Skip to main content
Array of instruments (violin, piano, trumpet, flute, harp, drum, maracas, guitar) around a golden treble clef
Photo: QuizFury
MusicEasy

Musical Instruments

A standard piano has 88 keys across 7 octaves. Adolphe Sax, a Belgian instrument maker, patented the saxophone in Paris in 1846. The oboe uses a double reed, the clarinet a single one. 10 questions on instruments.

15

Questions

2

Minutes

Tip: Use keys 1-4 to answer quickly

The 15 quiz questions

Question 1 : How many keys does a standard piano have?

Possible answers:

  • 76 touches
  • 88 touches
  • 96 touches
  • 108 touches

Explanation: A standard piano has 88 keys: 52 white and 36 black, covering more than 7 octaves.

Question 2 : How many strings does a violin have?

Possible answers:

  • 3 strings
  • 4 strings
  • 5 strings
  • 6 strings

Explanation: The violin has 4 strings tuned in fifths: G, D, A, E (from lowest to highest).

Question 3 : Who invented the saxophone?

Possible answers:

  • Antonio Stradivari
  • Johann Sebastian Bach
  • Adolphe Sax
  • Bartolomeo Cristofori

Explanation: Adolphe Sax, a Belgian instrument maker, patented the saxophone in 1846 in Paris.

Question 4 : Which wind instrument uses a double reed?

Possible answers:

  • The oboe
  • The saxophone
  • The clarinet
  • The flute

Explanation: The oboe uses a double reed (two pieces of cane), unlike the clarinet which has only one.

Question 5 : Which drum kit element produces the lowest sound?

Possible answers:

  • The toms
  • The cymbals
  • The snare drum
  • The bass drum

Explanation: The bass drum is the largest drum in a drum kit and produces the deepest sounds, operated by a foot pedal.

Question 6 : How many strings does a concert harp typically have?

Possible answers:

  • 36 cordes
  • 47 cordes
  • 54 cordes
  • 62 cordes

Explanation: The modern concert harp has 47 strings, covering 6 and a half octaves, with a system of 7 pedals for accidentals.

Question 7 : How many strings does a standard classical guitar have?

Possible answers:

  • 4 cordes
  • 6 cordes
  • 8 cordes
  • 12 cordes

Explanation: A classical guitar has 6 strings: nylon (3 treble) and wound metal (3 bass), tuned E-A-D-G-B-E.

Question 8 : Which percussion instrument is made of wooden bars?

Possible answers:

  • The xylophone
  • The glockenspiel
  • The vibraphone
  • The marimba

Explanation: The xylophone has wooden bars struck with mallets, unlike the vibraphone which has metal bars.

Question 9 : What material is a professional flute typically made of?

Possible answers:

  • Argent
  • Acier
  • Bois
  • Cuivre

Explanation: Professional concert flutes are made of solid silver or gold. Student models are made of silver-plated nickel silver.

Question 10 : From which country does the sitar, a famous stringed instrument, come?

Possible answers:

  • Turquie
  • Inde
  • Iran
  • Chine

Explanation: The sitar is a plucked string instrument from India, made famous in the West by Ravi Shankar.

Question 11 : From which region of the world does the djembe originate?

Possible answers:

  • South America
  • Afrique de l'Ouest
  • Europe de l'Est
  • Asie du Sud-Est

Explanation: The djembe is a percussion instrument originating from West Africa, particularly Mali, Guinea, and Senegal.

Question 12 : Which Scottish wind instrument uses an inflatable bag?

Possible answers:

  • The biniou
  • The bombarde
  • The bagpipe
  • The fife

Explanation: The bagpipe uses a leather bag filled with air, a musical symbol of Scotland.

Question 13 : What are the different sets of pipes in an organ called?

Possible answers:

  • The keyboards
  • The pedals
  • The registers
  • The bellows

Explanation: Stops are sets of pipes that produce different timbres. The organist selects them via drawknobs or buttons.

Question 14 : What is the lowest-pitched instrument in the violin family?

Possible answers:

  • The double bass
  • The cello
  • The viola da gamba
  • The viola

Explanation: The double bass is the largest and lowest-pitched bowed string instrument in the orchestra.

Question 15 : From which country does the ukulele originate?

Possible answers:

  • Hawaï (États-Unis)
  • Japon
  • Portugal
  • Tahiti (France)

Explanation: The ukulele was born in Hawaii in the late 19th century, inspired by a Portuguese instrument called the "braguinha" brought by immigrants.

This quiz has been played 1 times