A Short History of Music
From ice-age flutes to streaming – the story of music, told in clear English.
Music is older than writing, older than farming, perhaps as old as language itself. This series follows its story through folk traditions, classical music, popular music and the music of peoples around the world – with the English words you need to talk about it.
The Story
The oldest musical instruments we know are flutes made from bird bone and mammoth ivory, about 40,000 years old. They were found in caves in the Swabian Jura in southern Germany. For most of human history, music was never written down: people learned songs by listening, and passed them on to the next generation.
Ancient civilisations began to record music in writing, and in medieval Europe monks developed the notation that grew into the music writing we use today. Printing then spread music across Europe, and composers such as Bach, Mozart and Beethoven created the great tradition we now call classical music.
In 1877, Thomas Edison invented a machine that could record sound. For the first time, music could be kept and heard again. Records, radio, film and later the internet carried folk, blues, jazz, rock and pop around the world – and today almost any music ever recorded is just one click away.
Timeline
The key dates at a glance.
- c. 40,000 years agoBone and ivory flutes are made in caves in southern Germany.
- c. 1400 BCEThe Hurrian hymn, one of the oldest written melodies, is recorded on clay tablets.
- 11th centuryGuido of Arezzo develops a system for writing and teaching melodies.
- 1501The first book of printed polyphonic music appears in Venice.
- 1600–1750The Baroque period: Bach, Handel, Vivaldi.
- 1877Thomas Edison invents the phonograph, which records sound.
- 1920sRadio and records spread jazz and the blues.
- 1950s–60sRock and roll, and the British Invasion.
- 2000sDigital music and streaming change how we listen.
Explore the Series
Choose a topic. New pages are added regularly.
Folk and Roots Music
Songs of ordinary people – and the roots of modern popular music.
Classical Music
Four centuries of composers, orchestras, choirs and opera.
Popular Music
Jazz, rock and roll, the British Invasion and beyond.
Music and Society
How music reflects – and changes – the world.
Music of the World's Peoples
Traditions from around the globe and their influence.
The Origins of Music
Where it all began.
Key Words
Ten essential words with their German meaning and an example sentence.
| English | German | Example |
|---|---|---|
| era · period | Epoche, Zeitalter | The Baroque period lasted from about 1600 to 1750. |
| composer | Komponist(in) | Bach is one of the most famous composers in history. |
| genre | Genre, Musikrichtung | The blues is a genre with its roots in the American South. |
| tradition | Tradition, Überlieferung | Folk songs belong to an oral tradition. |
| oral tradition | mündliche Überlieferung | Many songs survived only through oral tradition. |
| notation | Notenschrift | Notation made it possible to write music down. |
| recording | Aufnahme | The first recordings were made on wax cylinders. |
| to evolve | sich entwickeln | Jazz evolved from blues and ragtime. |
| influence | Einfluss | African music had a huge influence on popular music. |
| roots | Wurzeln | Rock and roll has its roots in the blues. |
Useful Phrases
Language for talking about music and its history.
Talking about history
- …emerged in the… century.
- …has its roots in…
- …was influenced by…
- …paved the way for…
Putting events in order
- At first,…
- Later,… / By the 1920s,…
- This led to…
- Today,…
Talk About It
Answer these questions aloud, write a short paragraph, or discuss them with a partner.
- Which period of music history interests you most?
- How did people enjoy music before it could be recorded?
- Has technology made music better or worse?
- Which music from your own country has a long history?
Test Yourself
Click a question to see the answer.
1. How old are the oldest known flutes?
About 40,000 years old.
2. What did Thomas Edison invent in 1877?
The phonograph, which could record sound.
3. Complete: "Rock and roll has its ___ in the blues."
Roots.
Explore More
Sing, talk and learn more about music in English.
Music has always been with us.
Follow its story through the centuries – and learn to talk about it in English.
Listen to the past. Talk about it today.