As with so many other aspects of Hispanic culture in the early Middle Ages, the musical life of the Iberian peninsula was distinct from that of other parts of Europe for many centuries. Though Christianity reached the peninsula as early as the third century, most of the country came under Muslim rule in 711, to be reconquered by Christians in a series of campaigns through the Middle Ages. Not only did this bring Arabic music into Europe, but the Muslims were also uniquely tolerant of the Jews, allowing a Judaeo-Spanish musical tradition to flourish, which has had wide influence elsewhere in later centuries. Until the eleventh century, the church in the Spanish kingdoms remained independent from the Roman rite and employed a separate liturgical structure, with its own musical tradition. The later Middle Ages saw much greater assimilation of musical traditions from the rest of Europe, but the peninsula also developed its own discrete musical genres, particularly in secular music making.

Isidore of Seville and Old Spanish chant

Though some evidence survives for music and dance from the Stone Age onwards, it will be as well to begin this survey after the Visigoths had established a kingdom centred on Toledo and extending across almost the whole of modern-day Spain, Portugal and the south of France, by the end of the sixth century. Isidore, Archbishop of Seville (ca559–636), is a figure of major importance in all branches of learning.