Timeline of trends in music to 1799
c. 4000 BC
c. 3500 BC
c. 3000 BC
The bamboo pipe is invented in China
c. 2500 BC
c. 2000 BC
c. 1500 BC
c. 1000 BC
Music accompanies religious ceremonies in Israel
c. 800 BC
c. 700 BC
c. 685 BC
c. 675 BC
c. 600 BC
Modes appear in music
The vina is invented in India
c. 586 BC
c. 550 BC
c. 500 BC
400 BC
Trumpet competitions are popular in Greece
340 BC
320 BC
300 BC
c. 250 BC
Ktesibios invents the hydraulis
c. 200 BC
The earliest evidence of music in Japan
146 BC
The Romans conquer Greece and begin exporting its musical knowledge elsewhere in Europe
140 BC
Emperor Han Wudi takes over China and establishes an Imperial Office of Music
c. 50 BC
38 BC
The Chinese octave is divided into 60 notes
c. 350
386
c. 450
Alternating singing between precentors and parishioners is introduced in Christian churches
453
c. 500
521
Boethius introduces Greek notation to the West
c. 600
600
c. 600
The first flowering of Arab music occurs in what is now Syria during the rule of the Umayyad dynasty
609
619
The Chinese begin using large orchestras
650
Neumes , a system of notation, are introduced in Europe
c. 700
710
Beginning of the Nara period in Japan , and the introduction of komagaku and togaku music
c. 750
Gregorian chanting is popular throughout Europe
Byzantine wind organs begin to replace water organs
850
Hucbald writes rules for composing the organum
c. 850
Vocals in church music begins moving in parallel; this is the beginning of polyphony (see organum )
980
c. 1000
c. 1015
1050
c. 1050
The harp is introduced to Europe
1050
c. 1030
Guido of Arezzo develops a method to learn music by ear, solfège
c. 1095
c. 1100
1116
1121
The earliest performance of roi nuoc , or water puppetry, is recorded in Vietnam
c. 1125
c. 1150
French troubadours become more organized
1176
c. 1180
c. 1182
c. 1190
c. 1200
The faux bourdon style begins in England
Pérotin composes his works, considered to be the pinnacle of ars antiqua style
Hat tuong, which evolved from Chinese opera , appears in Vietnam
Cymbals are invented
In England, France and Germany, wandering musicians form collectives to help each other
Trumpets are used as signals in battle in Europe
1225
c. 1250
1253
1262
c. 1265
Franco of Cologne and Pierre de la Croix develop the motet
c. 1300
1309
1322
The Pope expressly forbids counterpoint
c. 1325
Organ pedals are invented
"Tournai Mass", the first polyphonic Mass, is written
c. 1330
c. 1350
1352
1360
1377
Musicians at the papal chapel in Avignon move to Rome , making it the capital of music in Europe
1385
The marriage of Charles VI of France and Isabella of Bavaria-Straubing is the first French court ball
1392
The Choson Dynasty begins in Korea ; a rich tradition of court music arises during this dynasty
c. 1400
The dulcimer is invented
Secular songs with French lyrics, chansons , are popular
1400
c. 1420
c. 1426
1428
The Le dynasty comes to power in Vietnam ; it will go on to restrict music like cheo, which is perceived as anti-establishment
1430
The Renaissance begins, leading to the increasing popularity of secular music as well as the diversification of musical styles across Europe
Aak music in Korea is reconstructed from surviving 12th century compositions
1465
First printed music appears in Europe
c. 1490
c. 1500
1505
c.1506
1508
1520
190 copies of a broadside ballad are sold by one merchant in England -- this is a phenomenal amount considering the rarity of literacy at the time, and can be considered the beginning of a British popular music tradition
1522
The Spanish begin mass importation of African slaves to Cuba and other Caribbean islands
1556
Printers of broadside ballads in England are required to register with London's Stationer's Company
1557
Printers registered with the Stationer's Company are required to pay four pence for each ballad they produce
1562
1564
1565
Women are banned from singing in Christian churches; the desire for adult female voices leads to the practice of castration
c.1570
1573
Count Giovanni de Bardi gathers a group of poets, musicians and humanists (known as the Florentine Camerata ), leading to the invention of opera
1574
1578
Jean De Léry publishes the first account of Brazilian music , Viagem à Terra do Brasil
1587
Gabriel Soares de Sousa publishes the first account of native Brazilian musical forms, Tratado Descritivo do Brasil
1588
Thomas Morley is the guiding force in the English madrigal school
1590
Approximate peak year of the late Italian madrigal style, followed by decline
c. 1590
1598
c. 1600
The European Renaissance ends and the Baroque period begins; polyphonic style gives way to monody , with increased emphasis on harmony and instrumentation
The harp is added to European orchestras
Slaves brought to Morocco from Mali lead to the development of gnawa
1600
Artusi publishes his famous attack on modern music, resulting in Monteverdi's defense, and description of the evolving new styles
1602
Giulio Caccini's Le nuove musiche , including a manifesto on the new monodic style, is published
1606
The first open-air operas appear in Rome
1607
1609
1631
The first professional female singers in Europe for several centuries appear in England for a production of Chloridia
1639
Virgilio Mazzocchi and Marco Marazzoli write the first comic opera , Chi Soffre Speri
1648
c. 1650
Beginning of modern harmony
The overture emerges
1652
c. 1660
The seis arises in southern Spain
1664
1675
Matthew Locke's Psyche is the oldest surviving English opera
1685
c. 1690
1696
c. 1700
1705
1709
The Stationer's Company stops requiring printers to pay four pence for the production of ballads
1711
The clarinet is added to European orchestras
1719
1725
c. 1740
Neil Gow's short bow sawstroke technique is the basis for Appalachian fiddling in the United States
1742
1750
Bach dies; this is often considered the end of the Baroque period and the beginning of the relatively simple Classical period
1751
1762
1767
The Burmese sack Ayuthaya and bring Thai musicians to their homeland, thus leading to a mixture of Burmese, Thai and Cambodian musics in Burma and elsewhere in southeast Asia
1770
William Billings publishes The New England Psalm Singer , an influential collection of songs
1772
The barrel organ is invented
1773
1774
1780
1783
Spain adopts a policy of encouraging Roman Catholics to move to its colonies, leading to a French majority on the island of Trinidad ; the French immigrants bring Carnival and the roots of calypso
1786
1787
c. 1790
Bumba-meu-boi, a form of comedic dance, is popular in Brazil
1791
1794
"Tammany, or The Indian Chief" by James Hewitt is one of the first American operas
1796
Mungo Park , a Scottish explorer, sees a kora being played in one of the Mande courts; this is the first verifiable sighting of the instrument, now the dominant instrument in Malian music
