European music education can be divided into six stages: the origin stage, the ancient Greek and Roman stage, the medieval stage, the Renaissance stage, the classical stage and the modern stage.

The earliest evidence of music education in Europe exists in Homer's Epic, Odyssey and Iliad. It is mentioned in these works that teachers are responsible for the education of students, including music education, which gradually contributed to the formation of schools.

Music education in ancient Greece mainly includes music education theory, chorus training and musical instrument training.

At that time, the Youth Choir was considered as the basic prototype of modern schools.

It is worth mentioning that music education in ancient Greece placed great emphasis on the edification of music.

In the Middle Ages, missionary schools appeared in Europe and taught students art. At that time, music education was closely related to Christianity, and students learned prayer songs and hymns.

Some universities have also set up music lectures, and there have been works on music education that meet the characteristics and needs of the times.

Music education in Renaissance attaches importance to cultivating students' practical music skills, and music courses are also linked with humanities and natural sciences, which is a highlight of music education in Renaissance.

In addition, music was a basic part of the university curriculum at that time.

At that time, Oxford University and Cambridge University even regarded music as an independent discipline, and set strict conditions for awarding degrees.

Music education in the classical period continued the characteristics of the Renaissance. At that time, because the music atmosphere was more intense, students received good music education and participated in various music-related activities. Many students, including those with less favorable conditions, made achievements in the music field.

During this period, a large number of works introducing music learning appeared, such as the pioneering works of tradition and vocal music, and Harmony Acoustics by Lamo, which played a very positive role in promoting music education.

In modern times, European music education has become more standardized and systematic, showing innovation in music education forms, educational ideas and strategies.

Taking Germany and France as examples, Germany began to innovate music courses at the end of 19th century, taking singing as a compulsory course for middle school students in liberal arts, and attaching importance to cultivating aesthetic consciousness and experiencing the inner feelings of music.

The music education in France in the 19th century set a clear goal, the first is to provide professional training for musicians, and the second is to increase the public's interest in music.

At the beginning of the 2th century, France opened a society for music teachers in public schools to discuss teaching experience and promote the development of music education.