Music in the Renaissance Era from 1420-1600 saw the development of instrumental music. Treatises in the vernacular provided instruction for amateurs and professionals. The 1500s saw the first lasting tradition of written polyphonic instrumental music. Composers did not specify instruments, allowing for flexibility. Instrumental music was played on families of instruments including winds, plucked strings, bowed strings, and keyboards. New genres included dance suites and variations on vocal themes. Italian composers like the Gabrielis and Frescobaldi pioneered abstract instrumental works for ensembles.