Cello Quiz Questions and Answers
Q1. What is the standard tuning of the four strings on a full-size cello, from lowest to highest pitch?
A. G-D-A-E
B. C-G-D-A
C. A-D-G-C
D. E-A-D-G
Answer: B. C-G-D-A
Q2. The cello belongs to which family of musical instruments?
A. Woodwind
B. Brass
C. String (violin family)
D. Percussion
Answer: C. String (violin family)
Q3. Approximately when was the modern form of the cello developed in northern Italy?
A. 14th century
B. 16th century
C. 18th century
D. 20th century
Answer: B. 16th century
Q4. Who is widely credited with refining the cello’s design in the late 17th and early 18th centuries, creating smaller, more playable instruments?
A. Antonio Stradivari
B. Andrea Amati
C. Niccolo Paganini
D. Luigi Boccherini
Answer: A. Antonio Stradivari
Q5. What material is traditionally used for the top (belly) of a cello?
A. Maple
B. Ebony
C. Spruce
D. Rosewood
Answer: C. Spruce
Q6. How is the cello typically played while seated?
A. Held under the chin like a violin
B. Resting on the shoulder
C. Held horizontally like a guitar
D. Between the knees with an endpin on the floor
Answer: D. Between the knees with an endpin on the floor
Q7. Which famous composer wrote the Six Suites for Unaccompanied Cello around 1717–1723?
A. Ludwig van Beethoven
B. Johann Sebastian Bach
C. Antonio Vivaldi
D. Joseph Haydn
Answer: B. Johann Sebastian Bach
Q8. What is the primary difference in range between the cello and the viola?
A. The cello is tuned an octave lower
B. The cello is tuned a perfect fifth lower
C. The cello has a higher range
D. They have identical ranges
Answer: A. The cello is tuned an octave lower
Q9. Which part of the cello supports it on the floor and was introduced in the 19th century?
A. Bridge
B. Endpin
C. Tailpiece
D. Scroll
Answer: B. Endpin
Q10. Who is a renowned 20th–21st century cellist known for playing a Stradivari cello named the “Davidoff”?
A. Mstislav Rostropovich
B. Jacqueline du Pré
C. Yo-Yo Ma
D. Pablo Casals
Answer: C. Yo-Yo Ma
Q11. What technique involves plucking the strings with the fingers instead of using the bow?
A. Spiccato
B. Pizzicato
C. Legato
D. Col legno
Answer: B. Pizzicato
Q12. Antonio Stradivari made approximately how many cellos in his lifetime?
A. Over 1,000
B. Fewer than 20
C. Around 80
D. Exactly 100
Answer: C. Around 80
Q13. Which clef is most commonly used for writing cello music in the lower range?
A. Treble clef
B. Alto clef
C. Tenor clef exclusively
D. Bass clef
Answer: D. Bass clef
Q14. What is the name of the decorative inlay around the edges of many cellos that helps prevent cracking?
A. F-holes
B. Purfling
C. Bout
D. Ribs
Answer: B. Purfling
Q15. Which composer wrote a famous Cello Concerto in E minor, premiered in 1919?
A. Edward Elgar
B. Antonin Dvorak
C. Camille Saint-Saens
D. Robert Schumann
Answer: A. Edward Elgar
Q16. In a standard string quartet, what role does the cello typically play?
A. Highest melody line
B. Inner harmony
C. Bass foundation
D. Percussive rhythm
Answer: C. Bass foundation
Q17. What material is commonly used for modern cello strings, replacing traditional gut?
A. Horsehair only
B. Metal-wound synthetic or gut core
C. Pure nylon
D. Carbon fiber exclusively
Answer: B. Metal-wound synthetic or gut core
Q18. Which famous cellist rediscovered and popularized Bach’s Cello Suites in the 20th century?
A. Pablo Casals
B. Yo-Yo Ma
C. Jacqueline du Pre
D. Gregor Piatigorsky
Answer: A. Pablo Casals
Q19. What bowing technique involves bouncing the bow lightly off the string?
A. Detache
B. Martele
C. Spiccato
D. Sul ponticello
Answer: C. Spiccato
Q20. The cello is often described as having a tone closest to which human voice?
A. Soprano
B. Tenor/baritone range
C. Alto
D. Bass
Answer: B. Tenor/baritone range
Q21. Which luthier family is associated with some of the earliest known cellos in the 16th century?
A. Stradivari
B. Guarneri
C. Amati
D. Bergonzi
Answer: C. Amati
Q22. What is the approximate body length of a standard full-size (4/4) cello?
A. 50 cm
B. 75–76 cm
C. 100 cm
D. 30 cm
Answer: B. 75–76 cm
Q23. Which composer wrote the Cello Concerto in B minor, considered one of the greatest in the repertoire?
A. Antonin Dvorak
B. Joseph Haydn
C. Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky
D. Sergei Prokofiev
Answer: A. Antonin Dvorak
Q24. In cello bow hold, which finger is primarily responsible for transferring arm weight into the string?
A. Thumb
B. Pinky
C. Index finger
D. Ring finger
Answer: C. Index finger
Q25. What are the sound holes on a cello called?
A. C-holes
B. F-holes
C. S-holes
D. O-holes
Answer: B. F-holes