Rhythm Discrimination Activities place two meters “next to each other” in sound, so that children can hear consecutively and repeatedly two meters in contrast to each other, without the interruption of language. Rhythm Discrimination Activities are designed for the musical mind to compare examples in sound, without the interference of the thinking mind’s well-meaning verbal explanations or tips of what to listen for. At this point, the children know the meters in sound and syllables. Now the goal is to give them the opportunity to discover that the meters are different from each other, and to provide multiple chances for the musical mind to confirm those differences, with varying content. Meters are delivered in syllables for all Rhythm Discrimination Activities, and several phrases of two contrasting meters are sung successively, so that children can hear change repeatedly. Meter segments are generally four bars. As children become adept at hearing the difference between the two meters, four macro beats of each meter may be all they need to hear.

Placing meters “side by side” for aural discrimination sets up an “aural game” that seduces audiation. The requirements for the “game” are simply that children hear repeatedly, successive examples of two different meters, offering numerous opportunities for children to discover for themselves that they are different and what makes them different, without verbalizations or well-meaning teacher instructions. Children might be invited to indicate non-verbally which meter they think they are hearing, (without explanations, praise, cheering, or negative sound effects for their selection with each change). There might then occasionally be some kind of non-verbal indication of which meter they are hearing. The purpose of the “game” is not so that children get the “right answers,” but rather, that they become more aware of meters that they know in audiation, and their distinguishing characteristics, through ongoing opportunities to compare and contrast the meters “next to each other” in sound with syllables.

The thinking mind will want to take control and “figure out” the “game.” For example, your consistently alternating four bars of chanting in Duple meter with four bars of chanting in Triple meter will lead children's thinking minds to “get” the meter by predicting the alternating pattern of Duple, Triple, Duple, Triple. Using the less predictable Duple, Triple, Triple, Duple, forces the thinking mind out of the way and invites the musical mind to compare sound. Once the musical mind takes over, the thinking mind realizes it cannot “outsmart” the musical mind and quits trying.
 
Explanations deemed necessary of how to play the game are done before the series of examples of meters. Each “game” begins with 8 beat phrases of macro and micro beats in each of the two meters. As children become secure in hearing the meters change, division patterns are added in each meter for greater challenge. Rhythm examples should sound much like the rhythm segments children have heard in earlier Rhythm Activities. The familiarity focuses audiation on the differences between the two meters, voiced through syllables.
 
The “game’’ can be strictly aural, with children listening to examples of Duple and Triple meter repeatedly. For example, “Duple meter is going to sing, ‘du de du, du de du.’ Triple meter is going to sing, ‘du da di du, du da di du.’ I wonder who's singing! (Pause) ‘Du de du de, du de du, du du, du de du. (Pause) Du da di du da di, du da di du, du du, du da di du. (Pause) Du de du, du de du, du de du de, du de du. (Pause) Du da di du da di, du da di du, du da di du da di, du du. Musical examples are always chanted rather than spoken, and always chanted with syllables.

The game can be done with children indicating by a raised hand, pointed finger, or other gesture which meter they think they are hearing. Minimal gestures, without verbalizations, give each individual a chance to determine same and different for himself, rather than being influenced by group response. After providing multiple chances for the children to discriminate same and different, the teacher might join in with the chosen gesture, indicating the appropriate selections.

Four phrases of contrasting meters are strung together in the example above, which could include six or eight phrases. The role of the teacher is not in providing answers, but in providing the aural examples, giving the musical mind the opportunity to compare and contrast meters “next to each other” in sound. Audiation will compare and contrast the two meters, create hypotheses about beat relationships and the difference between the two meters, test and recreate hypotheses as needed until it is able to distinguish between the two meters in sound, much as a young child might discover the relationship between stacking cups of different sizes.

Contrasting meters are introduced with the rhythm prep for each. The presentation of meters “next to each other” in sound should be “in rhythm,” so to speak, to maximize distinguishing characteristics between meters in flight. Duple and Triple meters should therefore be presented with macro beats of the same tempo, which highlights the distinctive micro beats. Either Duple or Triple presented “side by side” with either Unusual Paired or Unusual Unpaired meter should be presented with micro beats of the same tempo, therefore highlighting the distinctive groupings. A pause or breath on a silent beat before each meter helps separate the examples for discrimination. Sequence Rhythm Discrimination Activities in accordance with rhythm content difficulty. Rhythm and Tonal Sequencing

A most effective way to deliver Discrimination Activities is with two puppets. “Today this puppet is going to sing in Duple meter, ‘du de du, du de du.’ This one is going to sing in Triple meter, ‘du da di du, du da di du.’ I wonder who’s singing!” The teacher puts both puppets to her ears, as if listening to them sing, while chanting a series of phrases in one of the meters. Each child silently points to the puppet he thinks is singing. After two or four bars of singing in the teacher’s ear, depending upon the level of the children to discriminate meters, the puppet reveals itself by facing the children while completing the phrase or phrases in the meter. Without any subsequent talking, the puppets again sing into the teacher’s ear, with the teacher chanting one of the meters, the children pointing, and then the puppet revealing itself by facing the children while completing the phrase. The ongoing challenge of “who’s singing” can carry on for 10-12 minutes, without interruption of language, with the musical mind comparing and contrasting the meters time after time, with varying rhythm patterns. You will know by your children’s’ response when to move from macro and micro beat patterns to division patterns, which division patterns are most challenging for them in discriminating meters, and how much you will need to include macro/micro beat patterns in the phrases.

The visual dimension of the puppets, with children’s pointing throughout the ongoing meter segments makes audiation seem transparent, as children indicate non-verbally when they hear the meter change, and which meter they think they are hearing. Rhythm Discrimination Activities with a group gives all the opportunity to “practice” discriminating one meter from another repeatedly. Subsequent examples to each child provide for monitoring individual growth. Four year olds with appropriate background play this game enthusiastically, with surprising accuracy. Young, older, and even college students will engage with puppets or hands used as puppets for Discrimination Activities, as audiation loves to command its own power.

Providing multiple opportunities for children to discriminate between meters “in flight” is not for the sake of identifying individual meters, getting the “right answers,” or learning labels for meters. Rather, it is to lead audiation to reflect on itself, to become aware of what it knows in sound—same and different in meter, amidst various macro/micro beat patterns  and division patterns in each of two meters. Same is harder to discriminate than different, as the contrast between ‘du de du’ and ‘du ta de ta du’ is far less than the contrast between ‘du de du’ and ‘du da di du.’ Phrases of macro and micro beats require children to discriminate between meters. In addition, division patterns require that children audiate macro and micro beats to determine same and different in meters.

A toddler with a set of stacking cups manipulates the cups over and over and over, comparing and contrasting, setting hypotheses about relationships, validating or challenging those hypotheses with each try, adjusting hypotheses as needed to command relationships of size, never tiring in the process. Similarly, children will play the “aural discrimination game” over and over and over, comparing and contrasting meters in audiation, setting hypotheses about relationships, validating or challenging those hypotheses with each try, adjusting hypotheses as needed to command relationships in rhythm, never tiring in the process. We just have to create opportunities for children to compare and contrast meters aurally.