Explore rhythm audiation through macro- and microbeat patterns. Learn how Music Learning Theory (MLT) reframes rhythm by sound and function, not notation, using enrhythmic rhythm syllables. Guided exercises, teaching applications, and new resources to help you and your students audiate with confidence and clarity.
Items Mentioned and Other Related Content
Rhythm Trees in Duple and Triple Meters
Music Notation Parts: Cards & Cutouts
Transcript
*Please note this transcript is a rough sketch of the episode, not an exact word for word – especially the portion with rhythm patterns.
Hello friends, and welcome to episode #156 of The Piano Pantry Podcast! In this space, we talk about all things teacher life-related, from organizing our studios to getting dinner on the table and all that comes between.
In fact, we’ve covered quite the gamut in the first five episodes of 2025. In episode 151, we talked about the art of making progress, in episode 153, we got a little personal, talking about learning to “let go,” episode 154 was a practical tip for using recurring reminders, and the most recent episode was a teacher chat on rebuilding your studio after a move.
I started this year with a goal to do more pedagogically-focused topics this year. For me, that passion comes most naturally in the form of ear training. If you missed episode #152, it was on Audiating the tune “Lavender’s Blue.”
Today, we’re going to explore some rhythm audiation exercises at the macro-micro-beat levels. If you’re not sure what that means, well, I hope you’ll stick around to find out!
Before we dive in, I realized I’ve been behind on giving shout-outs to my newest Patreon members, so today I want to say thanks to Beth Anderson and Dara VanRemoortel for partnering with me on Patreon. As Insiders, they are not only supporting this podcast but they get access to weekly power-hours, quarterly sessions, and my newest teacher chat on exploring audiation-based instruction in everyday methods.
To join, visit pianopantry.com/patreon. Our first audiation-chat is Wednesday, April 2. If you’re listening to this the day this episode drops, that’s tomorrow! Don’t worry – replays will be available.
You may have heard the term “audiation” thrown around these days. “Audition” is a term coined by Dr. Edwin E. Gordon, a bassist, researcher, and founder of Music Learning Theory (MLT for short).
Audiation means hearing music with understanding, not just recalling it in our minds like a play button, but being able to assign meaning to what we hear.
In traditional theory, we learn meter primarily through notation, using the time signature and assigning values, or numbers, to notes.
In Gordon’s Music Learning Theory, meter is defined by what we hear and feel, not what we see.
Just as we have enharmonic notation – F# is the same as Gb, rhythm can also be “enrhythmic.” That is, the same sound can technically be notated more than one way.
For example, “Bah-bah-bah-bah” could be notated as 4 quarter notes or four eighth notes, depending on where you feel the pulse.
This is the first step – like a heartbeat. When we audiate rhythm, we don’t just feel one layer of beats but multiple layers simultaneously.
Gordon defined the biggest of these as the “Macrobeat” or big beat.
Macrobeats are primarily responsible for our audiation of tempo. The next layer is the microbeat, or the little beat, which is primarily responsible for our audiation of meter.
How the microbeat divides the macrobeat determines meter. In other words, meter is defined in terms of how beat levels relate to one another.
Because we are more concerned with assigning meaning based on how it’s heard rather than how it’s notated, MLT practitioners opt for a rhythm system that’s not based on note values, such as a quarter note gets one beat, a half note gets two, but on beat function.
Dr. Gordon recommended a rhythm syllable system developed by James Frosth and himself that focuses on beat function rather than values.
In this system, “Du” is the macrobeat in Even meter. Even, meaning that the little beat always equally divides the big beat. When the macro beat is divided into two microbeats – we use Du-de – this is duple meter. When the macro beat is divided into three microbeats – we use Du-da-di – we’re in triple meter.
We’re going to go through a series of patterns together first in duple and then in triple. I will always leave silence for you to echo me on your own. Note that everything will be in 4-macrobeat patterns. This is another important factor in pattern delivery. Rhythm is not presented in individual beats, but in patterns.
Additionally, music is movement. Audiation is best felt in our bodies, not just talking about it. I encourage you to move your body. For the big beat, if you’re standing, sway gently side to side with your toes planted and your heels gently lifting or if you’re sitting, leaning gently side to side. While continuing to move to the macrobeat, layer the microbeat using your hands tapping lightly but silently on your side.
Echo me.
Du Du Du Du [silence to audiate]
That was all big beats. Now…
Du-de Du-de Du-de Du-de [silence to audiate]
That was all little beats divided into twos. Let’s do more patterns using only macro and micro beats in duple meter. Keep moving.
Du-de Du Du-de Du [silence to audiate]
Du Du-de Du Du-de [silence to audiate]
We are in duple meter because we heard the big beat divided into two’s. We hear Du-de’s
Now, I’ll do one then you respond with your own pattern. Again, notice we always move in 4 macrobeats.
Now I’m going to say the pattern with the neutral syllable “BAH” and you translate that pattern into Du’s and Du-de’s
For example, if I say….
You say…
Here we go….
Here are some examples of how we could enrhythmically notate some of these patterns.
Now let’s go back and do that same thing in TRIPLE METER. Establish beat. Remind them to move.
Now let’s talk about how these meters apply in some of our students repertoire.
In our first Patreon session tomorrow exploring audiation-based instruction in everyday methods, we’ll be looking at pieces in Faber’s Level 1 Lesson book so let’s pull a couple of pieces from there as an example.
Since we just finished in triple, let’s consider the triple meter piece Classic Dance on page 16 of this book.
Sing through it.
Let’s consider how many different macro-microbeat rhythm patterns are in this piece.
Sing each phrase and determine rhythm pattern.
In this piece, the big beat is the dotted half note, the little beat is the quarter note.
I tell my students in triple meter, the big beat always has a dot.
Now let’s consider a piece in Duple: This is Not Jingle Bells on page 27.
Sing through it.
Now go pattern by pattern and determine how many patterns there are.
This is just an example of one way we can approach rhythm with our students in a way that supports their audiation.
If you enjoyed this topic and would like to continue this conversation, I invite you to join my mini Patreon community for our new monthly teacher chat where we walk through various method books and talk about ways we can support our students developing audiation while still learning to read notation.
Again, visit Piano Pantry.com/patreon for more. Hope to see you there!
Before I sign off today, I wanted to let you know about some new rhythm resources that I just published on the Piano Pantry website. The first is series of rhythm trees in duple and triple meters. This is a great visual to help students see how the rhythms related to each other.
Just like we were talking about in this episode, if the big beat is a dotted half note in triple meter, then their little beat will be quarter notes. If their big beat is a dotted quarter notes then the little beat will be eighth notes.
The second resource is music notation cutouts. Where students can match note parts together, such as stems, flags, beams, white noteheads, black noteheads, dots, and more. Music notation parts have matching cards so they can match the name to the symbol. It even gives multiple variations of rhythms. For example, labeling eighth notes that are grouped either as 2’s, 3’s, 4s, or as a single flag. This helps students realize that the word “eight” can be applied to a variety of looks.
You’ll love it. Visit PianoPantry.com/shop to get these resources.
