Before the advent of notation, European music was taught orally. In sacrificial dance activities, the leader draws melody lines in the air with his hands in order to direct the melody to the singers. This earliest command method was called hand gesture at the time. In 17th-century Greece, some band conductors kicked the ground with their feet, waved handkerchiefs, and others tapped the floor with their canes. The person who conducts the opera is even more special. He sits next to the piano, holds a wooden stick in his hand, and hits the table in rhythm, making a bang-bang-bang sound, so he is called a woodcutter. In the 17th century, some people used iron rods to tap the floor as a command. The French musician Lully died after injuring his own foot with an iron staff.

At the beginning of the 18th century, opera composer Hasse used the harpsichord to conduct performances in Germany, and received unexpected results. Then someone used music paper rolled into a stick shape to conduct the orchestra. In 1802, German violinist Shi Bo used a conductor's baton for the first time when he performed in London. With this magic wand, the conductor could wave it with ease, and the baton soon became popular all over the world.