Q1. What is the primary origin of the banjo?
A. Europe
B. West Africa
C. Asia
D. Native American traditions
Answer: B. West Africa
Q2. Early banjos were typically constructed using which material for the body?
A. Metal
B. Solid wood
C. Gourd or calabash covered with animal skin
D. Plastic
Answer: C. Gourd or calabash covered with animal skin
Q3. Who is often credited with popularizing the five-string banjo in the 19th century, though not necessarily inventing the fifth string?
A. Joel Walker Sweeney
B. Earl Scruggs
C. Bela Fleck
D. Pete Seeger
Answer: A. Joel Walker Sweeney
Q4. In what type of 19th-century American entertainment did the banjo gain widespread popularity among white audiences?
A. Opera
B. Minstrel shows
C. Classical concerts
D. Jazz bands
Answer: B. Minstrel shows
Q5. Which famous banjo player developed the three-finger picking style that defined bluegrass music?
A. Béla Fleck
B. Ralph Stanley
C. Earl Scruggs
D. Steve Martin
Answer: C. Earl Scruggs
Q6. What is the standard open tuning for a modern five-string banjo?
A. G-D-G-B-D
B. C-G-D-A
C. E-A-D-G
D. D-G-B-E
Answer: A. G-D-G-B-D
Q7. What unique feature does the five-string banjo have that most other stringed instruments lack?
A. A resonator back
B. A short drone (fifth) string
C. Metal frets
D. A plastic head
Answer: B. A short drone (fifth) string
Q8. Which playing technique is characterized by down-striking the strings with the back of the fingernail, associated with old-time music?
A. Scruggs style
B. Plectrum picking
C. Clawhammer
D. Classical fingerstyle
Answer: C. Clawhammer
Q9. The tenor banjo, a four-string variant, is most commonly associated with which genres?
A. Irish traditional and Dixieland jazz
B. Bluegrass and clawhammer
C. Heavy metal
D. Classical orchestra
Answer: A. Irish traditional and Dixieland jazz
Q10. What part of the banjo amplifies sound by projecting it forward, common on bluegrass models?
A. The nut
B. The resonator
C. The truss rod
D. The tailpiece
Answer: B. The resonator
Q11. Which modern banjo virtuoso is known for blending the instrument with jazz, classical, and world music?
A. Earl Scruggs
B. Don Reno
C. Bela Fleck
D. Ralph Stanley
Answer: C. Bela Fleck
Q12. The plectrum banjo is a four-string version typically tuned how?
A. GDGBD
B. CGBD
C. CGDA
D. GDAE
Answer: C. CGDA
Q13. In clawhammer style, the right hand primarily strikes strings in which direction?
A. Upward with picks
B. Downward with fingernail
C. Strumming with thumb only
D. Flatpicking
Answer: B. Downward with fingernail
Q14. Which African instrument is considered one of the closest relatives to the early banjo?
A. Kora
B. Djembe
C. Akonting
D. Balafon
Answer: C. Akonting
Q15. The bridge on a banjo serves what primary function?
A. Holds the tuning pegs
B. Transfers string vibrations to the head
C. Adjusts neck curve
D. Anchors the resonator
Answer: B. Transfers string vibrations to the head
Q16. What is the typical number of frets on a standard five-string banjo neck?
A. 17
B. 19
C. 22
D. 12
Answer: C. 22
Q17. Which genre features the banjo prominently as a rhythm instrument in early 20th-century dance bands?
A. Rock
B. Early jazz/Dixieland
C. Hip-hop
D. Symphony
Answer: B. Early jazz/Dixieland
Q18. Which famous composition by George Gershwin features the tenor banjo in its original orchestration?
A. Symphony No. 5
B. The Rite of Spring
C. Bolero
D. Rhapsody in Blue
Answer: D. Rhapsody in Blue
Q19. Old-time music, predecessor to bluegrass, often features which banjo style?
A. Three-finger rolls
B. Clawhammer
C. Flatpicking chords
D. Classical thumb-under
Answer: B. Clawhammer
Q20. What internal rod in many banjo necks helps maintain stability and adjust curvature?
A. Truss rod
B. Coordinator rod
C. Tone ring
D. Armrest
Answer: A. Truss rod
Q21. The tailpiece on a banjo primarily does what?
A. Holds the head tight
B. Amplifies sound
C. Anchors the strings and affects down-pressure on the bridge
D. Changes tuning
Answer: C. Anchors the strings and affects down-pressure on the bridge
Q22. Which banjo type lacks the short drone string and is often used in Irish music?
A. Five-string resonator
B. Tenor (four-string)
C. Six-string
D. Open-back plectrum
Answer: B. Tenor (four-string)
Q23. Bela Fleck was inspired to play banjo after hearing which TV theme song as a child?
A. The Andy Griffith Show
B. Star Trek
C. Bonanza
D. The Beverly Hillbillies
Answer: D. The Beverly Hillbillies
Q24. What component under the head in many banjos enhances tone and volume?
A. Truss rod
B. Tone ring
C. Nut
D. Heel
Answer: B. Tone ring
Q25. In Scruggs-style bluegrass picking, players typically wear picks on which fingers?
A. Thumb and index only
B. No picks
C. All four fingers
D. Thumb, index, and middle
Answer: D. Thumb, index, and middle
