Q1. What type of reed does the modern oboe use?
A. Single reed
B. Triple reed
C. Double reed
D. Quadruple reed
Answer: C. Double reed
Q2. In which century was the modern form of the oboe developed in France?
A. 16th century
B. 17th century
C. 18th century
D. 19th century
Answer: B. 17th century
Q3. What is the primary material used for professional oboes?
A. Grenadilla wood
B. Maple
C. Plastic
D. Metal
Answer: A. Grenadilla wood
Q4. Why does the orchestra typically tune to the oboe’s A?
A. It has the loudest sound
B. Its pitch is stable and penetrating
C. It is the easiest to play in tune
D. It is the leader’s instrument
Answer: B. Its pitch is stable and penetrating
Q5. What is the standard pitch range of the modern oboe?
A. Bb3 to A6
B. C4 to F6
C. Bb3 to G6
D. A3 to E6
Answer: C. Bb3 to G6
Q6. Which instrument is considered the alto member of the oboe family, pitched in F?
A. Oboe d’amore
B. English horn (cor anglais)
C. Bass oboe
D. Musette
Answer: B. English horn (cor anglais)
Q7. The oboe d’amore is pitched in what key, a minor third lower than the standard oboe?
A. A
B. F
C. Eb
D. G
Answer: A. A
Q8. What ancient instrument is a direct ancestor of the oboe?
A. Flute
B. Shawm
C. Clarinet
D. Recorder
Answer: B. Shawm
Q9. Which French family significantly advanced oboe keywork in the 19th century?
A. Hotteterre
B. Philidor
C. Triebert
D. Loree
Answer: C. Triebert
Q10. The Viennese oboe is known for its use in which orchestra?
A. Vienna Philharmonic
B. Berlin Philharmonic
C. New York Philharmonic
D. London Symphony
Answer: A. Vienna Philharmonic
Q11. What is the approximate length of a standard soprano oboe?
A. 45 cm
B. 65 cm
C. 85 cm
D. 100 cm
Answer: B. 65 cm
Q12. Which composer wrote extensively for the oboe d’amore in his cantatas?
A. Mozart
B. Beethoven
C. J.S. Bach
D. Vivaldi
Answer: C. J.S. Bach
Q13. The English horn has a distinctive bulb-shaped what?
A. Reed
B. Bore
C. Key
D. Bell
Answer: D. Bell
Q14. What is a musician who plays the oboe called?
A. Oboer
B. Oboist
C. Hautboist
D. Reedist
Answer: B. Oboist
Q15. Which famous oboe concerto was composed by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart?
A. Concerto in C major, K. 314
B. Concerto in D major
C. Concerto in Eb major
D. Concerto in F major
Answer: A. Concerto in C major, K. 314
Q16. The heckelphone is a rare baritone member of the oboe family, invented around what time?
A. 17th century
B. Early 20th century
C. Mid-18th century
D. Late 19th century
Answer: B. Early 20th century
Q17. Oboists often make their own reeds because:
A. They are inexpensive to produce
B. Reeds are not commercially available
C. It allows customization for tone and response
D. It is a tradition only
Answer: C. It allows customization for tone and response
Q18. Which 20th-century composer featured the oboe prominently in works like the Symphonia Domestica?
A. Richard Strauss
B. Igor Stravinsky
C. Claude Debussy
D. Maurice Ravel
Answer: A. Richard Strauss
Q19. The oboe’s bore is described as:
A. Cylindrical
B. Conical
C. Straight
D. Flared throughout
Answer: B. Conical
Q20. In Peter and the Wolf by Prokofiev, which character is represented by the oboe?
A. Bird
B. Cat
C. Duck
D. Grandfather
Answer: C. Duck
Q21. The musette or piccolo oboe is pitched in:
A. C
B. Eb or F
C. A
D. Bb
Answer: B. Eb or F
Q22. Which key system is most common on modern oboes outside Vienna?
A. Conservatoire system
B. Boehm system
C. German system
D. Simple system
Answer: A. Conservatoire system
Q23. The oboe is a non-transposing instrument, meaning it sounds:
A. An octave higher
B. An octave lower
C. A fifth lower
D. As written (concert pitch)
Answer: D. As written (concert pitch)
Q24. Famous oboist Heinz Holliger is known for extending techniques in:
A. Contemporary music
B. Jazz oboe
C. Baroque performance
D. Folk traditions
Answer: A. Contemporary music
Q25. What shape is the English horn’s bocal (crook)?
A. Straight
B. Curved
C. Bulbous
D. Flat
Answer: B. Curved
