Can you hear the answer?
Instruments, notation, and a little musical vocabulary.
Ten questions, with the answers explained. Try them in your head, then open each answer when you're ready.
Play this quiz →QUESTION 1 / 10
Which instrument is traditionally played with a pair of padded mallets and has large copper bowls?
- Timpani
- Clarinet
- Violin
- Harp
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Timpani
Timpani are tunable kettledrums, commonly made with large copper bowls.
QUESTION 2 / 10
Which instrument uses black and white keys to operate hammers striking strings?
- Clarinet
- Flute
- Piano
- Trumpet
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Piano
A piano's keys activate hammers that strike strings inside the instrument.
QUESTION 3 / 10
What does forte usually mean in music?
- Very soft
- Detached
- Slow
- Loud
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Loud
Forte is a dynamic marking directing the player to play loudly.
QUESTION 4 / 10
What does piano mean as a dynamic marking?
- Soft
- Repeat
- Loud
- Fast
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Soft
As a dynamic instruction, piano means soft. It is also the name of the instrument.
QUESTION 5 / 10
Which instrument commonly uses a single reed?
- Flute
- Trumpet
- Clarinet
- Trombone
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Clarinet
A clarinet produces sound with a single reed attached to its mouthpiece.
QUESTION 6 / 10
How many lines are on a standard musical staff?
- Seven
- Five
- Six
- Four
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Five
A standard staff has five horizontal lines, with notes placed on lines and spaces.
QUESTION 7 / 10
Which term means gradually getting louder?
- Staccato
- Crescendo
- Rest
- Diminuendo
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Crescendo
A crescendo gradually increases the volume.
QUESTION 8 / 10
What does a rest indicate in musical notation?
- A repeat from the start
- A faster tempo
- A period of silence
- A higher pitch
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A period of silence
A rest marks a measured silence in the music.
QUESTION 9 / 10
Which brass instrument usually uses a slide to change pitch?
- Trombone
- Trumpet
- French horn
- Tuba
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Trombone
A trombone's slide changes the effective length of its tubing.
QUESTION 10 / 10
How many semitones are in an octave in standard Western equal temperament?
- Eight
- Seven
- Ten
- Twelve
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Twelve
An octave is divided into twelve equal semitones in this tuning system.