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Ancient Music
[cite]

Introduction
Table Summary
The Earliest Music
Scales vs. Modes

Main Article
Greek Music
Roman Music

Addendum
Key Definitions
Ages of Western Music

Introduction

Table Summary

SUMMARY OF ANCIENT MUSIC

Greek and Roman ages

ca. 1200 BC-500 AD
monophonic, mode-based music
basic music theory
Early Christian period
ca. 200-500
adaptation of Roman
melodies to chant

The Earliest Music

The world's earliest visual art dates to the Upper Paleolithic (ca. 50,000-10,000 BC). This appears to be true of music as well; at any rate, the oldest discovered musical
instruments belong to this period. Little is known about pre-civilized music, however; only with the development of writing (ca. 3000 BC) do historical records of musical
practices begin. Eventually, music notation systems were invented, allowing actual works of music to be recorded.

Ancient Greek Music Notation

Credit: Ziggur

A few fragments of ancient Western notation (mostly Greek) survive. Even these can only be partly deciphered, however, such that any modern performance is highly
speculative.4 Knowledge of ancient Western music is limited mainly to descriptions found in Greek and Roman literature.

Scales vs. Modes

A scale is a set of "standard notes" from which a song is composed. The C major scale contains seven notes; a song in the key of C major is comprised mainly of these
seven notes. While a mode also contains a set of standard notes, it often includes additional standard features, such as patterns of rhythm and melody. Living traditions of
mode-based music include Islamic and South Asian art music (see World Literature and Music).

Main Article

Greek Music

A relatively young civilization, the Greeks drew much from Mesopotamian and Egyptian culture. Indeed, by the time the Greeks emerged on the stage of history, these elder
civilizations had invented all the major instrument families, including strings (plucked and bowed), flutes, reeds, brass, and drums. From the dawn of civilization (and
probably much earlier), music played two major roles in human society: ceremony (social, religious, and/or civic) and entertainment.3

Ancient Greek music was based on a set of eight Greek modes; texture was homophonic (see Musical Texture). The most popular Greek instruments were the lyre (a harp-
like instrument) and aulos (an oboe-like instrument).2,3

Greek philosophers generally viewed music as a reflection of the underlying harmony of the universe; some even argued that performances could influence human health or
behaviour. Philosophers also analyzed music from a technical standpoint, thus founding Western music theory. The foremost Greek music theorist was Pythagoras, who
discovered that pitches can be described in terms of string length ratios.2,3

To illustrate this concept, consider a simple plucked string instrument with two identical strings.

Two-string Plucked Instrument

Credit: Essential Humanities

The length of a vibrating string can be shortened by pressing one's finger against it (which raises the pitch). Now suppose that these strings are tuned to the note of C, and
one wishes to perform the C major scale on the lower string. In order to play the first note (C), one simply plucks the string. In order to play the second note (D), one must
shorten the string with one's finger.

String Length Ratio of Second Note

Credit: Essential Humanities

As Pythagoras discovered, the length of the shortened string is a precise fraction of the full string. The same can be said of the remaining notes of the scale.

String Length Ratios of the Scale

Credit: Essential Humanities

Theory was the most lasting Greek contribution to Western music. Ancient Greek theory included a range of fundamental concepts (e.g. notes, intervals,
consonance/dissonance), as well as the mathematically defined scale described above. While the Romans added little to this body of theory, they did preserve it for
composers of the Middle Ages.I2-7

Roman Music

Ancient Greek culture, including music, was eagerly absorbed by the Romans. As in other forms of art, the Romans adjusted and developed upon Greek music to suit their
own tastes. No revolutionary transformation ensued, however; Roman music remained monophonic and mode-based, and the clear descendent of Greek music.3

During the Early Christian period (ca. 200-500), Roman art forms were adapted to Christian purposes (see Early Christian Art). In the field of music, portions of scripture
were set to traditional Roman melodies (which were themselves descended from Greek melodies). These compositions are known as Early Christian chant.I3,3

Initially, Early Christian chant flourished in a variety of regional styles. All were eventually superseded, however, by the style that emerged in Rome. From the medieval
period onward, the Roman style is known as Gregorian chant.I13,2,3

Addendum

Key Definitions

The Essential Humanities definition of art is “a beautiful human creation”. Art can be divided into two basic types: fine art (aka “pure art”), which is simply experienced (e.g.
painting, sculpture, architecture), and applied art (aka “decorative art”), which is actually used (e.g. pottery, clothing, furniture).

Fine art (which has always strongly influenced applied art) is the primary concern of Essential Humanities. Five great fine arts are recognized: painting (flat visual art),
sculpture (three-dimensional visual art), architecture (the visual art of building design; may be considered a special branch of sculpture), music (sound art), and literature
(word art). These five media are "great" in that they (arguably) comprise the most expressive and universally appreciated forms of art.

Ages of Western Music

Western music can be divided into seven ages. For discussion of the overall course of Western art, see Core Regions of Western Art and Western Aesthetics. For a
collection of sample works from each period, see the Music Guide.

AGES OF WESTERN MUSIC

1200 BC-0 0-1000 1000-present

1 2 3 4 5 6
7

1 2 3 4 5 6 7
ancient music medieval music Renaissance music Baroque music Classical music Romantic music Modern music
ca. 1200 BC-500 AD ca. 500-1400 ca. 1400-1600 ca. 1600-1750 ca. 1750-1820 ca. 1820-1900 ca. 1850-

1 - "Music", Encarta 2004.

2 - "Western music", Encarta 2004.
3 - "Western music", Encyclopedia Britannica. Accessed September 2010.
4 - "Music", Encyclopedia Britannica. Accessed September 2010.
5 - "Musical notation", Encarta 2004.

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