Quiz 1 Elements of Music

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Question #1

A gradual increase in loudness is known as a

A fortissimo.

B diminuendo.

C decrescendo.

D crescendo.

Question #2

A cadence is

A a resting place at the end of a phrase.

B a melody that serves as the starting point for a more extended piece of music.

C the repetition of a melodic pattern at a higher or lower pitch.

D the emotional focal point of a melody.

Question #3

The distance between a melody’s lowest and highest tones is known as its

A cadence.

B range.

C sequence.

D rhythm.

Question #4

Melody may be defined as

A a resting place at the end of a phrase.

B an emotional focal point in a tune.

C the organization of beats into regular groupings.

D a series of single notes which add up to a recognizable whole.

Question #5

In music, a sound that has a definite pitch is called a

A tone.

B dynamic accent.

C noise.

D sound.

Question #6

Western music uses ____________ letters of the alphabet to indicate pitch.

A the last three

B the first five

C the first seven

D a wide variety

Question #7

The first, or stressed, beat of a measure is known as the

A head.

B downbeat.

C intro.

D upbeat.

Question #8

The ________ is a regular, recurrent pulsation that divides music into equal units of time.

A tempo

B syncopation

C beat

D rhythm

Question #9

The frequency of vibrations is measured in

A dynamic levels.

B cycles per second.

C noiselike sounds.

D cycles per minute.

Question #10

MIDI is a

A standard adopted by manufacturers for interfacing synthesizer equipment.

B technology based on representing data in terms of measurable physical quantities.

C technology based on placing brief digital recordings of live sounds under the control of a synthesizer keyboard.

D technology based on representing physical quantities as numbers.

Question #11

Synthesizers

A can usually be played by means of a keyboard.

B allow the composer complete control over pitch, tone color, dynamics, and duration.

C can generate a huge variety of musical sounds and noises.

D All answers are correct.

Question #12

The _______ is a keyboard instrument that uses vibrating air columns to produce sound.

A accordion

B pipe organ

C piano

D harpsichord

Question #13

An organist controls various sets of pipes by pulling knobs called

A stops.

B pipes.

C valves.

D bellows.

Question #14

The _________ has strings that are plucked by a set of plastic, leather, or quill wedges.

A piano

B harpsichord

C organ

D accordion

Question #15

Brass instruments did not acquire valves until the ____________________ century.

A middle of the 19th

B end of the 19th

C middle of the 18th

D end of the 18th

Question #16

Pitch is defined as

A leaning on a musical note.

B the relative highness or lowness that we hear in a sound.

C the quality that distinguishes musical sounds.

D the degree of loudness or softness in music.

Question #17

The saxophone is a

A double-mouthpiece brass instrument.

B single-reed woodwind instrument.

C brass instrument.

D double-reed woodwind instrument.

Question #18

A thin piece of cane, used singly or in pairs by woodwind players, is called a

A mute.

B double stop.

C mouthpiece.

D reed.

Question #19

The lowest woodwind instrument in the orchestra is the

A contrabassoon.

B double bass.

C tuba.

D piccolo flute.

Question #20

The very high-pitched tones that are produced when a string player lightly touches certain points on a string are called

A harmonics.

B vibrato.

C pizzicato.

D tremolo.

Question #21

Pizzicato is an indication to the performer to

A pluck the string with the finger instead of using the bow.

B repeat tones by quick up-and-down strokes of the bow.

C veil or muffle the tone by fitting a clamp onto the bridge.

D draw the bow across two strings at the same time.

Question #22

A part of an instrument’s total range.

B playing two or more notes at the same time.

C the number of reeds an instrument uses.

D the instrument manufacturer’s brand name.

Question #23

Tone color is synonymous with

A timbre.

B sound.

C dynamic accent.

D amplitude.

Question #24

A gradual decrease in loudness is known as a

A fortissimo.

B diminuendo.

C crescendo.

D ritardando.

Question #25

A gradual increase in loudness is known as a

A fortissimo.

B diminuendo.

C crescendo.

D decrescendo.

Question #26

When a performer emphasizes a tone by playing it more loudly than the tones around it, it is called a

A crescendo.

B dynamic accent.

C blooper.

D pianissimo.

Question #27

Dynamics in music refer to

A the relative highness or lowness we hear in a sound.

B an exemplary performance.

C the quality that distinguishes musical sounds.

D the degree of loudness and softness.

Question #28

We know little about the music of very ancient civilizations because

A it is too difficult to be played today.

B it was too primitive to interest later generations.

C hardly any notated music has survived from these cultures.

D there probably was almost none.

Question #29

Changes in musical style from one historical period to the next are usually

A recognizable only by scholars and professional musicians.

B continuous.

C lost to history.

D very abrupt.

Question #30

Three-part form can be represented as

A A A B.

B A B A.

C All answers are correct.

D A B C.

Question #31

A composition that alternates often between soft and loud dynamics can be said to be high in

A contrast.

B cadence.

C repetition.

D form.

Question #32

Forward motion, conflict, and change of mood are produced through

A contrast.

B dynamics.

C repetition.

D homogeneity.

Question #33

Repetition is a technique widely used in music because it

A All answers are correct.

B creates a sense of unity.

C helps engrave a melody in the memory.

D provides a feeling of balance and symmetry.

Question #34

The organization of musical ideas in time is called

A variation.

B repetition.

C ternary.

D form.

Question #35

The interval that occurs when two different tones blend so well when sounded together that they seem to merge into one tone, is called a(n)

A dynamic accent.

B pitch range.

C interval.

D octave.

Question #36

The technique of combining several melodic lines into a meaningful whole is called

A imitation.

B unison.

C counterpoint.

D texture.

Question #37

Performance of a single melodic line by more than one instrument or voice is described as playing or singing in

A counterpoint.

B imitation.

C harmony.

D unison.

Question #38

Modulation refers to

A a shift from one key to another within the same composition.

B an independence from major or minor scales.

C the sharp or flat signs immediately following the clef sign at the beginning of the staff of a musical composition.

D the central tone of a musical composition.

Question #39

If a pitch vibrates at 880 cycles, the octave below would vibrate at ____ cycles.

A 440

B 660

C 220

D 1760

Question #40

In traditional western music, the __________ is the smallest interval between successive tones of a scale.

A half step

B whole step

C quarter step

D octave

Question #41

Tonality is another term for

A chromaticism.

B modulation

C key.

D scale

Question #42

Key refers to

A a central tone, scale, and chord.

B a musical symbol placed at the beginning of the staff.

C the major scale.

D any twelve random pitches.

Question #43

The dominant chord is the triad built on the _________ step of the scale.

A first

B fifth

C second

D fourth

Question #44

The distance in pitch between any two tones is called

A dynamic accent.

B timbre.

C an interval.

D duration.

Question #45

The simplest, most basic chord used in western music is the

A triad.

B consonance.

C dyad.

D dissonance.

Question #46

A consonance is a combination of tones that

A is considered stable and restful.

B form a melody.

C is considered unstable and tense.

D are sounded one after the other.

Question #47

A chord is a

A series of individual tones heard one after another.

B pattern of accents used in music.

C resting point at the end of a phrase.

D combination of three or more tones sounded at once.

Question #48

A sequence may be defined as

A a resting place at the end of a phrase.

B a part of a melody.

C the repetition of a melodic pattern at a higher or lower pitch.

D the emotional focal point of a melody.

Question #49

A tone in music is a sound that

A has a definite pitch.

B is pleasing to the ear.

C has an indefinite pitch.

D is produced by irregular vibrations.

Question #50

Music can be defined as

A an art based on the organization of sounds in time.

B sounds produced by musical instruments.

C a system of symbols that performers learn to read.

D sounds that are pleasing, as opposed to noise.

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Quiz 1 Elements of Music

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