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Music Learning Theory, researched and developed by Edwin Gordon from the mid 1950’s to
present, is a set of ideas about how humans learn music through audiation. By breathing,
moving, rhythm chanting, singing, and playing instruments we develop audiation skills that
allow us to give meaning to the combinations of rhythm patterns and tonal patterns that make
music a unique form of human communication. Moreover, audiation may be expressed in a
variety of ways that may be developed sequentially from before birth through adulthood
(Gordon, 2007a; Gordon, 2007b; 2007d). Through audiation, we discover music learning as a
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never-ending, ever deepening process for music expression and enjoyment. Following is an
overview of key Music Learning Theory components. This overview is not intended as an in-
depth description. For in-depth study information please visit http://www.GIML.org and
http://www.sc.edu/library/music/spec_coll.html. (For further background, refer to infomration
at the end of this article.)"
Philosophy
Gordon bases Music Learning Theory on his extensive research in music aptitude, the
potential each human has for music achievement (Gordon, 1965/1995, 1979, 1982, 1989a,
1989b). Music aptitude and music achievement are different, but are closely intertwined.
Whereas music aptitude is the possibility for music achievement, music achievement is the
realization of that possibility. According to Gordon, we are each born with music aptitude. As
with other human learning potentials, there is a wide range of music aptitude levels distributed
among the human population. Moreover, both music aptitude and music achievement are
dependent on audiation. That is, our music learning potentials and our music learning
achievements are based on our music thinking. Most importantly, that music thinking goes
beyond mere imitation and leads to music comprehension (Gordon 2007b; 2007d).
Through his research Gordon (2007b; 2007d) has determined that music aptitude is
developmental, uctuating from birth through approximately age 9, and stabilized thereafter.
The interplay between the music aptitude we receive at birth and the music environments we
experience during the rst few years of life begins to account for the variety of individual
music differences teachers observe among students in their music classrooms. Teachers may
use Gordon’s music aptitude tests (Gordon, 1965/1995, 1979, 1982, 1989a, 1989b) to identify
each student’s music aptitude and to adapt music instruction to address each student’s
individual music strengths and weaknesses.
Ideally, during the rst years of life, before music aptitude stabilizes we each receive rich,
sequential informal music guidance followed by formal music instruction that allows our
music potentials to stabilize as high as possible, and sets the stage for music achievement.
Gordon (2003, 2007a, 2007b, 2007d) explains that through informal music guidance and initial
formal music instruction we develop music vocabularies. Gordon likens the development of
music vocabularies to initial language vocabulary development.
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Valerio, in press). Similar to language learning, as adults and peers guide children’s language
learning through interactions (Bruner, 1983; Vygotsky, 1978), children are dependent on those
adults and peers to guide their music learning through music interactions. Initial music
learning, like initial language learning, is informal, yet sequential. Gordon (2003; 2007b, 2007d)
theorizes that there are three types and seven stages of preparatory audiation hough which
children progress as they are guided on the path to audiation. The types and stages of
preparatory audiation are presented in Table 1.
Valerio, Reynolds, Taggart, Bolton, and Gordon (1998) describe informal music and movement
activities that adults may use to guide children in the types and stages of preparatory
audiation. As with initial informal language learning, initial informal music learning takes place
most naturally in child-centered, playful environments where music is a verb to be experienced
through sound, body and multiple human interactions (Reynolds, Long, Valerio, in press). When
children are progressing through the types and stages of preparatory audiation, they engage in
tonal and rhythm music babble and music interactions. Through those interactions, adults and
peers help children shape their music babble into objective music syntax. As a result, what
may seem to be the meaningless or random vocalizations and movements from infants,
become recognizable rhythm chants and songs due to the music interactions children
encounter with adults and peers as they progress through the types and stages of preparatory
audation. If guided, but not rushed children will typically exit the types and stages of
preparatory audiation as they begin coordinating their singing and chanting with their
breathing and moving at approximately age 6 or 7.
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rhythm chants, songs, rhythm patterns, and tonal patterns, but they also engage in music
comprehension as they compare the music they are hearing or performing to music they have
heard or music they are predicting they will hear. Gordon (2007b) states, audiation is, “hearing
and comprehending in one’s mind the sound of music that is not, or may never have been,
physically present. It is not imitation or memorization,” (p. 399). That is, audiation is music
thinking, and music thinking may be expressed in several ways that may involve, but go
beyond, mere imitation.
When audiating, children and adults may engage in eight audiation types and six audiation
stages. Whereas the stages of audiation are sequential, the types of audiation are not. The
types and stages of audiation are presented in Tables 2 and 3, respectively.
Music educators who use Music Learning Theory to inform their understanding of how
humans learn when they learn music realize that the types of audiation are the bases for
audiation expression and may be used the bases for music assessment. When students
express what they are audiating, that expression can be measured as a type or types of
audiation with varying degrees of music achievement. The challenge for the music teacher is
to combine her knowledge of audiation with appropriate, sequential activities that promote the
development of the types of audiation.
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through imitation. As they do so, they gain the readiness for inferential music thinking. Gordon
outlines discrimination learning and inference learning in Table 4.
For tonal audiation development, skill learning sequence must be combined sequentially tonal
content and tonal patterns. For rhythm audiation development, skill learning sequence must be
combined sequentially with rhythm content rhythm patterns. Gordon prescribes speci c and
separate sequences for tonal content and rhythm content learning. Within each type of
development, however, patterns of sound, not individual pitches or durations, are the focus. By
audiating patterns of sound, students comprehend music context and syntax. Through the
interaction of music skill learning sequence, tonal learning sequence, rhythm learning
sequence, and pattern learning sequence students give meaning to music as they engage in
the types and stages of audiation.
According to Gordon (2007b, 2007d) learning sequence activities are the essential tools for
tonal audiation development and rhythm audiation development. As outlined in the tonal and
rhythm register books that accompany, Jump Right In, The Music Curriculum, Reference
Handbook for Using Learning Sequence Activities (Gordon, 2001) and in Jump Right In, The
Instrumental Curriculum, Band, Strings, and Recorder (Grunow, Gordon, Azzara, Martin, 1999-
2002), teachers who use Music Learning Theory should engage their students in tonal pattern
or rhythm pattern instruction during 5-10 minutes of each class period. As they do so, they will
take their students through an audiation skill learning sequence involving a continual,
sequential interplay between imitation learning and inference learning, and introducing sound-
before-symbol as suggested by Pestalozzi, Dalcroze, Kodály, Orff, and Suzuki. As they proceed
through learning sequence activities, students gain skills in major, harmonic minor, Dorian, and
Mixolydian tonalities, and duple, triple, combined, and unusual meters.
Classroom Activities
As might be expected, learning sequence activities need to be coordinated with classroom
activities where students are introduced to tonalities and meters, as well as other music
elements. Classroom activities may be of any type, including those from Dalcroze, Kodály, Orff
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Schulwerk, and Suzuki traditions, which allow teachers to introduce students to a variety of
tonalities and meters.
With all classroom activities, some general considerations are necessary for students to reap
the bene ts of audiation. First, for understanding and internalizing meter, tempo, and rhythm,
continuous movement activities, rather than beat-keeping activities, are most bene cial. Many
continuous movement activities that emphasize the use of ow, weight, space, and time may
be found in Jump Right In, The Early Childhood Music Curriculum, Music Play (Valerio, et al.
1998), Guiding Early Childhood Music Development: A Moving Experience (Reynolds, 2005),
Jump Right In, The Music Curriculum, Teacher Editions, Book 1(2000), Book 2(2001), Book
3(2004), Book 4 (2006), and Buffalo: Music Learning Theory/Resolutions and Beyond (Gordon,
2006a). By participating in such activities over time, students become adept at uently
measuring the space and time in and between beats in the music they are listening to or
performing. Second, proper vocal technique is necessary for the expression of tonal audiation.
For all children, therefore, proper use of head voice must be emphasized, especially for tonal
audiation development. Third, teachers must not assume that students will automatically
demonstrate proper breathing and posture. Above all, the teacher must model proper
breathing, posture, and singing. Proper breathing and posture will enhance students’ singing
voice use and audiation.
Teachers and students who engage in sequential audiation development through learning
sequence activities and classroom activities nd themselves eager to participate in music
improvisation as a natural outgrowth of their music thinking interactions with each other.
Through music improvisation, they own their music thoughts, express their music individuality,
and deepen their music understanding and enjoyment. For those purposes, Gordon’s (2003)
Improvisation in the Music Classroom and Developing Musicianship through Audation (Azzara
and Grunow, 2006) are useful resources.
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Solfege
When using Music Learning Theory tenets to help students learn music, Gordon (2007b,
2007d) recommends using two types of solfege: tonal solfege and rhythm solfege. Each type
is used to assist students as they compare, categorize, and classify tonal patterns and rhythm
patterns, respectively, while using their audiation skills.
Because comparisons between tonalities are basic to tonal audiation development, Gordon
recommends using movable-“do” tonal syllables with a “la”-based minor, “re”-based Dorian,
“mi”-based Phrygian, “fa”-based Lydian, “sol”-based Mixolydian, and “ti”-based Locrian. This
tonal system allows students to recognize and audiate the characteristic patterns of each
tonality without prematurely resorting to notation and theoretical understanding.
When students audiate rhythm, they compare rhythm patterns and meters, not individual
durations. For that reason, Gordon recommends using rhythm solfege based on beat
functions, rather than note values. The macrobeat and microbeat rhythm solfege used in
learning sequence activities is outlined in Table 6.
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Summary
Each human has the potential to learn music through audiation. Ideally, informal music
guidance and audiation development begin as early in life as possible. Teachers who practice
Music Learning Theory must be aware that students, regardless of age, need guidance through
the types and stages of preparatory audiation before they are ready for formal music
instruction based on skill learning sequence, tonal learning sequence, rhythm learning
sequence, and pattern learning sequences. As children exit the types and stages of
preparatory audiation and begin to function in tonalities and meters, school music instruction
may be approached as a period of developing music listening, performing, and
audiation/improvisation vocabularies through movement, rhythm, speech, singing, and
percussion instrument activities as children progress that lead to meaningful music reading
and writing.
When using Music Learning Theory, teachers assist children in becoming independent
musicians through audiation. Audiation is music thinking. When children audiate, they do more
than remember pitches, intervals, durations, or rhythms. They think tonal patterns and rhythm
patterns in the contexts of tonalities and meters, respectively. Through a whole-part-whole
learning process, children develop movement, rhythm, and tonal vocabularies as they are
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Background
After playing tuba and string bass in the Army, playing string bass with the Gene Krupa Band,
earning a bachelor’s and master’s degrees in string bass performance from the Eastman
School of Music, and earning a second master’s degree in from the Ohio University College of
Education, Edwin E. Gordon accepted a fellowship at the University of Iowa. When rst arriving
in Iowa, Gordon taught music, early childhood through grade 12, in The University Laboratory
Schools while completing graduate studies and teaching undergraduate music methods
courses at the University of Iowa during the 1950s. While doing so he became extremely
interested in how humans learn when they learn music. For 16 years at Iowa, rst as a doctoral
student, and then as a professor, Gordon investigated music learning processes and
developed the Musical Aptitude Pro le (Gordon, 1965/1995), the Iowa Tests of Music Literacy
(1971/1991), and The Psychology of Music Teaching (1971), where he rst introduced Music
Learning Theory (Gordon, 2006, 2007b, 2007c, 2007d).
From 1972-79 Gordon (2007b) taught and conducted research at the State University of New
York in Buffalo. During that time he continued his investigations of music learning processes
and developed Learning Sequence and Patterns in Music (1976), the Primary Measures of
Music Audiation (1979) and the Intermediate Measures of Music Aptitude (1982).
After leaving SUNY-Buffalo, Gordon (2006b) became director of the doctoral program at
Temple Unviersity in Philadelphia, PA where he held the Carl E. Seashore Chair for Research in
Music Education from 1979-1997. While in that position Gordon continued his objective study
of music aptitude, publishing the Advanced Measures of Music Audiation (1989), and
Designing Objective Research in Music Education (1986). He also extended his interests in
early childhood music development, publishing A Music Learning Theory for Newborn and
Young Children (1990/2003) and Audie (1989).
Gordon currently collaborates with several authors who develop the practical application of
Music Learning Theory for a variety of music education settings from early childhood, Jump
right in: The early childhood music curriculum: Music play (Valerio, et al., 1998), through
elementary classroom, Jump Right In, The Music Curriculum (Bolton, et al. 2000, 2001; Taggart
et al, 2000, 2006) and instrumental, Jump Right In, The Instrumental Curriculum, Band, Strings,
and Recorder (Grunow, Gordon, Azzara, Martin, 1999-2002). Though retired, Gordon maintains
a rigorous international lecture schedule and continues to publish, most recently releasing,
Discovering Music from the Inside Out: An Autobiography (2006), Awakening Newborns,
Children, and Adults to the World of Audiation (2007a) and Learning Sequences in Music: A
Contemporary Music Learning Theory (2007b, 2007d).
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Chicago: GIA.
Gordon, E. E. (2007c). Learning sequences in music: A contemporary music learning theory:
Study guide. Chicago: GIA.
Gordon, E. E. (2007d). Lecture cds for learning sequences in music: A contemporary music
learning theory. Chicago: GIA.
Gordon Institute for Music Learning. (2007). About GIML. Retrieved from:
http://www.giml.org/aboutgiml.php
Grunow, R. F., Gordon, E. E., Azzara, C. D., & Martin, M. E. (1999-2002). Jump right in: The
instrumental series, for band, strings, and recorder. Chicago: GIA.
Reynolds, A. M., Long, S., Valerio, W. H. (in press) Language acquisition and music acquisition:
possible parallels. In E. Smithrim & R. Upitis (Eds.), Research to Practice: A Biennial Series.
Volume 3. Canadian Music Educators Association.
Reynolds, A. M. (2005). Guiding early childhood music development: A moving experience. In
M. Runfola & C. Taggart (Eds.), The development and practical applications of Music Learning
Theory (pp. 87-100). Chicago: GIA.
Taggart, C. C., Bolton, B. M., Reynolds, A. M., Valerio, W. H., & Gordon, E. E. (2004). Jump right
in: The music curriculum book 3 (Rev. ed.). Chicago: GIA.
Taggart, C. C., Bolton, B. M., Reynolds, A. M., Valerio, W. H., & Gordon, E. E. (2006). Jump right
in: The music curriculum book 4 (Rev. ed.). Chicago: GIA.
Valerio, W. H., Reynolds, A. M., Bolton, B. M., Taggart, C. C., & Gordon, E. E. (1998). Jump right
in: The early childhood music curriculum: Music play. Chicago: GIA.
Vygotsky, L. (1978). Mind in society: The development of higher psychological processes.
Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press
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