During the Spring and Autumn Period of the Western Zhou Dynasty, the "ceremony" was developed and reformed by the nobles according to the customs and habits of the patriarchal clan system at the end of primitive society, as a means to rule the people and consolidate the internal relations of the nobles. The purpose is to maintain its patriarchal clan system, monarchical power, clan power, husband power and divine power, and it has the function of maintaining the hereditary system and hierarchical system of the nobility and strengthening the rule. The system of rites and music was originally formulated by the Duke of Zhou in the Western Zhou Dynasty, and later generations continued to supplement it, forming a very strict and complicated system. The system of rites and music divides people in the upper class into many grades, and then stipulates rites and music according to different grades and status. For example, it is stipulated that the bands used are arranged in the east, west, north and south, governors can be arranged on three sides, Qing and doctors can be arranged on two sides, and scholars can only arrange one side. There are also regulations on the scale of music and dance. For example, Wang's music and dance queue can have eight rows, each with eight people, totaling 64 people; Governors can be six people in a row, six lines, a total of 36 people, gradually reduced. As for Shu Ren, he has no right to enjoy the music, that is, "rudeness is not as good as Shu Ren". In the Zhou Dynasty, the etiquette was complicated, and there were various ceremonies in the political, diplomatic, military and daily life of the nobles, many of which were accompanied by music. For example, music is used in ceremonies and activities such as "Suburb Society", "Taste Sacrifice", "Food Sacrifice", "Shooting at Hometown", "Teacher Wang Sacrifice" and "Marching in the Field". The specific musical form of the ceremony is also very strict. What songs to sing, what music to play and even the tonality of each part are very detailed. From the perspective of music genre, there were song and dance music, vocal music (group singing, solo), instrumental music (ensemble, solo) and other categories. The system of rites and music is the norm to maintain the concept of slavery hierarchy, and it is also an important means to consolidate the dominant position of the slave owner class.

The Western Zhou Dynasty was the heyday of China's slave social system, and the rulers tried their best to consolidate class rule. The education system corresponding to its patriarchal clan system has reached a very perfect level. A large number of talents trained by music education institutions in the Western Zhou Dynasty played an important role in the later "cultural shift down". The Western Zhou Dynasty was the period when the education of rites and music flourished in ancient China. Adapting to the state-owned land system and patriarchal clan system, music education has formed a relatively complete "official school" education system centered on the government. This educational model, which aims at cultivating "generalists", maintained and consolidated the rule of the aristocrats in the Western Zhou Dynasty, promoted the prosperity of social culture, and laid a solid foundation for the further development of music education in later generations. The Zhou Dynasty established the earliest music education institution and the first music school in China, and the education system was very complete. During the Western Zhou Dynasty, music education institutions were huge and teaching management was strict. The main contents of teaching are music ethics, music language and music dance, and there is a unified and strict teaching progress. Educated people can cultivate people in an all-round way by learning musical skills such as instrumental music, singing, music and dancing.