mesopotamian music had a system that introduced rigidity in the music, preventing the melody from developing into chaos. until recently no form of musical notation had been known, however there is a cuneiform tablet containing a hymn and what has been translated as musical instructions for a performer, making this tablet the oldest known musical notation. there were strict instructions for how to perform music, similar to chord progression today. these instructions also seem to point to a strong desire for musicians to play in tune, with steps in performing requiring frequent attempts to tune the instruments.