Music Quiz

Question: Where is it thought that the banjo originated?

Answer: The banjo was probably brought to the New World by enslaved Africans. Variations on the banjo are found worldwide.

Question: In Greek mythology, from what was the first lyre constructed?

Answer: In Greek legend, the lyre was discovered when Hermes brushed against a turtle shell and heard its sinews vibrate. He gave the new instrument to Apollo in restitution for having stolen the god’s cows.

Question: Who was known as the "King of Swing"?

Answer: Jazz bandleader Benny Goodman was called "the King of Swing."

Question: What does the name "ukulele" mean in Hawaiian?

Answer: The name Ukulele means "jumping flea" in Hawaiian, a reference to the quick movements of the player’s fingers.

Question: Which of the following instruments does not employ valves to change pitch?

Answer: A standard trombone uses a slide to change pitch, although some trombonists can change pitch by changing the shape of their lips on the mouthpiece.

Question: What was the name of the Who’s second rock opera?

Answer: The Who’s second rock opera, Quadrophenia, was released in 1973. It was written by guitarist Pete Townshend.

Question: Which of these is not a true horn?

Answer: The English horn is the tenor member of the double-reed woodwind family of instruments. A true horn is in the brass family.

Question: Which of these bands was led by a singer from Africa?

Answer: Freddy Mercury, the lead singer for the British rock band Queen, was born in Zanzibar, now part of the African nation of Tanzania.

Question: What was Buddy Holly’s backup band called?

Answer: With the Crickets, Buddy Holly was a pioneer of rock music. He died in a plane crash in 1959.

Question: Which of these musical movements did Ludwig van Beethoven help introduce?

Answer: The composer of some of the most influential pieces of music ever written, Ludwig van Beethoven created a bridge between the 18th-century Classical period and the beginnings of Romanticism.