Gallican chant refers to the liturgical plainchant repertory of the Gallican rite of the Roman Catholic Church in Gaul, prior to the introduction and development of elements of the Roman rite from which Gregorian chant evolved.
Lack of a central authority led to the development of local traditions of the Gallican rite in Francia, sharing a basic structure but varying in details.
Charlemagne completed the job his father had begun, so that by the 9th century the Gallican rite and chant had effectively been eliminated.
However, the Roman chant brought to the Carolingian churches was incomplete, and ended up incorporating musical and liturgical elements from the local Gallican traditions.
Walahfrid Strabo, writing in the 9th century, judged Roman chant as "more perfect" and Gallican as incorrect and "inelegant."