The acquisition of rhythm and tonal syllables deepens rhythm and tonal knowing (audiation), while building the bridge to music reading. The syllables offer a mirror to the musical mind, reflecting its own competence, and enticing it to become aware of its own knowing. Awareness of one’s own rhythm and tonal knowing demonstrates a deeper level of musical understanding. 

Rhythm and tonal syllables speak directly to the musical mind, providing a language with which the musical mind can communicate with the thinking mind, with other musicians, and with notation. Syllables provide the link from aural knowing to notation.

Children can acquire rhythm and tonal syllables as naturally and in much the same way as they develop a sense of meter and a sense of tonality.  Immersion and then interactivity in various meters and tonalities on neutral syllables, (Bah, Too), lead to the development of a sense of meter and a sense of tonality.  Immersion and then interactivity in various meters and tonalities on rhythm and tonal syllables then lead to the acquisition of rhythm and tonal syllables.

A sense of meter and a sense of tonality, or at least extensive immersion and interactivity with various meters and tonalities, provide the readiness for rhythm and tonal syllables.  The musical mind, steeped in meters and tonalities, acquires rhythm and tonal syllables readily, as the syllables “make sense” to the musical mind. The thinking mind, on the other hand, wants to logically “make sense” of the syllables.  It tries to “figure them out” or “remember” them. Syllables learned by the musical mind adhere to meters and tonalities, as the syllables mirror achieved rhythm and tonal knowing, ultimately making sense to the thinking mind. Syllables learned by the thinking mind impose on the musical mind, and get in the way of music learning.

Rhythm and tonal syllables are accessible to all children. Even two year olds with the appropriate background can begin to acquire rhythm and tonal syllables. The thinking mind can get in the way with children older than 7, as the thinking mind becomes prime in school. The musical mind must be at the forefront in the classroom for the acquisition of rhythm and tonal syllables. There are no shortcuts to learning syllables through thinking, vocal production, or “decoding” music notation.  A sense of meter and a sense of tonality—or at least 10-16 weeks of extensive immersion and interaction with various meters and tonalities are necessary for the acquisition of rhythm and tonal syllables.