The musical mind that is steeped in the various tonalities senses the difference between tonalities in sound. Tonal syllables give voice to the uniqueness of each tonality. Tonal Discrimination Activities provide for the musical mind to compare and contrast tonalities in sound—to become “mindful” of the musical mind’s sense of difference.

The musical mind now perceives various tonalities and can engage with any with tonal syllables. Tonal Discrimination Activities lead the musical mind to awareness that tonalities are different from each other. The musical mind, (like the thinking mind), learns what something is by knowing what it is not. Tonal Discrimination Activities provide the opportunity for the musical mind to playfully compare and contrast tonalities aurally. They place contrasting tonalities “next to each other” in sound and syllables, inviting the musical mind to compare and contrast tonalities, much as a child might compare and contrast colors. It is in hearing and comparing the contrasting tonalities “side by side” aurally that the musical mind becomes aware of the characteristics that distinguish one tonality from another, and takes greater command of its own knowing.

Tonal Discrimination Activities pair a tonality with a minor third [Dorian, Phrygian, Aeolian, Minor] with one with a major third [Mixolydian, Lydian, Major] to create the greatest contrast. Activities are not intended to teach children to label or to recall the contrasting tonalities without syllables, but rather, so that children become aware that the two tonalities are different. Labels like Dorian and Mixolydian are incidental at this point. They simply indicate that the tonalities are different, inviting the musical mind to tune in to the distinguishing characteristics in sound and syllables that make them different from each other. It is not important that a child recite the name of a tonality, but rather, learn to aurally distinguish one tonality from another with syllables, as tonal syllables reflect, represent, and reinforce distinguishing characteristics. The names of the tonalities will in time become the verbal representation of the difference between the tonalities, but the purpose of Tonal Discrimination Activities is to become aware of that difference in sound through syllables. 

As with rhythm, the most challenging aspect of Tonal Discrimination Activities is to keep the thinking mind out of the way—to avoid well-meaning verbalizations of the differences between tonalities, tips on what to listen for, or use of language between “side by side” tonalities in sound. Language interrupts the very process of comparing and contrasting sound.