Category: Music

Q1. What is the primary ancestor of the European lute?
A. The Greek lyre
B. The Arabic oud
C. The Indian sitar
D. The Persian tar
Answer: B. The Arabic oud

Q2. During which historical period was the lute the most important instrument for secular music in Europe?
A. Medieval
B. Classical
C. Renaissance
D. Romantic
Answer: C. Renaissance

Q3. How was the medieval lute typically played before the shift to fingerstyle?
A. With fingernails
B. With a plectrum
C. Bowed like a violin
D. Strummed with a pick
Answer: B. With a plectrum

Q1. What does the name “piccolo” mean in Italian?
A. High flute
B. Small
C. Octave flute
D. Military flute
Answer: B. Small

Q2. The modern piccolo sounds how many octaves higher than written music?
A. Two octaves
B. The same pitch
C. One octave
D. Half an octave
Answer: C. One octave

Q3. Which family of musical instruments does the piccolo belong to?
A. Woodwind
B. String
C. Brass
D. Percussion
Answer: A. Woodwind

Q1. What does the name “euphonium” derive from in ancient Greek?
A. “Loud voice”
B. “Sweet-voiced” or “beautiful sound”
C. “Tenor horn”
D. “Brass tube”
Answer: B. “Sweet-voiced” or “beautiful sound”

Q2. Who is credited with inventing the euphonium (originally called “euphonion”) around 1843 in Weimar, Germany?
A. Adolphe Sax
B. John Philip Sousa
C. Carl Moritz
D. Ferdinand Sommer
Answer: D. Ferdinand Sommer

Q3. The euphonium is most commonly pitched in which key?
A. C
B. F
C. Bb
D. Eb
Answer: C. Bb

Q1. Who are credited with patenting the modern tuba in 1835?
A. Adolphe Sax and Vaclav Cerveny
B. Wilhelm Wieprecht and Johann Gottfried Moritz
C. John Philip Sousa and J.W. Pepper
D. Richard Wagner and Ferdinand Sommer
Answer: B. Wilhelm Wieprecht and Johann Gottfried Moritz

Q2. What was the tuba’s primary predecessor in orchestras before its invention?
A. Serpent
B. Euphonium
C. Helicon
D. Ophicleide
Answer: D. Ophicleide

Q3. In what year was the sousaphone developed for marching bands?
A. 1835
B. 1845
C. 1893
D. 1913
Answer: C. 1893

Q1. Who is generally credited with inventing the modern clarinet around 1700 by improving the chalumeau?
A. Theobald Boehm
B. Johann Christoph Denner
C. Hyacinthe Klose
D. Iwan Muller
Answer: B. Johann Christoph Denner

Q2. What was the single-reed predecessor instrument to the clarinet called?
A. Recorder
B. Shawm
C. Chalumeau
D. Oboe
Answer: C. Chalumeau

Q3. The name “clarinet” derives from the Italian word meaning what?
A. Little trumpet
B. Clear voice
C. Reed pipe
D. High wind
Answer: A. Little trumpet

Q1. What are electric drums also commonly known as?
A. Acoustic drums
B. E-drums
C. Hybrid drums
D. Percussion pads
Answer: B. E-drums

Q2. Which company introduced the popular V-Drums series of electronic drum kits?
A. Yamaha
B. Alesis
C. Roland
D. Simmons
Answer: C. Roland

Q3. What is the primary advantage of electronic drums over acoustic drums for home practice?
A. Louder volume
B. No need for tuning
C. Natural wood shells
D. Ability to play quietly with headphones
Answer: D. Ability to play quietly with headphones

Q1. What is the origin of the ukulele?
A. It was invented in Hawaii by native Hawaiians
B. It was developed in Hawaii from Portuguese instruments brought by immigrants
C. It originated in Spain as a small guitar variant
D. It was created in the United States in the early 20th century
Answer: B. It was developed in Hawaii from Portuguese instruments brought by immigrants

Q2. The name “ukulele” in Hawaiian roughly translates to what?
A. Small guitar
B. Happy sound
C. Jumping flea
D. Island strings
Answer: C. Jumping flea

Q3. Which Portuguese immigrants are credited with creating the first ukuleles in Hawaii?
A. Manuel Nunes, Jose do Espirito Santo, and Augusto Dias
B. Joao Fernandes, King Kalakaua, and Queen Lili’uokalani
C. Eddie Kamae, Gabby Pahinui, and Moe Keale
D. Samuel Kamaka, Leonardo Nunes, and Jonah Kumalae
Answer: A. Manuel Nunes, Jose do Espirito Santo, and Augusto Dias

Q1. The trombone belongs to which family of musical instruments?
A. Woodwind
B. Brass
C. String
D. Percussion
Answer: B. Brass

Q2. What is the primary mechanism used on most trombones to change pitch?
A. Valves
B. Keys
C. Telescoping slide
D. Reed vibration
Answer: C. Telescoping slide

Q3. The word “trombone” originates from Italian, meaning what?
A. Long trumpet
B. Large trumpet
C. Sliding horn
D. Bass trumpet
Answer: B. Large trumpet

Q1. What family of musical instruments does the tambourine belong to?
A. String
B. Woodwind
C. Percussion
D. Brass
Answer: C. Percussion

Q2. The tambourine typically consists of a circular frame with pairs of small metal discs attached, known as what?
A. Cymbals
B. Zills
C. Bells
D. Plates
Answer: B. Zills

Q3. Many tambourines feature a drumhead, traditionally made from what material?
A. Plastic only
B. Wood
C. Metal
D. Animal skin
Answer: D. Animal skin

Q1. Who is credited with inventing the earliest known organ, the hydraulis?
A. Aristotle
B. Ctesibius of Alexandria
C. Pythagoras
D. Plato
Answer: B. Ctesibius of Alexandria

Q2. What replaced water pressure in ancient organs to supply wind?
A. Electric blowers
B. Foot pedals
C. Hand-pumped bellows
D. Steam engines
Answer: C. Hand-pumped bellows

Q3. In what century did pipe organs begin to appear in Western European churches?
A. 3rd century
B. 8th century
C. 12th century
D. 15th century
Answer: B. 8th century