Editing Music theory (section)

====Europe====
* '''Renaissance'''
{{further |List of music theorists#15th and 16th centuries}}
* '''Baroque'''
{{further |List of music theorists#17th century}}
{{further |List of music theorists#18th century}}
* '''1750–1900'''
** As Western musical influence spread throughout the world in the 1800s, musicians adopted Western theory as an international standard—but other theoretical traditions in both textual and oral traditions remain in use. For example, the long and rich musical traditions unique to ancient and current cultures of Africa are primarily oral, but describe specific forms, genres, performance practices, tunings, and other aspects of music theory.{{sfn|Kubik|2010|loc=passim}}{{sfn|Ekwueme|1974|loc=passim}}
** [[Sacred harp]] music uses a different kind of scale and theory in practice. The music focuses on the solfege "fa, sol, la" on the music scale. Sacred Harp also employs a different notation involving "shape notes", or notes that are shaped to correspond to a certain solfege syllable on the music scale. Sacred Harp music and its music theory originated with Reverend Thomas Symmes in 1720, where he developed a system for "singing by note" to help his church members with note accuracy.<ref>{{Cite book|title=The Sacred Harp: A Tradition and Its Music|last=Cobb|first=Buell E. Jr.|publisher=The University of Georgia Press Athens|year=1978|isbn=978-0-8203-0426-7|location=United States of America|pages=[https://archive.org/details/sacredharp00buel/page/4 4–5, 60–61]|url=https://archive.org/details/sacredharp00buel/page/4}}</ref>

{{further |List of music theorists#19th century}}