Music was so important to the Greeks. The music they played was beaten, plucked, or blown. The blown music came from the auloi, and syrinx. The beaten ones came from the cymbals and timpanon. Kithara, harp and lyre are plucked instruments.
Long time ago in the Mythical Period, which is from the beginning to
1000 BC, 
Apollo and Dionysus were musicians. Most musicians
were singers. Gluck held an opera about the story of Orpheus descending into
Hades to take his wife back from his enemy. Apollo the God of music played the lyre. Dionysus played the flute.
Several years before, in the Archaic period, which is from 700 BC to
550 BC, lyric poetry and music expressing were created. The dithyramb hymn is
famous because of Dionysus. Twelve men play the dithyramb hymn. Then a guy
named Arion increased it to fifty people playing it. In this period, Sappho,
Alkaios, and Kea are famous musicians.
The Classical period, (a few years before) which is in 550 BC to 440
BC, is a really interesting period. Choerilus, Phrynichus, Pratinas, and
Thespis develop the dithyramb. Aeschylus, Sophocles, and Euripides create the
drama. In this period, is where the notes of the music is found by the great
Pythagoras, the mathematician, you know, who invented the triangle counting
thing…! We use this kind of music notes today! Hooray for Mr. Pythagoras!!!
Then now came the Hellinistic Period. It is in 440 BC -330 BC. It is in
a form of a drama. In this period, now poetry separates with music.