Music: 48 trivia questions with sources
This bank moves between instruments, notation, voices, composers, bands, genres, recording formats, performance directions, and music from several periods.
48 questions · 21 easy, 16 medium, 11 hard · 48 with a source link
Suggested round splits
5 ways to break this category into rounds. The printed sheet keeps the whole list in one run, so split it while you plan rather than while you host.
Instruments and voices
Instrument families, construction, playing methods, ensembles, and vocal ranges.
Reading and performing music
Dynamics, notation, tempo, musical forms, conductors, and performance directions.
Composers and concert works
Classical composers, symphonies, operas, concert pieces, and historical practice.
Artists, bands, and albums
Popular performers, group lineups, fan names, releases, and recorded music.
Genres and musical cultures
Jazz, reggae, hip-hop, folk traditions, dance forms, and regional origins.
All 48 questions with answers
48 carry a pinned source revision
How many strings does a standard guitar usually have?
SixChecked against:
The table below shows a pitch's name found over the six strings of a guitar in standard tuning, from the nut (zero), to the twelfth fret.
Source: Wikipedia, pinned revisionPrint source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guitar?oldid=1363122781#StandardBy what title is Michael Jackson known?
King of PopChecked against:
Dubbed the " King of Pop ", he is widely regarded as one of the most culturally significant figures of the 20th century.
Source: Wikipedia, pinned revisionPrint source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Jackson?oldid=1365789727What family of instruments includes the violin and cello?
String instrumentsChecked against:
Bowing (Italian: arco) is a method used in some string instruments, including the violin, viola, cello, and the double bass (of the violin family), and the old viol family.
Source: Wikipedia, pinned revisionPrint source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/String_instrument?oldid=1358450490#BowingWhich band recorded Hey Jude?
BeatlesChecked against:
"Hey Jude" was the first Beatles song to be recorded on eight-track equipment.
Source: Wikipedia, pinned revisionPrint source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hey_Jude?oldid=1364208072#Trident_Studios_recordingWhat is the highest female classical singing voice?
SopranoChecked against:
A soprano (Italian pronunciation: [soˈpraːno]) is a type of classical singing voice and has the highest vocal range of all voice types.
Source: Wikipedia, pinned revisionPrint source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soprano?oldid=1352922856How many black and white keys do modern pianos usually have?
88 black and white keysChecked against:
Modern pianos have a row of 88 black and white keys - with the exception of the Bosendörfer and Stuart & Sons pianos - and tuned to a chromatic scale in equal temperament.
Source: Wikipedia, pinned revisionPrint source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Piano?oldid=1355393921Who sang Rolling in the Deep?
AdeleChecked against:
" Rolling in the Deep " is a song by English singer-songwriter Adele from her second studio album, 21 (2011).
Source: Wikipedia, pinned revisionPrint source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rolling_in_the_Deep?oldid=1362147209What symbol tells a musician to play a note sharply higher?
The sharp symbolChecked against:
The sharp symbol, ♯, indicates that the note to which the symbol is applied is played one chromatic semitone higher.
Source: Wikipedia, pinned revisionPrint source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sharp_(music)?oldid=1365904422What is a piece for two pianists on the same piano called?
Piano duetChecked against:
A piece performed by two pianists performing together on the same piano is a " piano duet " or " piano four hands ".
Source: Wikipedia, pinned revisionPrint source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Duet?oldid=1364473217Which brass instruments use a slide instead of valves?
TrombonesChecked against:
Nearly all trombones use a telescoping slide mechanism to alter the pitch instead of the valves used by other brass instruments.
Source: Wikipedia, pinned revisionPrint source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trombone?oldid=1360776099Freddie Mercury is associated with which band?
QueenChecked against:
Queen roadie Peter Hince wrote "None of the band cared for him [Prenter], apart from Freddie", with Hince regarding Mercury's favouring of Prenter as an act of "misguided loyalty".
Source: Wikipedia, pinned revisionPrint source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Queen_(band)?oldid=1363286202#1980%E2%80%931982%3A_The_Game%2C_Hot_Space_and_stadium_toursWhich singer released the album 21?
AdeleChecked against:
21 is the second studio album by the English singer-songwriter Adele.
Source: Wikipedia, pinned revisionPrint source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/21_(Adele_album)?oldid=1365033642What instrument consists of a collection of percussion instruments arranged for one musician?
A drum kitChecked against:
A drum kit, acoustic drum kit or drum set (also known as a trap set or simply drums in popular music and jazz contexts) is a musical instrument consisting of a collection of percussion instruments arranged to be played by a single musician.
Source: Wikipedia, pinned revisionPrint source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drum_kit?oldid=1365098324Which composer wrote the Fifth Symphony whose opening is often described as da-da-da-dum?
Ludwig van BeethovenChecked against:
67 (occasionally known as the Fate Symphony, German: Schicksalssinfonie), is a symphony composed by Ludwig van Beethoven between 1804 and 1808.
Source: Wikipedia, pinned revisionPrint source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Symphony_No._5_(Beethoven)?oldid=1364875978What Italian dynamic marking means "soft"?
PianoChecked against:
Dynamic markings are always relative. p (piano – "soft") never indicates a precise level of loudness; it merely indicates that music in a passage so marked should be considerably quieter than f (forte – "loud").
Source: Wikipedia, pinned revisionPrint source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dynamics_(music)?oldid=1363925464#Purpose_and_interpretationBy which decade had compact discs gained a larger market share than records?
The 1980sChecked against:
By the 1980s, digital media, in the form of the compact disc (CD), had gained a larger market share, and the record left the mainstream in 1991.
Source: Wikipedia, pinned revisionPrint source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phonograph_record?oldid=1363388406#OverviewWhat genre grew from African American communities in New Orleans?
JazzChecked against:
Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
Source: Wikipedia, pinned revisionPrint source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jazz?oldid=1366037228Which U2 member has received 22 Grammy Awards?
BonoChecked against:
As a member of U2, Bono has received 22 Grammy Awards and has been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
Source: Wikipedia, pinned revisionPrint source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bono?oldid=1363616445What is Taylor Swift’s global fanbase called?
SwiftiesChecked against:
A subject of extensive media coverage, she has a global fanbase known as Swifties.
Source: Wikipedia, pinned revisionPrint source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taylor_Swift?oldid=1366009985What does a conductor use to guide an orchestra besides hand gestures?
A batonChecked against:
A baton is a stick that is used by conductors primarily to enlarge and enhance the manual and bodily movements associated with directing an ensemble of musicians.
Source: Wikipedia, pinned revisionPrint source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baton_(conducting)?oldid=1350406264Which instrument did Louis Armstrong famously play?
TrumpetChecked against:
In his early years, Armstrong was best known for his virtuosity with the cornet and trumpet.
Source: Wikipedia, pinned revisionPrint source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Louis_Armstrong?oldid=1365359824#Horn_playing_and_early_jazzWhen did five-line musical staves appear in Italy?
The 13th centuryChecked against:
Five-line staves appeared in Italy in the 13th century and it was promoted by Ugolino da Forlì; staves with four, five, and six lines were used as late as 1600.
Source: Wikipedia, pinned revisionPrint source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Staff_(music)?oldid=1365949333#HistoryWhich four musicians comprised the Beatles?
John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo StarrChecked against:
The band comprised John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr.
Source: Wikipedia, pinned revisionPrint source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Beatles?oldid=1365620680Which pop group included Ginger, Sporty, Posh, Scary, and Baby?
The Spice GirlsChecked against:
The Spice Girls were an English girl group, formed in 1994, consisting of Mel B ("Scary Spice"), Melanie C ("Sporty Spice"), Emma Bunton ("Baby Spice"), Geri Halliwell ("Ginger Spice"), and Victoria Beckham ("Posh Spice").
Source: Wikipedia, pinned revisionPrint source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spice_Girls?oldid=1365604517Why is a metronome useful to musicians?
Maintain a steady tempoChecked against:
Musicians - and others including dancers, athletes, and health professionals - often practise with a metronome to improve their timing, especially the ability to maintain a steady tempo with a regular beat or pulse.
Source: Wikipedia, pinned revisionPrint source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metronome?oldid=1362031250What is an album released after an artist’s death called?
A posthumous albumChecked against:
A posthumous album is an album released after an artist's death.
Source: Wikipedia, pinned revisionPrint source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Album?oldid=1365601226#Posthumous_albumWhich composer wrote The Four Seasons?
Antonio VivaldiChecked against:
The Four Seasons (Italian: Le quattro stagioni) is a group of four violin concerti by Italian composer Antonio Vivaldi, each of which gives musical expression to a season of the year.
Source: Wikipedia, pinned revisionPrint source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Four_Seasons_(Vivaldi)?oldid=1364836830Which woodwind instrument is usually made of metal and played with a single reed?
The saxophoneChecked against:
The saxophone (often referred to colloquially as the sax) is a type of single-reed woodwind instrument with a conical body, usually made of brass.
Source: Wikipedia, pinned revisionPrint source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saxophone?oldid=1363300049Which musical dynamic symbol opens to the right?
CrescendoChecked against:
A crescendo symbol consists of two lines that open to the right (); a decrescendo symbol starts open on the left and closes toward the right ().
Source: Wikipedia, pinned revisionPrint source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dynamics_(music)?oldid=1363925464#ChangesWho wrote and first recorded Jolene?
Dolly PartonChecked against:
" Jolene " is a song written and recorded by American country music artist Dolly Parton.
Source: Wikipedia, pinned revisionPrint source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jolene?oldid=1362915604Which country is strongly associated with the musical style reggae?
JamaicaChecked against:
Reggae is closely associated with Rastafari, an Afrocentric religion that emerged in Jamaica in the 1930s promoting pan-Africanism.
Source: Wikipedia, pinned revisionPrint source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reggae?oldid=1365962231#Cultural_connectionsHow does a cappella singing differ from accompanied singing?
Without any instrumental accompanimentChecked against:
Music performed a cappella (/ ˌ ɑː k ə ˈ p ɛ l ə / AH kə- PEL -ə, UK also / ˌ æ k ə ˈ p ɛ l ə / AK ə- PEL -ə; Italian: [a kkapˈpɛlla]; lit. ' in [the style of] the chapel '), less commonly spelled a capella in English, is music performed by a singer or a singing group without any instrumental accompaniment.
Source: Wikipedia, pinned revisionPrint source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_cappella?oldid=1365603117Which Fleetwood Mac album was released on 4 February 1977?
RumoursChecked against:
Rumours is the eleventh studio album by the British and American rock band Fleetwood Mac, released on 4 February 1977, by Warner Bros.
Source: Wikipedia, pinned revisionPrint source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rumours_(album)?oldid=1365838700Who composed the opera The Magic Flute?
Wolfgang Amadeus MozartChecked against:
(German: Die Zauberflöte, pronounced [diː ˈtsaʊbɐˌfløːtə] ⓘ), K. 620, is an opera in two acts by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart to a German libretto by Emanuel Schikaneder.
Source: Wikipedia, pinned revisionPrint source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Magic_Flute?oldid=1365787361What link do hip-hop DJs make by moving a record back and forth under a needle?
Percussive sounds and effectsChecked against:
In the 1970s, hip hop musicians and club DJs began to use this specialized turntable equipment to move the record back and forth, creating percussive sounds and effects–"scratching"–to entertain their dance floor audiences.
Source: Wikipedia, pinned revisionPrint source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scratching?oldid=1354392180#TurntablismWhich electronic instrument is played without physical contact by moving the hands near antennas?
The thereminChecked against:
The theremin (/ ˈ θ ɛr əm ɪ n /; originally known as the ætherphone, etherphone, thereminophone or termenvox / thereminvox) is an electronic musical instrument controlled without physical contact by the performer (who is known as a thereminist).
Source: Wikipedia, pinned revisionPrint source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theremin?oldid=1365072161What is the lowest standard adult male singing range?
BassChecked against:
A bass is a type of classical male singing voice and has the lowest vocal range of all voice types.
Source: Wikipedia, pinned revisionPrint source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bass_(voice_type)?oldid=1360000167Which composer continued writing music after becoming profoundly deaf?
BeethovenChecked against:
Although Beethoven's hearing loss did not prevent him from composing music, it made playing at concerts, an important source of income at this phase of his life, increasingly difficult.
Source: Wikipedia, pinned revisionPrint source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ludwig_van_Beethoven?oldid=1366046655#DeafnessHow many strings does the kokyu usually have?
ThreeChecked against:
It has three (or, more rarely, four) strings and is played upright, with a horsehair-strung bow bowing the strings.
Source: Wikipedia, pinned revisionPrint source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Koky%C5%AB?oldid=1353068207Where does the direction da capo tell a performer to resume?
From the beginningChecked against:
Da capo (/ d ɑː ˈ k ɑː p oʊ / dah KAH -poh, US also / d ə -/ də - , Italian: [da (k)ˈkaːpo]; often abbreviated as D.C.) is an Italian musical term that means "from the beginning" (literally, "from the head").
Source: Wikipedia, pinned revisionPrint source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Da_capo?oldid=1250876939What 1961 album of Robert Johnson recordings did Columbia release?
King of the Delta Blues SingersChecked against:
In 1961, Columbia released an album of Johnson's recordings titled King of the Delta Blues Singers, produced by legendary producer and music historian Frank Driggs.
Source: Wikipedia, pinned revisionPrint source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Johnson?oldid=1363801381What kind of dance is the waltz?
A ballroom and folk danceChecked against:
The waltz (from German Walzer [ˈvaltsɐ] ⓘ, meaning "to roll or revolve") is a ballroom and folk dance, in triple (3 4) time, performed primarily in closed position, originating from German-speaking regions of Europe in the 18th century.
Source: Wikipedia, pinned revisionPrint source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Waltz?oldid=1360223344Which instrument provides the opening solo in George Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue?
ClarinetChecked against:
The opening of Rhapsody in Blue is written as a clarinet trill followed by a legato, 17 notes in a diatonic scale.
Source: Wikipedia, pinned revisionPrint source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rhapsody_in_Blue?oldid=1361743493#Form_and_analysisWhat is a leitmotif in film or opera music?
Short, recurring musical phraseChecked against:
A leitmotif or Leitmotiv (/ ˌ l aɪ t m oʊ ˈ t iː f /) is a "short, recurring musical phrase " associated with a particular person, place, or idea.
Source: Wikipedia, pinned revisionPrint source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leitmotif?oldid=1365638282What themes do troubadour songs deal with mainly?
Chivalry and courtly loveChecked against:
The texts of troubadour songs deal mainly with themes of chivalry and courtly love.
Source: Wikipedia, pinned revisionPrint source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Troubadour?oldid=1361415168Under the A440 standard, how many hertz is the A above middle C?
440 HzChecked against:
A440 (also known as Stuttgart pitch) is the musical pitch corresponding to an audio frequency of 440 Hz, which serves as a tuning standard for the musical note of A above middle C, or A4 in scientific pitch notation.
Source: Wikipedia, pinned revisionPrint source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A440_(pitch_standard)?oldid=1364018345Which singer-songwriter released Fast Car as her debut single in 1988?
Tracy ChapmanChecked against:
"Fast Car" is a song by American singer-songwriter Tracy Chapman, released as her debut single on April 6, 1988, by Elektra Records.
Source: Wikipedia, pinned revisionPrint source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fast_Car?oldid=1365482441What musical term means a motif or phrase that persistently repeats in one voice?
OstinatoChecked against:
In music, an ostinato is a motif or phrase that persistently repeats in the same musical voice, frequently in the same pitch.
Source: Wikipedia, pinned revisionPrint source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ostinato?oldid=1354202678