The short answer is: No one knows who invented music. No historical evidence exists to tell us exactly who sang the first song, or whistled the first tune, or made the first rhythmic sounds that resembled what we know today as music. But researchers do know it happened thousands of years ago.
The first person to sing a song was one of the first human beings on Earth. That was so very long ago that nobody remembers what their name was. Humans have always loved music and back then, they hadn't invented many musical instruments, so it was singing and drums for a long time.
By studying fossils, we can establish that once our ancestors had the horseshoe-shaped hyoid bone in the throat in a similar position to modern humans, they would have had the physical ability to sing as we can. That date is over 530,000 years ago.
Singing, the vocal production of musical tones, is so basic to man its origins are long lost in antiquity and predate the development of spoken language. The voice is presumed to be the original musical instrument, and there is no human culture, no matter how remote or isolated, that does not sing.
The earliest fragment of musical notation is found on a 4,000-year-old Sumerian clay tablet, which includes instructions and tunings for a hymn honoring the ruler Lipit-Ishtar. But for the title of oldest extant song, most historians point to “Hurrian Hymn No.
Rap began in 1971, in the Bronx, with Kool Herc, who was from Jamaica. At block parties, Kool Herc would play two turntables by hand and manipulate the sound to create an entirely new sound, while he rapped the lyrics from the song he was playing.
The Hurrian Hymn was discovered in the 1950s on a clay tablet inscribed with Cuneiform text. It's the oldest surviving melody and is over 3,400 years old.
Even Charles Darwin "talked about our ancestors singing love songs to each other before we could speak articulate language," Patel says. And musical ability is similar to language in that you can see aspects of it in other species.
Singing also provides an emotional release, a way to express our thoughts and feelings, says Margaret Schaper, a USC professor of voice. “We sing because something inside us needs to express something beyond words,” says Schaper. “Everyone can do this to some extent.
Some people are born with a natural ability due to genetics and seem to find a perfect pitch easily. But broadly speaking, singing is more of a learned skill than a natural one. Most people who can sing well learn how to do so at some point in their lives.
It's important to consider all these factors as this can make the performance that little bit more exciting for the audience! So there you have it – the theory of being “born with it” has been debunked! Amazing singers aren't necessarily born but can be created over time with hours of dedication and practice.
Music can also be used for communication, often over large distances, using instruments such as drums or horns. Yet another reason for music is ritual, and virtually every religion uses music. However, the major reason that music arose and persists may be that it brings people together.
Musical Instruments
Making music is a universal human trait that goes back to at least 35,000 years ago. Explore the evidence for some of the world's earliest musical instruments.
Shamshad Begum — one of Hindi cinema's first female playback singers & voice of many hits.
Research has shown that singing can be good for you on many levels. It may help lower stress, boost immunity and lung function, enhance memory, improve mental health, and help you cope with physical and emotional pain. One of the best things about singing is that you don't have to be good at it to reap the rewards.
A joint Yale and Harvard study showed that for some people singing promoted healthy minds and hearts, which boosts longevity. In fact, studies have shown that singing can help lower blood pressure, improve brain health to reduce dementia risk and helps with depression symptoms.
Singing ability is a complex human skill influenced by genetic and environmental factors, the relative contributions of which remain unknown.
Language started 1.5m years earlier than previously thought as scientists say Homo Erectus were first to talk. In the beginning was the word. And it was first spoken by Homo Erectus, according to a controversial new theory.
“The quality of the voice is dependent on many factors; however, barring a physical vocal disability, everyone can learn to sing well enough to sing basic songs.” While some factors are genetic, Rutkowski says growing up in a musical environment strongly influences whether someone sings well and confidently.
Humans have flexibility in the mouth, tongue and lips that lets us form a wide range of precise sounds that chimps simply can't produce, and some have developed this complex voice instrument more than others.
Believe it or not, the oldest song on Spotify is actually the oldest song in the world. Titled “The Hymn Of Ugarit,” the track is a modern recording by Al-Pha-X of what is the oldest known piece of music ever discovered. The song dates back to 14th century B.C.E. and was discovered on a clay tablet in the 1950s.
The oldest musical instrument in the world (60,000 years)
The oldest musical instrument in the world, a 60,000-year-old Neanderthal flute is a treasure of global significance. It was discovered in Divje babe cave near Cerkno and has been declared by experts to have been made by Neanderthals.
Milwaukee is home to the song 'After the Ball' by Charles Harris. Written in 1891, it's the first song to sell a million copies of sheet music.