"Classical music" and "art music" are terms that have been used to refer to music of different cultural origins and traditions. Such traditions often date to a period regarded as the "golden age" of music for a particular culture.
The following tables list music styles from throughout the world and the period in history when that tradition was developed:
| Style | Earliest historical period | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Gamelan | At least 8th century AD.[1][better source needed] | |
| Pinpeat | At least 6th century AD.[citation needed] | |
| Mahori | At least 14th century AD.[citation needed] | |
| Piphat | ||
| Pinphat |
| Style | Earliest historical period | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Carnatic music | At least 6th century AD (as Indian classical music), split from Hindustani classical music in the 16th and 17th centuries.[2][3]: 249 | |
| Hindustani classical music | At least 6th century AD (as Indian classical music), split from Carnatic music in the 16th and 17th centuries.[2][4] | |
| Klasik | At least 6th century AD (as Indian and Hindustani classical music), split from Hindustani classical music c. 1860.[4][5] | The classical tradition of Afghanistan, ultimately a descendant of Hindustani classical music.[5] Developed in the 19th century by Indian musicians in Afghan courts.[5] Along with Hindustani music theory and instruments, Afghan classical music also uses local Pashtun elements, especially in its performance practices.[5] |
| Odissi music | At least 6th century AD.[citation needed] |
| Style | Earliest historical period | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Nanguan music | At least 14th century CE.[6] | |
| Gagaku | 6th century CE.[citation needed] | |
| Jeongak | 5th century CE.[7] | |
| Nhã nhạc | 13th century CE.[citation needed] | |
| Yayue | At least 2nd century BCE.[citation needed] |
| Style | Earliest historical period | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Byzantine music | 4th century AD.[citation needed] | |
| Pibroch | At least the 17th century AD.[8] | |
| Western classical music | 6th century AD.[citation needed] |
| Style | Earliest historical period | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Persian classical music | At least 3rd century AD, with drastic changes in the 16th century.[9][10] | ||
| Arabic classical music | |||
| Andalusi classical music | 9th century AD.[citation needed] | Likely practiced since the early 9th century, the musical tradition of Al-Andalus is notable for spreading Middle Eastern and North African musical instruments to Western Europe, where they would become staple instruments of Western tradition.[11] Now practiced in North Africa in the form of the Andalusi nubah,[12] this tradition has also had considerable effect on Ottoman classical music, especially in the Sephardic romance and Maftirim repertoire.[13] | |
| Ottoman classical music | At least 3rd century AD (as Persian traditional music), emerged as a unique tradition in the 17th century.[9][10] | Now known as Turkish Art Music or Turkish Classical Music | |
| Shashmaqam |
| Style | Earliest historical period | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Griot | The tradition of the djeli |
| Style | Earliest historical period | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| American gamelan | c. 1960[citation needed] | |
| Mahāgīta | 16th or 17th century AD.[14] | The classical tradition of Burma seems to have begun around the late Toungoo period,[14] with an expansion of Western-influenced repertoire during the colonial period.[citation needed] Organized into various forms based on tuning systems, melodic structure, rhythmic patterns and performance conventions, commonly played genres include the kyo, bwe, and thachingan.[15] |
