During the Three Kingdoms Period (57 B.C.-676 A.D.), Korea had already produced classical musical instruments such as Goguryeo's Hyongeum (?, similar to a guzheng) and Gayageum's Gayageum (?). Cultural exchanges with China and Western countries introduced foreign music to Korea. Entering the Goryeo Dynasty(?), Gagak and Hyanggak became active. Gagaku, or elegant music, evolved from the Dasheng music from China and was the palace music played during ancestral temple ceremonies; hyanggaku was inherited from the Goguryeo, Baekje(?), and Silla(?) eras. The music of the Goryeo Dynasty refers to Korean traditional ritual music that is different from Gagak and Tanggak. In the Joseon Dynasty (?, 392-1910), the music form was represented by palace music in the early and middle stages, and folk music in the later stage. Yayue, which belongs to palace music, is related to the etiquette and customs in the palace. It is more often played at banquets for entertaining state guests and mainly focuses on praising the royal family. By the 15th century, the music theory work "Music Studies Standards", which concentrated on music theory, history and playing instruments, was compiled and published. In the late Joseon Dynasty, with the improvement of agricultural productivity and the development of industry and commerce, citizen culture developed greatly. In the field of music, the class that enjoys music has expanded, and music forms have diversified, especially the emergence of a cappella songs and folk songs created by citizens. Folk music truly expressed the feelings of the people at that time and satirically criticized social injustice. This kind of folk music developed later and appeared in new forms such as four-object performances, which was deeply loved by people. Siwu performance refers to the percussion played with four instruments: gong, zheng (similar to a gong, but with a lower sound), janggu (drum that can be struck on both sides) and drum.

Although Korean traditional music is greatly influenced by China, it is still very distinctive. In Korea there is Koreanized Chinese music called "Tang music", and in Japan there is Japaneseized Korean traditional music called "Korea music". The Korean (?) name "Tangle" literally means the music of the Tang Dynasty in China. Likewise, the Japanese name "Goryeo" literally means the music of Korea's Goryeo Dynasty. Korean traditional music can generally be divided into two categories, one is called "serious music" and the other is called "secular music". The former is the music of the ruling class, and the latter is the music of the common people. These two major categories can be divided into many subcategories, thus forming the entire Korean music. For example, "zhengle" has two different but somewhat related meanings. Broadly speaking, the name refers to a style of beautiful music considered "appropriate" to Korea's ruling class in terms of Confucian philosophy. Within this broad meaning, the name also refers to the ensemble music of people of high social status outside the court. In this regard, three important names are "Yale", "Tang music" and "Xiang music". "Zhengyue" and "Yayue" can be used interchangeably in a broad sense, referring to the music of the ruling class, including "Tang music", "countryside music" and Confucian ritual music.

In a narrow sense, "grace music" refers to temple ritual music. There is only one example left of this kind of music, which is "Confucian temple music". "Confucian Temple Music" is music played in the Confucian Temple, a temple dedicated to Confucius and his disciples. Tang music refers to the secular music of the Tang and Song dynasties in China. This music became court music after it was introduced to Korea. Hyangak simply refers to Korean local music. An important example is "Shou Qitian", an instrumental piece that is often said to be at least 1,300 years old. This predates the first compilation of Gregorian chant. Court music is part of formal music, including three types: ceremonial music, banquet music and military music.

Ritual music included Confucian music and royal temple music, while banquet music was the music for grand banquets at that time. "Shou Qi Tian" is one of the most famous banquet music works. It turns out that the music of the upper class is a kind of ensemble music called "bengliu" (one of the most complex categories of traditional Korean ballads), "songs" and Korean local popular songs "seokjo". "Fengliu" is an ancient word that is no longer commonly used. The word used to mean general music. Now it literally means a person who is physically and mentally relaxed and free from daily affairs, and has a kind of mood suitable for appreciating poetry, music and socializing with his girlfriend. Harmonious mood. However, when the word is used in connection with traditional Korean classical music, it refers to a kind of ensemble music for the enjoyment of nobles. There is a type of music called "Xianfengliu", which is mainly composed of string instruments. The second category is called "Bamboo Fengliu", which is mainly wind instruments. The third category is a combination of the first two categories.

The "song" is either a 16-beat length (rhythm), or a slightly modified 10-beat length (rhythm).

Any "song" selection is based on either "feather" or "interface" mode, sometimes both. The musical instruments used for accompaniment are black crane harp, gaya harp, dulcimer, xi harp, flute and stick drum. The "secular music" of ordinary people includes shamanic music, Buddhist music, folk songs, peasant music called "farm music", a kind of opera song called "bansheng" and a kind of instrumental solo called "sandiao". In shamanic music, inspired female shamans called witches play an important role. The role of witches is to act as intermediaries between the real world and the supernatural world. Singing, dancing and playing instruments are always a must.

One of the most important pieces of Buddhist music is called "Fan Bai", a hymn to the Buddha that is sung by only a few priests today. In order to promote this music, the government has designated "Fan Bai" as a national cultural treasure and is taking measures to encourage more people to devote themselves to this art. Since Korea has always been an agricultural country, the lives of farmers have always had a significant impact on the history of Korean music. The most interesting feature of peasant music is its 12 different rhythm patterns called "Twelve Colors", led by a small gong called "Xiaojin". One of the more attractive forms of "secular music" is "Sandiao", which is a kind of solo instrumental music that was originally played impromptu on various musical instruments, such as Gaye Qin, Xuanhe Qin, Daling, Xi Qin, Short flutes and flutes. "Bansheng" is another very important musical treasure in South Korea, which can be defined as a drama song, which is a kind of local opera-like music. In this kind of "song", the "narration" is a verbal explanation of the dramatic content in the middle of the song. "Manual action" is the specific action of drama.