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Seven days of questions and answers

Music Trivia Answers Archive

Review earlier daily rounds, reveal the correct answer, and use the short explanation to learn the fact behind each question. Page 1 of 12 covers seven completed UTC days.

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Daily round

  1. Where does the clarinet reed vibrate?

    Answer: against its mouthpiece

    A clarinet reed vibrates against its mouthpiece.

  2. What is unaccompanied vocal music called?

    Answer: A cappella

    A cappella is the vocal performance without instrumental accompaniment.

  3. What is the violin’s usual tuning from lowest to highest?

    Answer: G, D, A, and E

    Its strings are commonly tuned G, D, A, and E.

  4. What rhythmic technique accents normally weak beats or offbeats?

    Answer: Syncopation

    Syncopation is the accenting notes where emphasis is not normally expected.

  5. What unit appears on a metronome setting?

    Answer: beats per minute

    Metronome speed is measured in beats per minute.

Daily round

  1. How does allegro’s typical tempo compare with adagio?

    Answer: faster

    It is faster than adagio in ordinary usage.

  2. Does an orchestral flute use a reed?

    Answer: No

    An orchestral flute makes sound when air crosses its embouchure hole, without a reed.

  3. Which letter represents piano in a score?

    Answer: p

    The standard dynamic symbol for piano is p.

  4. What handheld tool may make those gestures easier to see?

    Answer: a baton

    A baton may make hand movements easier to see.

  5. How should piano be interpreted as a dynamic instruction?

    Answer: as a context-relative soft level

    The dynamic piano asks for a soft level judged in relation to the surrounding music.

Daily round

  1. What do a trumpet’s valves change when pressed?

    Answer: the effective length of its tubing

    Pressing trumpet valves reroutes air through extra tubing and changes the instrument’s sounding pitch.

  2. Which voice part sits immediately below soprano?

    Answer: alto

    It sits above alto in a typical SATB choir.

  3. What does the sustain pedal do?

    Answer: lets notes continue sounding

    Its sustain pedal lets notes continue sounding.

  4. What mechanism commonly adjusts a timpano’s head tension?

    Answer: a pedal

    A pedal commonly adjusts timpani head tension.

  5. What material is named by the Greek root xylon in xylophone?

    Answer: wood

    The name xylophone combines Greek roots referring to wood and sound.

Daily round

  1. What kind of beaters do timpani players use?

    Answer: specialized mallets

    Players use specialized mallets.

  2. From which language does adagio come?

    Answer: the Italian language

    The tempo word adagio comes from Italian.

  3. How many letter-name notes does an octave span?

    Answer: eight

    An octave spans eight letter-name notes.

  4. Which two saxophone sizes are especially common?

    Answer: alto and tenor

    Alto and tenor are common sizes.

  5. What regular framework supports rhythmic patterns?

    Answer: a pulse or beat

    Rhythm operates within a pulse or beat.

Daily round

  1. Which clef normally notates a modern soprano choral part?

    Answer: treble clef

    Modern soprano choral parts are normally written in treble clef.

  2. Which practice device produces evenly spaced beats?

    Answer: Metronome

    Metronome is the device that produces evenly spaced beats.

  3. Which clef normally notates a modern bass choral part?

    Answer: bass clef

    Modern bass choral parts are normally written in bass clef.

  4. Which clef is normally used for higher-pitched staff notation?

    Answer: Treble clef

    Treble clef is the clef commonly used for higher-pitched notation.

  5. Which orchestral drums have bowl-shaped bodies and adjustable pitch?

    Answer: Timpani

    Timpani is the large bowl-shaped drums with adjustable pitch.

Daily round

  1. Which staff line sits between the bass clef’s two dots?

    Answer: the fourth staff line

    The bass clef dots surround the fourth staff line.

  2. Which bowed instrument is held upright between the knees?

    Answer: Cello

    Cello is the large bowed instrument held upright between the knees.

  3. What alternate name does the bass clef take from its reference note?

    Answer: F clef

    The bass clef is also called the F clef because its dots surround the staff’s F line.

  4. How many different pitch classes form a basic triad?

    Answer: three

    A basic triad contains three different pitch classes.

  5. Which instrument family was patented by Adolphe Sax?

    Answer: Saxophone

    Saxophone is the conical instrument patented by Adolphe Sax.

Daily round

  1. What handheld tool may make those gestures easier to see?

    Answer: a baton

    A baton may make hand movements easier to see.

  2. What is an organized line of pitches heard as a tune?

    Answer: Melody

    Melody is the organized succession of pitches heard as a tune.

  3. What alternate name does the bass clef take from its reference note?

    Answer: F clef

    The bass clef is also called the F clef because its dots surround the staff’s F line.

  4. Which instrument family was patented by Adolphe Sax?

    Answer: Saxophone

    Saxophone is the conical instrument patented by Adolphe Sax.

  5. Which orchestral leader commonly coordinates the string section’s bowing?

    Answer: the concertmaster

    The concertmaster works with the conductor and string principals to coordinate bowing decisions.