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Test your basic knowledge |
Trivia: Musical Terms
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Subject
:
trivia
Instructions:
Answer 50 questions in 15 minutes.
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Match each statement with the correct term.
Don't refresh. All questions and answers are randomly picked and ordered every time you load a test.
This is a study tool. The 3 wrong answers for each question are randomly chosen from answers to other questions. So, you might find at times the answers obvious, but you will see it re-enforces your understanding as you take the test each time.
1. The period of music history which dates from the mid 1800's and lasted about sixty years. There was a strong regard for order and balance.
Quadrille
Root
Overture
Classicism
2. A song or hymn celebrating Christmas.
Romantic
Dissonance
Carol
Suite
3. A short piece originally preceded by a more substantial work - also an orchestral introduction to opera - however not lengthy enough to be considered an overture.
Nocturne
Prelude
Tempo
Coda
4. The voice between soprano and alto. Also - in sheet music - a direction for the tempo to be played at medium speed.
Mezzo
Voice
Consonance
Drone
5. Time in music history ranging from the middle of the 16th to the middle of the 17th centuries. Characterized by emotional - flowery music; written in strict form.
Baroque
Obbligato
Chromatic scale
Interpretation
6. Primary theme or subject that is developed.
Beat
Motif
Intermezzo
Prelude
7. A tempo having slow movement; restful at ease.
Overture
Adagio
Triad
Rondo
8. A symbol in sheet music that returns a note to its original pitch after it has been augmented or diminished.
Waltz
Natural
Operetta
Quadrille
9. Eight full tones above the key note where the scale begins and ends.
Flat
Renaissance
Quintet
Octave
10. A symbol in sheet music a direction to play energetically.
Falsetto
Energico
Pastoral
Measure
11. A musical style characterized as excessive - ornamental - and trivial.
Rococo
Tablature
Orchestration
Cadenza
12. A single line of music played or sung. A musical sentence.
Clavier
Capriccio
Minuet
Phrase
13. A 17th century dance written in Quadruple time - always beginning on the third beat of the measure.
Grandioso
Progression
Gavotte
Grandioso
14. An important characteristic of the Romantic period. It is a style where the strict tempo is temporarily abandoned for a more emotional tone.
Medley
Rubato
A cappella
Staff
15. A musical form where the melody or tune is imitated by individual parts at regular intervals. The individual parts may enter at different measures and pitches. The tune may also be played at different speeds - backwards - or inverted.
Verismo
Song cycle
Canon
Sextet
16. Made up of five horizontal parallel lines and the spaces between them on which musical notation is written.
Rococo
Staff
Operetta
Development
17. The piece of cane in wind instruments. The players cause vibrations by blowing through it in order to produce sound.
Chord progression
Cantabile
Reed
Impromptu
18. String instruments that are picked instead of bowed.
Refrain
Coda
Pizzicato
Septet
19. A contrapuntal song written for at least three voices - usually without accompaniment.
Fugue
Grazioso
Madrigal
Key
20. Lowest female singing voice.
Glissando
Libretto
Contralto
Dynamics
21. The period of music history which dates from the mid 1700's to mid 1800's. The music was spare and emotionally reserved - especially when compared to Romantic and Boroque music.
Classical
Expressionism
Rondo
Overture
22. An instruction in sheet music to play softly. Abbreviated by a 'p'.
Courante
Polytonality
Key
Piano
23. Male singers who were castrated to preserve their alto and soprano vocal range.
Theme
Castrato
Choir
Scale
24. A direction to play lively and fast.
Drone
Mezzo
Polytonality
Allegro
25. Music written for chorus and orchestra. Most often religious in nature.
Grandioso
Phrase
Classicism
Cantata
26. A repeating phrase that is played at the end of each verse in the song.
Intonation
Etude
Refrain
Staccato
27. A song of praise and glorification. Most often to honor God.
Drone
Verismo
Chord progression
Hymn
28. A book of text containing the words of an opera.
Classicism
Neoclassical
Tonic
Libretto
29. Word to indicate that the movement or entire composition is to be played smoothly.
Refrain
Legato
Pastoral
Minuet
30. Either of the two octave arrangements in modern music. The modes are either major or minor.
Modes
Orchestration
Overture
Ostinato
31. Three to four movement orchestral piece - generally in sonata form.
Waltz
Symphony
Polytonality
Serenade
32. The voice between soprano and alto. Also - in sheet music - a direction for the tempo to be played at medium speed.
Fifth
Deceptive cadence
Pizzicato
Mezzo
33. Word to indicate that the movement or entire composition is to be played grandly.
Pitch
Grandioso
Carol
Tune
34. Music of a particular form consisting of four movements. Each of the movements differ in tempo - rhythm - and melody; but are held together by subject and style.
Sonata
Accessible
Classicism
Octet
35. A repeated phrase.
Rubato
Espressivo
Ostinato
Pentatonic Scale
36. A set of five musicians who perform a composition written for five parts.
Elegy
Tessitura
Accessible
Quintet
37. A musical scale having five notes.For example: the five black keys of a keyboard make up a pentatonic scale.
Rhythm
Notation
Pizzicato
Pentatonic Scale
38. Atonal and violent style used as a means of evoking heightened emotions and states of mind.
Recital
Expressionism
Obbligato
Tutti
39. Combining a number of individual but harmonizing melodies. Also known as counterpoint.
Overture
Clavier
Polyphony
Beat
40. A period in history dating from the 14th to 16th centuries. This period signified the rebirth of music - art - and literature.
Form
Pentatonic Scale
Scale
Renaissance
41. A musical scale having five notes.For example: the five black keys of a keyboard make up a pentatonic scale.
Measure
Intermezzo
Introduction
Pentatonic Scale
42. A set of six musicians who perform a composition written for six parts.
Vibrato
Scherzo
Pastoral
Sextet
43. The frequency of a note determining how high or low it sounds.
Pitch
Phrase
Renaissance
Natural
44. Quick repetition of the same note or the rapid alternation between two notes.
Clef
Tremolo
Piano
Tessitura
45. A composition written for three to six voices. Beginning with the exposition - each voice enters at different times - creating counterpoint with one another.
Whole note
Minor
Fugue
Slur
46. Singing in unison - texts in a free rhythm. Similar to the rhythm of speech.
Chant
Soprano
Oratorio
Round
47. Introduction to an opera or other large musical work.
Clef
Root
Overture
Coda
48. The opening section of a piece of music or movement.
Counterpoint
Introduction
Septet
Dynamics
49. The interval between two notes. Two whole tones and one semitone make up the distance between the two notes.
Orchestration
Romantic
Gavotte
Fourth
50. Arrangement of music for a combined number of instruments.
Instrumentation
Deceptive cadence
Ornaments
Portamento