence of Difficulty Levels and Growth
Rate, 2) Tonal and Rhythm Patterns: An Objective Analysis, and 3) A
Factor Analytic Description of Tonal Patterns and Rhythm Patterns and
Objective Evidence of Pattern Difficulty Level and Growth Rate.

To complete the studies, large groups of stratified, random samples of
students of various ages across the country were asked to listen to series
of recorded tonal patterns and rhythm patterns and indicate whether
two patterns in each pair sounded the same or different. If patterns in
a pair were the same and if most students were aware they were, the
pattern was considered easy. If patterns in a pair were the same but
approximately half the number of students were aware they were, the
pattern was considered moderately difficult. If patterns in a pair were
Chapter 8: Pattern Learning Sequence 219
the same but only a few students were aware they were, the pattern was
considered difficult.
No analysis was undertaken for the second pattern of a pair that
was different. Because it was not possible for most teachers to find
necessary research time or facilities to ask students to perform patterns,
only difficulty levels of patterns in terms of audiation were studied.
Practice, nonetheless, has found the majority of patterns easy for
students to perform, read, and write are those they find easy to audiate,
and the majority of patterns difficult for students to perform, read, and
write are those they find difficult to audiate. It seems if students do not
easily learn to perform, read, and write patterns they probably cannot
audiate. If students experience a dilemma audiating a pattern, it does
not necessarily mean they cannot perform, read, or write it. Learning
to perform, read, and write patterns involves skills they may or may not
have acquired.
An interesting result of the research was difficulty levels of patterns
has virtually no relation to frequency with which patterns are found in
standard music literature. Further, research undertaken more informally
with small groups indicated it is easier for students to audiate individual
patterns than consecutive patterns, as in series, and it is easier to audiate
tonal patterns incorporating large intervals than to perform those
patterns. Or, stated in reverse, it is more difficult for students to audiate
tonal patterns incorporating small intervals than to perform them.
Even more interesting, and certainly more puzzling, is students find it is
easier to determine correctly two tonal patterns or two rhythm patterns
sound the same than to determine they sound different. An incidental
finding was preschool children do not consider the word “different” and
the term “not the same” to convey the same meaning. Implications of
these findings are compelling for learning sequence activities and music
instruction of all types.
These discoveries notwithstanding, tonal aptitude and rhythm
aptitude play important roles in determining the extent to which
individual students experience ease and difficulty in audiating
and performing tonal patterns and rhythm patterns. For further
information, read three studies cited in the Bibliography: The Manifestation
of Developmental Music Aptitudes in the Audiation of “Same” and “Different”
as Sound in Music; The Importance of Being Able to Audiate “Same”

and “Different” for Learning Music; and The Advanced Measures of Music
Audiation and the Instrument Timbre Preference Test: Three Research
Studies.
Breaths and pauses

When audiating tonal and rhythm patterns, only essential pitches and
essential durations, as they relate to tonality and meter, are attended
to first. In learning sequence activities, students audiate tonality and
essential pitches during the breath they take after the short pause
between the teacher’s performance and their own performance of a
tonal pattern. No pause is needed between the teacher’s performance of
a rhythm pattern and students’ performance. It interrupts flow of tempo.
Nevertheless, audiation takes place and solidifies during the preparatory
breath taken by students at the beginning of the final macrobeat of the
teacher’s performance. Students audiate rhythm patterns even though
pauses are not made between the teacher’s and their performance
because they are continuously audiating underlying macrobeats,
microbeats and, of course, tempo and meter of rhythm patterns as
they are being performed. Students either audiate or imitate patterns
because it appears impossible to audiate and imitate simultaneously.
Paradoxical as it may seem, because of the pause between the teacher’s
and students’ performances of a tonal pattern, students audiate rather
than imitate what the teacher performs, but if there is a pause between
their performances of a rhythm pattern, students, even if they breathe,
tend to imitate rather than audiate what the teacher performs.
General characteristics of patterns

Although students find it easier to imitate an entire tonal pattern than
to recall in audiation even the first pitch of a tonal pattern, they find the
first pitch easier to recall than final or middle pitches. Middle pitches in
a tonal pattern are most difficult for students to recall in audiation. In
learning sequence activities, a way to encourage students to audiate is by
asking them first to recall the resting tone, then the initial pitch of the
tonal pattern, and finally the entire pattern. Thus, they learn to listen
for context. Tonal patterns that include consecutive repeated pitches,

other than those including unisons and octaves, inhibit audiation and,
thus, are avoided initially.
It is fascinating that students who are just being introduced to tonal
patterns prefer to perform the dominant rather than resting tone of
the tonality of the pattern even though they are capable of audiating
the resting tone. Meanwhile, children who are just being introduced
to rhythm patterns prefer to perform rhythm patterns rather than
microbeats and macrobeats, macrobeats having the least appeal of all,
though what are being called their rhythm patterns may simply be
rhythm babble. Preschool children, unlike older ones, do not seem to be
capable of facilely responding to macrobeats.
Arpeggiated and diatonic tonal patterns

Arpeggiated patterns include only pitches a minor third or more apart
whereas diatonic patterns also include pitches a half step or whole
step apart. In learning sequence activities, students develop audiation
skills by first being taught to recognize and perform arpeggiated tonal
patterns, because two consecutive pitches in diatonic patterns are
typically performed with a slur; that is, with the second pitch physically
located by slurring and use of vocal folds, and so not determined
through audiation. Musical judgment and human inclination suggest,
with the exception of special effects, pitches in arpeggiated patterns are
performed with very short, almost imperceptible, natural pauses between
them. During the pause, it is necessary to audiate the next pitch if it is
to be performed with good intonation. Arpeggiated patterns engender
quality performance.
When learning to audiate an arpeggiated pattern, students are
instructed not to fill in diatonic pitches in an attempt to help
audiate and perform the pattern. Doing so actually works against
development of audiation. Although there are no half steps in an
arpeggiated pattern, one may expect to audiate the half step relation
between the leading tone and resting tone when tonic function and
dominant seventh patterns are performed consecutively. In fact, relation
of the leading tone to resting tone is continuously audiated to maintain
a sense of tonality.
Tonality, keyality, meter, and tempo

Keyalities in which tonal patterns are performed in learning sequence
activities are suitable for development of singing voice quality. Tonality
in which tonal patterns are taught is consistent with tonal learning
sequence. Likewise, meter in which rhythm patterns are taught is
consistent with rhythm learning sequence. Rhythm patterns are
performed at tempos most apt for a given meter and most comfortable
for students to articulate. Rhythm patterns in usual triple meter, usual
combined meter, and unusual meters are generally performed at tempos
somewhat slower than those in usual duple meter.
Individual musical differences

Pattern difficulty levels determine order in which individual students
are sequentially taught tonal patterns and rhythm patterns in learning
sequence activities. Consistent with tonal aptitude and rhythm aptitude,
easy patterns are taught first, moderately difficult patterns next, and
difficult patterns last. Thus, although all students learn the same skills,
tonalities, and meters at the same time, instruction is adapted to their
individual musical differences in terms of pattern difficulty levels. All
students, regardless of their levels of music aptitude, are taught an easy
pattern. Just as soon as students with average and high music aptitudes
learn it, they are taught a moderately difficult pattern while students
with low music aptitude might still be learning the easy pattern. Just as
soon as students with high music aptitude learn the moderately difficult
pattern, they are taught a difficult pattern while students with low
music aptitude might still be learning the easy pattern and students with
average music aptitude might still be learning the moderately difficult

pattern. The process continues as students advance and perform patterns
at the next difficulty level. Depending on individual differences in terms
of levels of music aptitude, some students ultimately may learn only
one pattern, others two, and a few three. If students with high music
aptitude learn all three patterns quickly, they might be asked to audiate
and perform consecutively two or more patterns selected from the three
difficulty levels.
Pattern order
Patterns easiest to learn are not always taught parallel to their
classification or function within a music context. Also, order of levels of
tonal or rhythm learning sequences and pattern difficulty levels do not
always follow one another closely. There is no reason to believe, however,
what is easiest is best taught first. Albeit, multiple patterns (which
include diatonic pitches), for example, are easier for students to perform
than tonic patterns and dominant seventh patterns (which include
only arpeggiated pitches) in major and harmonic minor tonalities, but
this is because diatonic patterns are easily imitated and consequently
easily performed. Moreover, when tonic patterns and dominant seventh
patterns in major tonality and harmonic minor tonality are combined
sequentially without a pause, they take on characteristics of multiple
patterns. That poses difficulty for students just learning to audiate.
Because the resting tone and leading tone are audiated in conjunction
with each other in arpeggiated patterns, students quickly establish a
sense of tonality. As a result, when in time students perform multiple
patterns, they do so with more precision because they are audiating
tonality. In most cases, what is easy to audiate but not necessarily easy to
imitate is usually a result of what students have learned previously.
Separating and combining tonal patterns and rhythm

patterns
An important characteristic of learning sequence activities is worth
repeating. Students must be taught to audiate and perform tonal patterns
and rhythm patterns independently of each other, so every pitch in a
tonal pattern is taught with the same duration, and every duration in
a rhythm pattern is taught using the same pitch but with inflection.
In classroom activities and performance activities, however, tonal
patterns and rhythm patterns are usually combined. Initial separation
is emphasized in learning sequence activities because students who are
just learning to audiate find it difficult to understand a tonal pattern
combined with a rhythm pattern remains the same tonal pattern when
combined with another rhythm pattern, and a rhythm pattern combined
with a tonal pattern remains the same rhythm pattern when combined
with another tonal pattern. Moreover, it would be almost impossible to

teach combined tonal patterns and rhythm patterns—that is, melodic
patterns—because only rarely can tonal and rhythm parts of a combined
pattern share the same level of difficulty. Each student’s individual
musical needs are best met when instruction matches individual levels
of tonal aptitude and rhythm aptitude in conjunction with tonal pattern
and rhythm pattern difficulty levels.
From a purely music perspective, it has been found the more
experience students have audiating and performing tonal patterns
without rhythm and rhythm patterns without pitch in learning sequence
activities, the more effectively they later can learn to combine tonal
patterns and rhythm patterns into melodic patterns in classroom
activities and performance activities. This is because the larger and more
varied their separate vocabularies of tonal patterns and rhythm patterns
become, the more material they have to draw upon when they combine
patterns and begin work on melodic content in performance.

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with rhythm learning sequence.

Students begin to acquire a vocabulary of tonal patterns and rhythm

Objective Evidence of Pattern Difficulty Level and Growth Rate.

as Sound in Music; The Importance of Being Able to Audiate “Same”

Breaths and pauses

General characteristics of patterns

for context. Tonal patterns that include consecutive repeated pitches,

Arpeggiated and diatonic tonal patterns

Tonality, keyality, meter, and tempo

Individual musical differences

average music aptitude might still be learning the moderately difficult

Separating and combining tonal patterns and rhythm

with another tonal pattern. Moreover, it would be almost impossible to

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