The editors of this publication see it as their task to systematically advance music education research and thereby broaden and strengthen the scientific perspective in music education as a whole. To this end, they have formed a cross-university research team for some time now. In this first joint publication, concepts from music education and music didactics are discussed, dimensions and strategies of historical music education research are unfolded, a historical analysis and terminological delineation of comparative music education is conducted, instrumental pedagogy is examined as a scientific discipline, and the necessity of scientific music education in the context of music is addressed.