Rhythm and Tonal Discrimination Activities bring awareness of differences between meters and between tonalities, yet sameness across meters and across tonalities. They further prepare children for activities that change meters and activities that change tonalities. Children at this level can move effortlessly from one meter to another or from one tonality to another, whether in successive activities or within one. The key to success is in establishing each meter or tonality. You may be surprised to discover that children as young as four become so secure in meters and tonalities with syllables, that they move from one meter to another or one tonality to another with ease as well as competence.

Designing activities that explore this capability makes more transparent the workings of the musical mind. Try doing an activity for a short time in one meter and then in another, and then another. For example, start in Duple meter and when all are secure, stop and suggest, “Now let’s go to Triple meter…'du da di du, du da di du,” (same tempo) and move on in Triple meter. Suggest moving to Unusual Paired, or back to Duple, set up the meter and go directly into the new meter. The children enjoy their own ability to shift meters.

Similarly, set up a Tonal Activity in one tonality, move to another and another. For example, start in Dorian tonality and when all are secure, chant on the resting tone, “Now we’re going to move into Mixolydian Tonality...'sim se sim sa si so su sum,” and begin singing in the new tonality (same keyality, same meter, same tempo). Secure the new tonality with a couple of phrases and then sing on the resting tone a change to another tonality, set up the tonality, and move on. Your instructor was once exploring this dimension of audiation with a group of kindergarteners, putting on a different hat with each successive tonality to playfully mark successive changes. She shifted through five or six tonalities, fumbling through a variety of hats while observing faces, bodies, and responses for cues of readiness, only to finish and have a five year old volunteer, “You forgot 'rim rum!”

Children’s ability to shift meters and shift tonalities so easily—with each different meter and tonality set up with a prep, offers greater flexibility, not only with rhythm and tonal activities, but with successive songs. For example, you can now comfortably include in your lesson plan an Art Song in Phrygian tonality and Duple meter followed by a Gem Song in Lydian tonality and Triple meter, followed by a Play Song in Major tonality and Duple meter, even labeling the tonality and meter with each prep.