Answer: The ritual and music system of the Western Zhou Dynasty was a hierarchical system.
The "ritual" emphasized in the Spring and Autumn Period of the Western Zhou Dynasty was developed and transformed by the nobility according to the customs and habits of the patriarchal clan system at the end of primitive society, and was used as a means to rule the people and consolidate the internal relations of the nobility. The purpose is to maintain its patriarchal system and monarchy, clan power, husband's power, and divine power. It has the function of maintaining the hereditary system and hierarchy of the nobility and strengthening the rule. The ritual and music system was initially formulated by the Duke of Zhou during the Western Zhou Dynasty, and was continuously added to by later generations to form a very strict and cumbersome system. The ritual and music system divides people in the upper class into many levels, and then stipulates the rituals and music to be performed according to the different levels of status. For example, it is stipulated that the bands used by the king can be arranged in the four directions of east, west, north and south, the princes can be arranged on three sides, the ministers and officials can be arranged on two sides, and the scholars can be arranged on only one side. There are also regulations on the size of the music and dance. For example, the king's music and dance queue can have eight lines, with eight people in each line, and sixty-four people in each line; Decreasing levels. As for common people, they do not have the right to enjoy rituals and music, which is the so-called "rituals are not inferior to common people." The Zhou Dynasty formulated very complicated ceremonies, including various etiquette rituals in the aristocratic politics, diplomacy, military and daily life, many of which were accompanied by music. Music is used in ceremonies and activities such as "Jiaoshe", "Tasting Sacrifice", "Food Sacrifice", "Xiangshe", "Wang Normal University Presentation", "March Field Service" and so on. The specific musical form that goes with the ceremony is also very strictly regulated. What songs should be sung, what music should be played during a certain ceremony, and even the tonality of each part is very detailed. From the perspective of music genres, categories such as song and dance music, vocal music (group singing, solo singing), and instrumental music (ensemble, solo singing) have been formed at that time. The ritual and music system was the norm that maintained the hierarchical concept of slavery and was also an important means by which the slave-owning class consolidated its dominance.
The Western Zhou Dynasty was a period of prosperity for my country’s slave society. In order to consolidate class rule, rulers promoted rituals and music. The educational system corresponding to its patriarchal system has reached a very complete level. A large number of talents trained by the Western Zhou Dynasty music education institutions played important roles in the subsequent "cultural migration". The Western Zhou Dynasty was a period when ritual and music education flourished in ancient my country. In line with the "state-owned system" of land and the patriarchal feudal system, music education formed a relatively complete "official school" education system centered on the government. This educational model aimed at cultivating "generalists" maintained and consolidated the rule of the Western Zhou aristocracy, promoted social and cultural prosperity, and laid a solid foundation for the further development of music education in later generations. The Zhou Dynasty established my country's earliest music education institutions and the first music school, and its education system was very complete. The music education institutions in the Western Zhou Dynasty were large and the teaching management was strict. The main content taught included music virtues, music language and music dance, and there was a unified and strict teaching progress; educated people learned musical skills such as instrumental music, singing, music and dance, etc. Achieve comprehensive training of people.