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Test your basic knowledge |
Trivia: Musical Terms
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Subject
:
trivia
Instructions:
Answer 50 questions in 15 minutes.
If you are not ready to take this test, you can
study here
.
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. A direction in sheet music indicating the tempo is to be very fast.
Modulation
Operetta
Presto
Major
2. A composition written for a solo instrument. The soloist plays the melody while the orchestra plays the accompaniment.
Concerto
Key signature
Chamber music
Consonance
3. Primary theme or subject that is developed.
Motif
Interval
Serenade
Gregorian Chant
4. A symbol in sheet music a direction to play energetically.
Pizzicato
Intonation
Parody
Energico
5. The expression the performer brings when playing his instrument.
Interpretation
Voice
Canon
Classical
6. A successive transposition and repetition of a phrase at different pitches.
Sequence
Staff
Orchestra
Nocturne
7. Two or three melodic lines played at the same time.
Triple time
Mezzo
Portamento
Counterpoint
8. First developed in the 8th century - methods of writing music.
Falsetto
Notation
Tonal
Tone
9. Two or three melodic lines played at the same time.
Musicology
Song cycle
Espressivo
Counterpoint
10. A numeric symbol in sheet music determining the number of beats to a measure.
Dissonance
Cantata
Time Signature
Progression
11. A reprise.
Recapitulation
Measure
Concerto
Cantabile
12. Suite of Baroque dances.
Voice
Partial
Partita
Fourth
13. The raising and lowering a pitch of an instrument to produce the correct tone of a note.
Fifth
Tuning
Accessible
Unison
14. Piece of instrumental music played between scenes in a play or opera.
Development
Interlude
Quartet
Tessitura
15. A period in history dating from the 14th to 16th centuries. This period signified the rebirth of music - art - and literature.
Quintet
Quartet
Renaissance
Hymn
16. The structure of a piece of music.
System
Stretto
Form
Galliard
17. In sheet music - an instruction to repeat the beginning of the piece before stopping on the final chord.
Cantabile
Da Capo
Homophony
Overture
18. A 17th century dance written in Quadruple time - always beginning on the third beat of the measure.
Scordatura
Rubato
Gavotte
Consonance
19. Singing in unison - texts in a free rhythm. Similar to the rhythm of speech.
Intonation
Tritone
Chant
Opera
20. A short piano piece - often improvisational and intimate in character.
Capriccio
Polyphony
Chorale
Impromptu
21. 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.
Polyphony
Prelude
Scordatura
Encore
22. An instrumental lament with praise for the dead.
Modulation
Carol
Elegy
Ostinato
23. The intonation - pitch - and modulation of a composition expressing the meaning - feeling - or attitude of the music.
Interpretation
Cavatina
Instrumentation
Tone
24. The unit of musical rhythm.
Tune
Counterpoint
Beat
Chamber music
25. The unit of measure where the beats on the lines of the staff are divided up into two - three - four beats to a measure.
Round
Measure
Monotone
Fermata
26. Atonal and violent style used as a means of evoking heightened emotions and states of mind.
Triad
Expressionism
Piano
Cantabile
27. An extended solo - often accompanying the vocal part of an aria.
Tempo
Tremolo
Obbligato
Septet
28. Combination of two or more keys being played at the same time.
Sonata form
Polytonality
Nonet
Intermezzo
29. A musical scale having five notes.For example: the five black keys of a keyboard make up a pentatonic scale.
Pentatonic Scale
Accessible
Klangfarbenmelodie
Major
30. The seventh note of the scale where there is a strong desire to resolve on the tonic.
Form
Tonality
Leading note
Quartet
31. Short detached notes - as opposed to legato.
Musicology
Tremolo
Staccato
Cantata
32. Three notes played in the same amount of time as one or two beats.
Triplet
Natural
Dynamics
String Quartet
33. Where the musical themes and melodies are developed - written in sonata form.
Chant
Sharp
Development
Beat
34. A separate section of a larger composition.
Movement
Presto
Legato
Homophony
35. A melodic or - sometimes a harmonic idea presented in a musical form.
Tone less
Theme
Chorus
Sextet
36. A whole note is equal to 2 half notes - 4 quarter notes - 8 eighth notes - etc.
Stretto
Whole note
Courante
Trio
37. 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.
Partial
Orchestration
Sonata
Recitative
38. Three to four movement orchestral piece - generally in sonata form.
Stretto
Fifth
Symphony
Relative pitch
39. Movement in music where the characteristics are crisp and direct.
Root
Nocturne
Scale
Neoclassical
40. The study of forms - history - science - and methods of music.
Tune
Stretto
Serenade
Musicology
41. Either of the two octave arrangements in modern music. The modes are either major or minor.
Tonality
Modes
Monotone
Refrain
42. 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.
String Quartet
Monotone
Encore
Canon
43. A piece of music written for two vocalists or instrumentalists.
Dissonance
Ligature
Duet
Staff
44. The first tone of a scale also known as a keynote.
Chorus
Tonic
Contralto
Ensemble
45. A large group of instrumentalists playing together.
Recital
Orchestra
Polytonality
Contralto
46. Music that is easy to listen to and understand.
Leitmotif
Harmony
Energico
Accessible
47. The first violin in an orchestra.
Reprise
Expressionism
Recapitulation
Concert master
48. The major and minor keys that share the same notes in that key.For example: A minor shares the same note as C major.
Resonance
Flat
Rondo
Relative major and minor
49. Sliding between two notes.
Glissando
Ensemble
Tonal
Cantata
50. Rapid alternation between notes that are a half tone or whole tone apart.
Rubato
Pentatonic Scale
Trill
Cantata