Music around the world, one place at a time

Every place has its own instruments, songs and stories. Pick one to hear what makes its music special, and to see what else was going on in the world while that music was growing.

Reviewed 7 October 2026

By timeFollow the eras, from the first music to today.By placePick a place and meet its instruments, eras and musicians.

These pages are short introductions, not a full history, and the people listed are examples, not a ranking. You can read them in any order.

1Music of Japan: from temple bells to anime songsFrom a 1,000-year-old court orchestra to taiko drums, anime songs and video-game tunes.

2Music of the United Kingdom: from bagpipes and harps to The BeatlesBagpipes, harps, brass bands, choirs and pop stars: four lands, one big musical story.

3Music of South Korea: from silk-string zithers to K-popGayageum strings, storytelling songs, farmers' drums and K-pop: how Korean music grew from old courts to the world.

4Music of India: ragas, drums and songs from the moviesIndia has two old classical styles, many folk songs, and movie music loved by millions.

5Music of China: from ancient bells to opera and rockFrom bronze bells thousands of years old to the guqin, opera, film songs and rock.

6Music of France: from cathedral singers to French touchTroubadours, the Marseillaise, accordions in Paris cafés and French touch dance music: a tour of French music.

7Music of Germany: from church choirs to robot popChoirs, church organs, great composers and the first electronic pop bands.

8Music of Italy: from chanting monks to opera and popItaly gave the world do-re-mi, opera, the piano and the words we use on sheet music.

9Music of Spain: from castle songs to flamenco guitarsGuitars, flamenco, clicking castanets, bagpipes and pop stars: how the music of Spain grew over about 800 years.

10Music of Russia: from church choirs to ballet and rockBalalaikas, church choirs, grand ballets and famous composers: how Russian music grew over many centuries.

11Music of Egypt: from tomb harps to Cairo radio starsHarps painted in ancient tombs, the oud and tabla, and singers whose voices filled the radio.

12Music of Nigeria: from talking drums to AfrobeatsNigeria has talking drums, clay pot drums and dance music that people love all over the world.

13Music of Brazil: three roots, one big carnivalBrazil's music grew from Indigenous, African and Portuguese roots into samba, bossa nova, forró and more.

14Music of Mexico: from Aztec drums to mariachi trumpetsDrums from the Aztec age, sweet strings, bright trumpets and dancing accordions all live in Mexican music.

15Music of the United States: from blues to hip-hopBlues, jazz, country, rock and hip-hop: how many roots grew into American music that people play all over the world.

SOWLEA APP

Practise this in the Sowlea App

Keep the beat of any song with the Sowlea metronome, and tune your own instrument with the tuner.

Free on iPhone, iPad and Android. The metronome and tuner also work offline.

Piano sound: Salamander Grand Piano by Alexander Holm (CC BY 3.0).