Gordon Music Learning Theory

Gordon Music Learning Theory (MLT), developed by Edwin Gordon, is an approach to teaching music that emphasizes learning through active, experiential engagement. It focuses on helping students develop audiation—the ability to think and understand music internally—as a foundation for musical skills. The theory advocates sequentially building aural, rhythmic, and melodic understanding through listening, movement, and singing activities. MLT views music learning as similar to language acquisition, progressing from simple to complex concepts. Its goal is to foster deep musical understanding, internalized musical thinking, and versatile skills for musical expression and comprehension.