Tonal difficulty dictates the ordering of tonal content in both tonal immersion and interactivity, though it is dependent upon melodic structure. “Tonality Songs,” songs without words in various tonalities used for tonal development, serve best for tonal learning when 1) the song clearly defines the tonality, with all characteristic tones of the tonality present, 2) passages are primarily stepwise rather than skips, with tonic function providing the easiest skips, 3) the melody revolves around, toward and from tonic and dominant pitches, 4) the range of the song is in the beginning singing range, 5) there are no chromatic alterations, 6) the melody is above rather than below the resting tone, moving to the resting tone 7) rhythm is primarily just macro and micro beats.
The prime way to increase tonal difficulty in Tonality Songs that meet the above criteria for melodic structure is through rhythm. Children attend most to tonality in the context of rhythm, but rhythm patterns more difficult than macro and micro beats draw children’s attention to rhythm and away from tonal. Macro and micro beats enhance children’s comprehension of and interaction with tonal. The weight of macro beats in a well written Tonality Song lines up with the melodic weight of tonic and dominant pitches, with micro beats serving passing tones. Rhythm momentum therefore helps to direct tonal processing.
Tonality Songs are the prime vehicle for tonal immersion. The ordering of tonalities by difficulty is not nearly as absolute as meters. Major and minor may be the most difficult. Children develop a sense of tonality best through experience with Dorian, Mixolydian, Phrygian, Lydian, and Aeolian tonalities, and that ordering is very effective. Since Dorian, Phrygian, Aeolian and Minor all include a minor third from the tonic, while Mixolydian, Lydian, and Major include a major third, you will find it easier for the children to learn when you engage them in a tonality with a minor third, contrasted by a tonality with a major third, deliberately planning rhythm activities between. As with rhythm, immersion prepares the musical mind for interactivity, which then strengthens the musical mind for more difficult content through immersion. Interactivity in any one tonality strengthens skill development in the other tonalities, as long as immersion and interactivity in the various tonalities continue.
Resting Tone Activities and Tonal Dialogue are the prime vehicles for tonal interactivity, with Resting Tone Activities providing the readiness for Tonal Dialogue and reinforcing the organizing force of resting tone. Tonal Dialogue is considerably more difficult than Rhythm Dialogue. Tonal segments for Tonal Dialogue, with rhythm, serve best for tonal learning within the melodic structure detailed above for Tonality Songs, when they include characteristic tones of the tonality, and when the short segments lead rhythmically and tonally to tonic or dominant pitches. Tonal Dialogue is easiest in duple meter. Triple meter presents greater challenge in Tonal Dialogue. Tonal Dialogue in each tonality strengthens Tonal Dialogue in every other tonality, as long as immersion and interactivity in the various tonalities continue.
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