Where did music start?

Question:I would like to know where music is from or its origin.

Best Answer - Chosen by Asker: I would like to know where music is from or its origin.

The origin of music is not known as it occurred prior to the advent of recorded history. Some suggest that the origin of music likely stems from naturally occurring sounds and rhythms. Human music may echo these phenomena using patterns, repetition and tonality. Even nowadays, some cultures have certain instances of their music intending to imitate natural sounds. In some instances, this feature is related to shamanistic beliefs or practice. It may serve also entertainment (game) or practical (luring animals in hunt) functions.

Even aside from the bird song, monkeys have been witnessed to beat on hollow logs. Although this might serve some purpose of territorialism, it suggests a degree of creativity and seems to incorporate a call and response dialogue. See: zoomusicology.

It is possible that the first musical instrument was the human voice itself, which can make a vast array of sounds, from singing, humming and whistling through to clicking, coughing and yawning. (See Darwin's Origin of Species on music & speech.) The oldest known Neanderthal hyoid bone with the modern human form has been dated to be 60,000 years old, predating the oldest known bone flute by 10,000 years; but since both artifacts are unique the true chronology may date back much further.

Most likely the first rhythm instruments or percussion instruments involved the clapping of hands, stones hit together, or other things that are useful to create rhythm and indeed there are examples of musical instruments which date back as far as the paleolithic, although there is some ambiguity over archaeological finds which can be variously interpreted as either musical or non-musical instruments/tools. Examples of paleolithic objects which are considered unambiguously musical are bone flutes or pipes; paleolithic finds which are open to interpretation are pierced phalanges (usually interpreted as 'phalangeal whistles'), objects interpreted as bullroarers, and rasps.

Music can be theoretically traced to prior to the Oldowan era of the Paleolithic age, the anthropological and archeological designation suggests that music first arose (amongst humans) when stone tools first began to be used by hominids. The noises produced by work such as pounding seed and roots into meal is a likely source of rhythm created by early humans.

Prehistoric music varies greatly in style, function, general relation to culture, and complexity. The Timbila music of the Chopi is considered one of the most complex preliterate musics.

most probably it started where humans started; that in the equatorial region-mainly of Africa-(where the first people with no tradition or experience could survive because nature offered all life conditions;warmth,water animal and vegetable food) the beat was first generated by falling drops of water from tree leaves and the music from the passage of the wind trough some broken bamboos or tree leaves.

About 40,000 years ago, A caveman picked up a Tibia (leg bone) that had all the insides cooked out of it. When he blew into one end it made a sound... over the next few years he drilled finger holes in it and before you can say "diggidy doo" he was making music.

Outside of the copy & pasted Wikipedia article, find this textbook in your local library (or get it online):

The Norton Anthology of Western Music

You asked a HUGE question in just a few words. We can't sum it up for you in a simple answer, either. The textbook gives you a good place to start for Western music cultures (you don't specify if you have a certain culture in mind or if you want info from all cultures).