Audiation
What is audiation?
Audiation is a term coined by Dr. Edwin E. Gordon in the mid 1970s. Audiation is defined as “hearing and comprehending in one’s mind sound of music not, or may never have been, physically present. It is not imitation or memorization” (Gordon, 2012). Audiation is the ability to understand music when the sound is not physically present. Audiation is innate (music aptitude) and allows humans to gain music knowledge and to understand the relationships that occur within music (Gouzouasis, 1992). Audiation is a conceptual process and audiation is to music, what thinking is to language (Gordon, 2012).
Audiation is a term coined by Dr. Edwin E. Gordon in the mid 1970s. Audiation is defined as “hearing and comprehending in one’s mind sound of music not, or may never have been, physically present. It is not imitation or memorization” (Gordon, 2012). Audiation is the ability to understand music when the sound is not physically present. Audiation is innate (music aptitude) and allows humans to gain music knowledge and to understand the relationships that occur within music (Gouzouasis, 1992). Audiation is a conceptual process and audiation is to music, what thinking is to language (Gordon, 2012).
Why is Audiation Important?
In a music learning environment that includes audiation, both percepts (that which is heard) and concepts (that which is audiated) are important processes in acquiring music information. Audiation allows us to organise and understand music in a logical manner. (Gouzouasis, 1992). When audiation skills are developed, students can generalize what they have been taught. In other words, they understand unfamiliar music (new repertoire) because they are adequately grounded in familiar music. (Gordon, 2009).
In a music learning environment that includes audiation, both percepts (that which is heard) and concepts (that which is audiated) are important processes in acquiring music information. Audiation allows us to organise and understand music in a logical manner. (Gouzouasis, 1992). When audiation skills are developed, students can generalize what they have been taught. In other words, they understand unfamiliar music (new repertoire) because they are adequately grounded in familiar music. (Gordon, 2009).
Types and Stages of Audiation
There are eight types and six stages of audiation. The following two tables will offer specific details how audiation is incorporated in all activities associated with music endeavours. Note not all types of audiation include exactly the same stages. Although the stages of audiation are sequential, meaning, you must pass through stage 1 before moving to stage 2., types of audiation are not sequential. However, some types of audiation serve as preparation for others.
There are eight types and six stages of audiation. The following two tables will offer specific details how audiation is incorporated in all activities associated with music endeavours. Note not all types of audiation include exactly the same stages. Although the stages of audiation are sequential, meaning, you must pass through stage 1 before moving to stage 2., types of audiation are not sequential. However, some types of audiation serve as preparation for others.
TYPES OF AUDIATION
|
TYPE 1
TYPE 2 TYPE 3 TYPE 4 TYPE 5 TYPE 6 TYPE 7 TYPE 8 |
Listening to familiar and unfamiliar music
Reading familiar or unfamiliar music Writing familiar or unfamiliar music from dictation Recalling and performing familiar music from memory Recalling and writing familiar music from memory Creating or improvising unfamiliar music while performing or in silence Reading and creating or improvising unfamiliar music Writing and creating or improvising unfamiliar music |
STAGES OF AUDIATION
|
STAGE 1
STAGE 2 STAGE 3 STAGE 4 STAGE 5 STAGE 6 |
Momentary retention
Imitating and audiating tonal patterns and rhythm patterns and recognizing and identifying a tonal center and macrobeats Establishing objective or subjective tonality and meter Retaining in audiation tonal patterns and rhythm patterns that have been organized Recalling tonal patterns and rhythm patterns organized and audiated in other music Anticipating and predicting tonal patterns and rhythm patterns |
NOTE: At the time of creation Ars Nova de Audiation will focus on Types 2, 3, 5, 7, and 8 of Audiation - Notational Audiation.
Notational Audiation
|
What is notation?
"Music notation is a collection of visual symbols that are intended to represent the sound of music" (Gordon, 2004). What is Notational Audiation?
Notational Audiation is the audiation of music notation. "If you are able to hear the musical sound of and give contextual meaning to what you see in music notation before you perform it, before someone else performs it. or as you write it, you are engaging in notational audiation" (Gordon, 2004). Accomplished musicians can audiate all they see in notation, but all they audiate cannot be put into notation" (Gordon, 2004) |
Notation is a "window" that one sees through; audiation is on the other side" (Gordon, 2004) When should students engage in notational audiation? "The longer a teacher waits before teaching students to read notation, the more musicianship students will ultimately develop, because this will allow them to acquire an extensive audiation vocabulary of tonal patterns and rhythm patterns first. Regardless of how long the teaching of reading is postponed, if students are taught to audiate first, they invariably have the desire to learn to read notation and to write notation, and they will be more successful in doing so. . . . . Because notation, fingering, and audiation are not always logically related, students become confused when they are taught to read prematurely" (Gordon, 2004). 'With audiation attained, reading seems to happen. But that is just the rudimentary act of reading and writing music notation, and as explained, it is indicative of music content. More important is the skill that allows one to be comfortable with incorporating music context into the process of interpreting notated patterns. Specifically, an intelligent and lofty musician soon realizes that what is not seen in notation is far more important than what notation can accommodate. That is, the salient, if not the most important elements of music cannot be put into notation. Accomplished musicians can audiate all they see in notation, but all they audiate cannot be put into notation" (Gordon, 2004).
|
|
Why is Audiation so Important?
When audiation skills have not been developed, students find it difficult to generalize what they have been taught. In other words, they struggle to understand unfamiliar music because they are not adequately grounded in familiar music.” (Gordon, 2009). Reframed: When audiation skills are developed, students can generalize what they have been taught. In other words, they understand unfamiliar music (new repertoire) because they are adequately grounded in familiar music. |
Music notation is a collection of visual symbols that are intended to represent the sound of music" (Gordon, 2004). |
