Xylophone Quiz Questions and Answers
Q1. What does the word “xylophone” derive from in Greek?
A. Xylon (metal) and phone (sound)
B. Xylon (wood) and phone (sound)
C. Xylon (stone) and phone (voice)
D. Xylon (bamboo) and phone (tone)
Answer: B. Xylon (wood) and phone (sound)
Q2. The xylophone belongs to which family of musical instruments?
A. String
B. Wind
C. Percussion
D. Brass
Answer: C. Percussion
Q3. Concert xylophones typically have bars made from which material?
A. Rosewood or padauk
B. Bamboo
C. Metal
D. Fiberglass only
Answer: A. Rosewood or padauk
Q4. What is the typical range of a concert xylophone?
A. 2 to 2.5 octaves
B. 3.5 to 4 octaves
C. 5 octaves
D. 6 octaves
Answer: B. 3.5 to 4 octaves
Q5. In orchestral notation, the xylophone is a transposing instrument that sounds how many octaves higher than written?
A. One octave higher
B. No transposition
C. Two octaves higher
D. One octave lower
Answer: A. One octave higher
Q6. What are the resonators on a modern concert xylophone typically made of?
A. Gourds
B. Wooden boxes
C. Aluminum tubes
D. Plastic pipes
Answer: C. Aluminum tubes
Q7. Which instrument is most closely related to the African predecessor of the xylophone?
A. Glockenspiel
B. Vibraphone
C. Marimbaphone
D. Balafon
Answer: D. Balafon
Q8. The balafon, a West African xylophone-like instrument, commonly uses what as resonators?
A. Metal tubes
B. Calabash gourds
C. Wooden pits
D. Bamboo cylinders
Answer: B. Calabash gourds
Q9. Xylophones are believed to have originated independently in which two regions?
A. Europe and South America
B. Australia and North America
C. Asia and Africa
D. Middle East and Europe
Answer: C. Asia and Africa
Q10. Which composer famously used the xylophone to represent skeletons in “Danse Macabre”?
A. Igor Stravinsky
B. Camille Saint-Saens
C. Dmitry Shostakovich
D. Maurice Ravel
Answer: B. Camille Saint-Saens
Q11. In “The Carnival of the Animals,” Saint-Saëns featured the xylophone in which movement?
A. The Swan
B. Aquarium
C. Fossils
D. Aviary
Answer: A. The Swan
Q12. What is the primary difference in sound between a xylophone and a marimba?
A. Xylophone has a warmer, longer sustain
B. Xylophone has a brighter, drier, shorter sound
C. Marimba has metal bars
D. Xylophone uses soft yarn mallets
Answer: B. Xylophone has a brighter, drier, shorter sound
Q13. Compared to the xylophone, the marimba typically has:
A. Higher range and metal bars
B. No resonators
C. Lower range and longer resonators
D. Fewer octaves
Answer: C. Lower range and longer resonators
Q14. The vibraphone differs from the xylophone mainly by having:
A. Wooden bars and no resonators
B. Metal bars and a vibrato mechanism
C. Gourd resonators
D. Bamboo bars
Answer: B. Metal bars and a vibrato mechanism
Q15. The glockenspiel uses which material for its bars?
A. Rosewood
B. Padauk
C. Metal (steel or aluminum)
D. Synthetic fiberglass
Answer: C. Metal (steel or aluminum)
Q16. Which famous ragtime xylophonist is known as one of the greatest in history?
A. George Hamilton Green
B. Keiko Abe
C. Evelyn Glennie
D. Bob Becker
Answer: C. George Hamilton Green
Q17. Mallets for playing a concert xylophone typically have heads made of:
A. Soft yarn only
B. Hard rubber, plastic, or wood
C. Felt exclusively
D. Metal
Answer: B. Hard rubber, plastic, or wood
Q18. To produce a roll or sustained sound on the xylophone, players often use:
A. A single mallet stroke
B. Foot pedal
C. Rapid alternating strokes or whirling motion
D. Bowing the bars
Answer: C. Rapid alternating strokes or whirling motion
Q19. The xylophone was first prominently used in Western orchestras during which century?
A. 16th century
B. 17th century
C. 19th century
D. 20th century
Answer: C. 19th century
Q20. Which composer included a notable xylophone part in “Sabre Dance” from the Gayane ballet?
A. Aram Khachaturian
B. Sergei Prokofiev
C. Dmitri Shostakovich
D. Bela Bartok
Answer: A. Aram Khachaturian
Q21. In African xylophone traditions, such as the balafon, what often creates a buzzing sound?
A. Metal tubes
B. Spider web silk or mirlitons over holes in gourds
C. Electric fans
D. Yarn-wrapped mallets
Answer: B. Spider web silk or mirlitons over holes in gourds
Q22. Modern concert xylophones often use what alternative material for bars to avoid environmental concerns?
A. Metal
B. Bamboo
C. Synthetic fiberglass or kelon
D. Ivory
Answer: C. Synthetic fiberglass or kelon
Q23. The bars on a xylophone are arranged in a layout similar to:
A. A drum set
B. Piano keys
C. Guitar frets
D. Flute holes
Answer: B. Piano keys
Q24. Which technique involves sliding a mallet across multiple bars to create a sweeping sound?
A. Roll
B. Chord striking
C. Glissando
D. Double stroke
Answer: C. Glissando
Q25. The xylorimba is a hybrid instrument combining features of:
A. Xylophone and glockenspiel
B. Xylophone and marimba (extended lower range)
C. Vibraphone and timpani
D. Marimba and celesta
Answer: B. Xylophone and marimba (extended lower range)