In the Renaissance, music became very important because at main European courts playing and singing were symbols of accomplishment and elegance. Sovereigns and lords themselves wrote music and played instruments. Folk music spread all over Europe in the 16^th century, especially in Italy, France, German and England. In Italy this sort of music was represented by the Florentine and Mantuan frottola (Poi che volse la mia stella, Bartolomeo Tromboncino).

In Naples and in Venice there was the villanelle.

In England playing the lute, the flaute and a type of guitar entertained the court, together with actors, dancers and clowns. Music became very popular, also because all dramatists wrote songs for their plays.

In Italy, Madrigals, songs for four voices, came stilistically after the frottole.

In England, Italian madrigals were imitated and developped into a more popular genre for the influence of the rising middle class. The reigns of Elisabeth I and James I saw the highest production of madrigals, so the period was considered the Golden Age of English music.

Famous English composers of time were William Byrd (Have merci upon me), John Wilkie, Thomas Weelkes and John Dowland (The Earl of Essex Galiard).

They were intested in instruments such as drums, pipes, lutes; often lords and ladies were vocalists for their pieces.