When was written the first music notes in History? or what is the oldest written/ saved piece of music?

Answer 1

The Wikipedia page below includes the following information:

(1) Anne Kilmer of the University of California has identified a cuneiform tablet of 2000 BC as representing fragmentary instructions for performing music, and another of 1250 BC as a more developed form of the same. Their interpretation is still controversial, but these tablets represent the earliest recorded melodies found anywhere in the world.

(2) Ancient Greek musical notation was capable of representing pitch and note-duration, and to a limited extent, harmony. It was in use from at least the 6th century BC. Several complete compositions and fragments of compositions using this notation survive.

Answer 2

First Written Music

Answer 3

I think the oldest piece of complete written music is the Epitaph of Seikilos. There's an article on it at Wikipedia here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seikilos_epitaph

The same article claims that the oldest bits of musical notation fragments are from Mesopotamia in cuneiform, and the claim of China having the earliest music is not proveable.

Answer 4

Credit the Indus Valley Civilization for the Oldest - - - for Westerners cannot go back further than the late 1300's--

Will resort to Wikipedia clip and paste --

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Music
""The earliest records of musical expression are to be found in the Sama Veda of India and in 4,000 year old cuneiform from Ur. Instruments, such as the seven holed flute and various types of stringed instruments have been recovered from the Indus valley civilization archaeological sites.[1] The Indian music is one of the oldest musical traditions in the world, and Indian classical music (marga) can be found from the scriptures of the Hindu tradition, the Vedas. Chinese classical music, the traditional art or court music of China has a history stretching for more than three thousand years. Music was an important part of cultural and social life in Ancient Greece. In ancient Greece, mixed-gender choruses performed for entertainment, celebration and spiritual ceremonies, and musicians and singers had an important role in Greek theater. Music was part of children's basic education in ancient Greece.


[edit] Medieval & Renaissance
Main articles: Medieval music and Renaissance music
While musical life was undoubtedly rich in the early Medieval era, as attested by artistic depictions of instruments, writings about music, and other records, the only repertory of music which has survived from before 800 to the present day is the plainsong liturgical music of the Roman Catholic Church, the largest part of which was called Gregorian chant. Several schools of polyphony flourished in the period after 1100. Alongside these schools of sacred music a vibrant tradition of secular song developed, as exemplified in the music of the troubadours, trouvères and Minnesänger.

Much of the surviving music of the 14th century in European music history is secular. By the middle of the 15th century, composers and singers used a smooth polyphony for sacred musical compositions such as the mass, the motet, and the laude; and secular forms such as the chanson and the madrigal. The invention of printing had an immense influence on the dissemination of musical styles.


[edit] Baroque
Main article: Baroque music
The first operas, written around 1600 and the rise of Counterpoint musical compositions define the end of the Renaissance and the beginning of the Baroque era that lasted until 1750, the year of the death of J.S. Bach, today the most generally known of the Baroque composers (though many composers embraced the Baroque movement in music during those years).


Allegory of Music, by Filippino Lippi
Allegory of Music on the Opéra GarnierGerman Baroque composers wrote for small ensembles including strings, brass, and woodwinds, as well as Choirs, pipe organ, harpsichord, and clavichord. During the Baroque period, several major music forms were defined that lasted into later periods when they were expanded and evolved further, including the Fugue, the Invention, the Sonata, and the Concerto.[2]"""

Pax----------------------

Answer 5

There is no music left from Roman/Greek times. The first written music was Western Church music. The first written Mass is the Messe de Notre Dame by Machaut written sometime in the 13th century.

Answer 6

the oldest musical score comes from the Hurrian culture and found in Syria. It was written in cuneiform script on a caly tablet. it is dated to 1400 b.c.

Answer 7

By the Greeks a little before Christ. no other info available without sources.
Edit hey bearstirring, read bh 8153's article, and I didnt use any wikipedias, Paste that!

Answer 8

Indians did...codes we are using for music are also originally Indians...just as numbers are invented by Indians

Answer 9

wow awesome question. asked as a true historian. wish I knew....sorry. Ask a classicist maybe.