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Trivia: Musical Terms

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. Atonal and violent style used as a means of evoking heightened emotions and states of mind.






2. A quick 20th century dance written in double time.






3. A composition written for a solo instrument. The soloist plays the melody while the orchestra plays the accompaniment.






4. Repetition of a single tone.






5. The flats and sharps at the beginning of each staff line indicating the key of music the piece is to be played.






6. The distance in pitch between two notes.






7. The playing or singing the upper half of the vocal range. Also the highest voice in choral singing.






8. 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.






9. Music composed such that each note is used the same number of times.






10. The raising and lowering a pitch of an instrument to produce the correct tone of a note.






11. A form of music written for marching in two-step time. Originally the march was used for military processions.






12. Indicating speed.






13. The interval between two notes. Two whole tones and one semitone make up the distance between the two notes.






14. A loose collection of instrumental compositions.






15. Dull - monotonous tone such as a humming or buzzing sound. Also a bass note held under a melody.






16. A Boroque dance with a drone-bass.






17. A combination of two or more staves on which all the notes are vertically aligned and performed simultaneously in differing registers and instruments.






18. Eight full tones above the key note where the scale begins and ends.






19. Where the musical themes and melodies are developed - written in sonata form.






20. A repeated phrase.






21. A book of text containing the words of an opera.






22. A short piano piece - often improvisational and intimate in character.






23. 3 or 4 notes played simultaneously in harmony.






24. The highest female voice.






25. Two notes that differ in name only. The notes occupy the same position.For example: C sharp and D flat.






26. Creating variation pitch in a note by quickly alternating between notes.






27. A 19th century square dance written for 4 couples.






28. A composition whose style is simple and idyllic; suggestive of rural scenes.






29. A piece of music written in triple time. Also an old French dance.






30. A song or hymn celebrating Christmas.






31. Three note chords consisting of a root - third - and fifth.






32. When several strings are tuned to harmonically related pitches - all strings vibrate when only one of the strings is struck.






33. In sheet music - a symbol at the beginning of the staff defining the pitch of the notes found in that particular staff.






34. 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.






35. Music that is written and performed without regard to any specific key.






36. Pertains to tone or tones.






37. A set of four musicians who perform a composition written for four parts.






38. A quick - improvisational - spirited piece of music.






39. Primary theme or subject that is developed.






40. Pertains to tone or tones.






41. A hymn sung by the choir and congregation often in unison.






42. The highest female voice.






43. A direction in sheet music indicating the tempo is to be very fast.






44. A mild glissando between two notes for an expressive effect.






45. A solo concert with or without accompaniment.






46. Piece of instrumental music played between scenes in a play or opera.






47. Music written to be sung or played in unison.






48. Eight full tones above the key note where the scale begins and ends.






49. A canon where the melody is sung in two or more voices. After the first voice begins - the next voice starts singing after a couple of measures are played in the preceding voice. All parts repeat continuously.






50. A combination of two or more staves on which all the notes are vertically aligned and performed simultaneously in differing registers and instruments.