<Ul> <Li> the ancient music period, before 500 AD </Li> <Li> the early music period, which includes <Ul> <Li> the Medieval (500--1400) including <Ul> <Li> the ars antiqua (1170--1310) </Li> <Li> the ars nova (1310--1377) </Li> <Li> the ars subtilior (1360--1420) </Li> </Ul> </Li> <Li> the Renaissance (1400--1600) eras . </Li> <Li> Baroque (1600--1750) </Li> <Li> the galant music period (1720s--1770s) </Li> </Ul> </Li> <Li> the common - practice period, which includes <Ul> <Li> Baroque (1600--1750) </Li> <Li> Classical (1750--1820) </Li> <Li> Romantic eras (1804--1910) </Li> </Ul> </Li> <Li> the 20th century (1901--2000) which includes <Ul> <Li> the modern (1890--1930) that overlaps from the late - 19th century, </Li> <Li> the high modern (1930--present) </Li> <Li> the impressionism (1875--1925) that also overlaps from the late - 19th century </Li> <Li> the neoclassicism (1920--1950), predominantly in the inter-war period </Li> <Li> the postmodern (1930--present) eras </Li> <Li> the experimental (1950--present) </Li> <Li> contemporary (1945 or 1975--present) </Li> </Ul> </Li> </Ul> <Li> the ancient music period, before 500 AD </Li> <Li> the early music period, which includes <Ul> <Li> the Medieval (500--1400) including <Ul> <Li> the ars antiqua (1170--1310) </Li> <Li> the ars nova (1310--1377) </Li> <Li> the ars subtilior (1360--1420) </Li> </Ul> </Li> <Li> the Renaissance (1400--1600) eras . </Li> <Li> Baroque (1600--1750) </Li> <Li> the galant music period (1720s--1770s) </Li> </Ul> </Li> <Ul> <Li> the Medieval (500--1400) including <Ul> <Li> the ars antiqua (1170--1310) </Li> <Li> the ars nova (1310--1377) </Li> <Li> the ars subtilior (1360--1420) </Li> </Ul> </Li> <Li> the Renaissance (1400--1600) eras . </Li> <Li> Baroque (1600--1750) </Li> <Li> the galant music period (1720s--1770s) </Li> </Ul>

The first examples of western european classical music are