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How old is music?

Two cartoon boys playing music, one plays an electric guitar and another boy in a wheelchair, playing a keyboard.

Music has been part of human life for a very long time.

Archaeologists have found musical instruments made from animal bones that are 60,000 years old.

The history of Western European music can be divided into separate periods of time.

Each period has its:

  • own musical styles
  • new instruments
  • composers

It's important to remember that periods of music did overlap. Often a period of music was influenced by what came before.

Two cartoon boys playing music, one plays an electric guitar and another boy in a wheelchair, playing a keyboard.
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What is medieval and Renaissance music?

A cartoon medieval lute player in a green dress.
Image caption,
A lute player

Medieval music refers to a period between AD800 and AD1400.

Much of the music created during this time was for religious purposes.

The music would have just one that was sung, often to words.

A cartoon medieval lute player in a green dress.
Image caption,
A lute player
A cartoon boy with his hand on his chin thinking hard about something.

Moving forward through time we arrive at the Renaissance period of music. It lasted from around 1400 to 1600. It was a time of great exploration in music.

Composers started writing music that was to be enjoyed away from religious settings, such as music to be danced to.

This was called .

started making music for instruments such as the , the and the .

was still very popular too, with voices often imitating one another. This means, where one voice immediately copies another.

One of the most important developments in the Renaissance period was music .

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What is the Baroque period?

A cartoon of composer J.S. Bach pointing to composer Antonio Vivaldi, who is playing violin.

The Baroque period was between 1600 and 1750. Music in this period started to become more complicated.

The idea of an was born, with large groups of instruments being separated into families or sections and then playing together.

Other styles of music such as and were also created.

Bach, Handel and Vivaldi are some of the most famous composers from this period in music history.

A cartoon of composer J.S. Bach pointing to composer Antonio Vivaldi, who is playing violin.
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What is the Classical period?

Cartoon of composer Beethoven pointing to the text on the page.

The Classical period covers music between 1750 and 1820. It includes some incredible composers such as Haydn, Mozart and Beethoven.

One of the big developments in instruments during the Classical period, was that the harpsichord was replaced with the piano, or fortepiano as it was originally known.

Orchestras grew bigger and more powerful.

A type of music called a became popular. This is a long piece of music for an orchestra split into four sections called movements.

Cartoon of composer Beethoven pointing to the text on the page.
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What is the Romantic period?

Cartoon of Russian composer Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky.

In the Romantic period, composers started to look for more freedom, drama and expression in the music they created. Music of this period was composed roughly between 1780 and 1910.

Passion ran high in this era, with composers often sharing their deepest thoughts and feelings in their music.

You'll find lots of beautiful melodies and intense .

Composers continued to experiment.

Orchestras grew bigger than ever before and new combinations of instruments were put together to create interesting new sounds.

Some of the most famous composers of this time include Chopin, Brahms and Tchaikovsky.

Cartoon of Russian composer Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky.
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What is 20th Century music?

A cartoon collage of modern musicians. Top to bottom is Elvis Presley, Elton John, Anna Meredith, Nitin Sawhney, David Bowie, Nile Rodgers and Nina Simone.

Many different styles of music were formed during the . There was no single dominant style. Developments in transport meant people could move around, connect and share ideas more freely.

This meant composers were influenced by:

  • politics
  • religion
  • art
  • music from other cultures.

There were huge developments in technology, which meant new musical instruments.

All this led to fascinating new styles, techniques and new sounds being created, making the 20th century one of the most exciting periods in the history of music.

You can explore the history of Western Classical music further with this series from 成人快手 Teach.

A cartoon collage of modern musicians. Top to bottom is Elvis Presley, Elton John, Anna Meredith, Nitin Sawhney, David Bowie, Nile Rodgers and Nina Simone.
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