Music theory has existed since the advent of writing in ancient times. The earliest known practitioners include primarily Greek and some Chinese scholars. A few Indian sages such as Bharata Muni (Natya Shastra) are also credited with important treatises. Though much is lost, substantial treatises on ancient Greek music theory survive, including those by Aristoxenus, Nicomachus, Ptolemy and Porphyry. The influential Yue Jing Classic of Music from China is lost, though a few Ancient Chinese theorists from the Han dynasty and later have surviving contributions, such as Jing Fang and Xun Xu.
Writers of late antiquity—particularly Boethius, Cassiodorus and Isidore of Seville—were crucial in translating and transmitting much thought on music theory from classical antiquity to medieval Europe. However, the information relayed to the Post-classical era was minimal and European medieval theorists frequently misinterpreted what little Greek writings had been preserved. Important medieval European theorists include Hucbald, Guido of Arezzo, Johannes Cotto, Franco of Cologne, Philippe de Vitry. Many medieval music manuscripts of Europe were anonymous, and later compilers such as Martin Gerbert and Edmond de Coussemaker assigned names to unknown authors, such as 'Anonymous IV'. Concurrent with medieval Europe, scholars of the emerging Islamic Golden Age often more readily and thoroughly engaged with ancient Greek music treatises. Many Arab and Persian music theorists of this time have surviving works, such as Abu al-Faraj al-Isfahani, Safi al-Din al-Urmawi, Qutb al-Din al-Shirazi and Abd al-Qadir Maraghi. Theorists of the Byzantine Empire include George Pachymeres and Manuel Chrysaphes.
By the 15th century, European theorists were readily discussing the qualities of Renaissance music, with theorists such Johannes Tinctoris and Gioseffo Zarlino making important contributions to the study of counterpoint. Zarlino and Nicola Vicentino developed new theories on musical tuning, a topic which Vicentino publicly debated on with theorist Vicente Lusitano. At this time, the quality and quantity of Turkic musical sources increased, due to the rise of the Ottoman Empire. This laid the foundation of an 18th-century musical golden age in Eastern Europe and the Middle East, exemplified by composer-theorists such as Kasımpaşalı Osman Effendi, Dimitrie Cantemir and Abdülbaki Nasır Dede. Meanwhile, the Age of Enlightenment and the common practice period in Europe led to substantial changes in the nature of published music theory.
Antiquity Name Lifetime Nationality Major writing Known for Archytas BCE Greek Only fragments and later citations surviveIn Naming the harmonic mean; a theory of acoustics correlating pitch with the speed of sound; may have been the first to describe the quadrivium Aristoxenus BCE – ? Greek Ἁρμονικὰ στοιχεῖα [Elements of Harmony]In and elsewhere The oldest surviving substantial work of music theory. Foundational and comprehensive, though not completely extant Archestratus Greek Περὶ αὐλητῶν [On auletes]; quotations in Porphyry and PhilodemusIn Tetrachord theory concerning the pyknon Ptolemais of Cyrene Perhaps BCE Greek Πυθαγορικὴ τῆς μουσικῆς στοιχείωσις[The Pythagorean Principles of Music] (lost)Quoted by PorphyryIn Theories on the proper roles of reason and sensory experience in the study of music. The only known female music theorist of antiquity. Eratosthenes – BCE Greek Only fragments and later citations surviveIn Calculating of the tuning of the tetrachord degrees Didymos BCE Greek Only fragments and later citations survive; quoted by Porphyry, Ptolemy and Clement of AlexandriaIn Theories on chromatic tetrachords Jing Fang 78–37 BCE Chinese 京式段嘉 [Jīng Shì Duàn Jiā];excerpts in the 淮南子 Huainanzi and 隋書 Book of Sui Discovered that 53 perfect fifths was approximate to 31 octaves while creating a musical scale of 60 tones Bharata CE Indian नाट्य शास्त्र [Natya Shastra] Wrote a comprehensive overview of ancient Indian music Dionysius the Areopagite CE Roman Concerning the Divine Hymns (lost); quoted by Dionysius Purportedly one of the only treatises that discussed the Byzantine rite Nicomachus of Gerasa CE Greek Ἐγχειρίδιον ἁρμονικῆς [Manual of Harmonics];Θεολογούμενα ἀριθμητικῆς [Theology of Arithmetic]In ; The only significant extant music theory works between Aristoxenus/Euclid and Ptolemy. Ptolemy after 83 – 161 CE Greek Ἁρμονικόν [Harmonics]In Among the most comprehensive and through music theory works of antiquity Cleonides After the 1st century CE Greek Εἰσαγωγὴ ἁρμονική [Introduction to Harmonics]In ; Introduces Aristoxenus' harmonic system. Influenced Manuel Bryennius considerably Theon of Smyrna Greek On Mathematics Useful for the Understanding of PlatoIn Discusses music of numbers, instrumental music, and "music of the spheres" Adrastus of Aphrodisias Greek Περὶ Ἁρμονικῶν [On Harmonics] (lost);Quoted by Theon of SmyrnaIn Writings on harmonics Xun Xu – 289 Chinese Quoted in the 隋書 [Book of Song], vol. 6 Linked the Heptatonic scale with the Shí-èr-lǜ. Developed a new finger-hole system for the dizi Porphyry – Greek Commentary on Ptolemy's HarmonicsIn Included substantial commentary on earlier theorists, sometimes quoting otherwise lost works. May have been the earliest Western writer to criticize secular music for its purported "sensual attraction" Gaudentius Greek Εἰσαγωγὴ ἁρμονική [Harmonic Introduction]In ; Synthesized the music theory of Pythagoras and Aristoxenus. Influenced Cassiodorus considerably Alypius CE Greek Εἰσαγωγὴ Μουσική [Introduction to Music]In Comprehensive explanation of ancient Greek musical notation Aristides Quintilianus Greek Περὶ Μουσικῆς [On Music]In Most comprehensive Greek writings on music's relationship to other topics 370–447 Chinese Treatise on Harmonics (lost) Developed a theory of equal temperament Greek Eisagōgē technēs mousikēs[Introduction to the Art of Music]In General introductory text Martianus Capella Roman Book 9 of De nuptiis Philologiae et Mercurii[On the Marriage of Philology and Mercury] Includes a translation of Aristides Quintilianus's On Music Shen Yue 441–513 Chinese Treatise on Harmonic and Celestial SystematicsEarlier version in the 隋書 [Book of Song] Includes Xun Xu's developed dizi finger-hole system
6th–14th centuries