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
Q1. What is the primary classification of a gong in musical instrument families?
A. Aerophone
B. Chordophone
C. Idiophone
D. Membranophone
Answer: C. Idiophone
Q2. The term “gong” originates from which language or region?
A. Chinese
B. Javanese (Indonesian)
C. Thai
D. Tibetan
Answer: B. Javanese (Indonesian)
Q3. Which type of gong typically has a raised central boss or knob?
A. Tam-tam
B. Chau gong
C. Nipple gong
D. Wind gong
Answer: C. Nipple gong
Q1. What is the primary origin of the conga drum?
A. West Africa, brought to Cuba via the slave trade
B. Spain, introduced during colonial rule
C. Brazil, from samba traditions
D. Mexico, from mariachi ensembles
Answer: A. West Africa, brought to Cuba via the slave trade
Q2. In Cuba, the conga drum is more traditionally known by what name?
A. Quinto
B. Bongo
C. Tumbadora
D. Atabaque
Answer: C. Tumbadora
Q3. Which material was traditionally used for early conga drum heads?
A. Synthetic plastic
B. Animal skin
C. Goat skin only
D. Wood
Answer: B. Animal skin
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
Q1. What is the French horn primarily classified as?
A. A woodwind instrument
B. A brass instrument
C. A percussion instrument
D. A string instrument
Answer: B. A brass instrument
Q2. Why is the instrument commonly called the “French horn” in English-speaking countries?
A. It was invented in France
B. The name derives from French composers
C. It uses French valves exclusively
D. Early orchestral horns were popularized by French makers and hunting traditions
Answer: D. Early orchestral horns were popularized by French makers and hunting traditions
Q3. What is the most common type of French horn used in professional orchestras today?
A. Single horn in F
B. Natural horn
C. Double horn in F/Bb
D. Triple horn in F/Bb/high F
Answer: C. Double horn in F/Bb
Q1. Bells are classified as what type of musical instrument in the Hornbostel–Sachs system?
A. Aerophone
B. Chordophone
C. Idiophone
D. Membranophone
Answer: C. Idiophone
Q2. Which ancient civilization is credited with the earliest known use of tuned sequences of bells as polyphonic musical instruments?
A. Ancient Egypt
B. Ancient Greece
C. Ancient Mesopotamia
D. Ancient China
Answer: D. Ancient China
Q3. What is the name of the ancient Chinese set of tuned bronze bells, often consisting of 64 bells, used to play melodies and chords?
A. Carillon
B. Bianzhong
C. Zvon
D. Tubular bells
Answer: B. Bianzhong
Q1. What is the origin of bongo drums?
A. Africa
B. Eastern Cuba
C. Spain
D. United States
Answer: B. Eastern Cuba
Q2. In Spanish, what is the larger bongo drum called?
A. Macho
B. Boku
C. Hembra
D. Tumba
Answer: C. Hembra
Q3. What is the smaller bongo drum traditionally called?
A. Hembra
B. Macho
C. Quinto
D. Conga
Answer: B. Macho
Q1. Who is credited with patenting the instrument named “accordion” in 1829, coining the term?
A. Christian Friedrich Ludwig Buschmann
B. Cyrill Demian
C. Charles Wheatstone
D. Anton Zuleger
Answer: B. Cyrill Demian
Q2. What ancient Chinese instrument is considered the ancestor of the accordion due to its use of free reeds?
A. Erhu
B. Pipa
C. Sheng
D. Guzheng
Answer: C. Sheng
Q3. In what year was the piano accordion, featuring a piano-style keyboard, first introduced in Paris?
A. 1852
B. 1855
C. 1867
D. 1900
Answer: A. 1852
Q1. What is the primary material used in most modern professional cymbals?
A. Brass
B. Nickel silver
C. Bronze alloy
D. Steel
Answer: C. Bronze alloy
Q2. Which alloy, consisting of approximately 80% copper and 20% tin, is commonly known as bell bronze and used for high-end cast cymbals?
A. B8
B. B12
C. B15
D. B20
Answer: D. B20
Q3. The origins of cymbals can be traced back to around what time period?
A. 1000 CE
B. 3000 BCE
C. 500 CE
D. 1500 BCE
Answer: B. 3000 BCE