TierBrain

Music Quiz Questions and Answers

These music questions range across genres and eras: instruments and how orchestras are organised, classical composers and their best-known works, and the pop and rock acts that defined their decades.

180 questions · four difficulty tiers · free to play, no sign-up

Easy Medium Hard Legends
Play the Music quiz 180 questions · climb four tiers · free, no sign-up

Easy questions 45

  1. Which brass instrument is the largest, with the lowest pitch? Tuba
  2. Which instrument family includes the violin, cello and double bass? Strings
  3. Which singer is widely known as the 'Queen of Pop'? Madonna
  4. A large group of classical musicians led by a conductor is called an…? Orchestra
  5. Which Beatle wrote and performed 'Imagine' as a solo artist? John Lennon
  6. Which instrument has 88 keys? The piano
  7. How many strings does a standard guitar have? Six
  8. Which band released the album 'Abbey Road'? The Beatles
  9. Who is known as the 'King of Pop'? Michael Jackson
  10. A large group of musicians led by a conductor is called an…? Orchestra
  11. Which of these is a percussion instrument? Drums
  12. Which singer is called the 'Queen of Pop'? Madonna
  13. What is the name for the words of a song? Lyrics
  14. Which family does the violin belong to? Strings
  15. Elvis Presley is known as the King of…? Rock and Roll
  16. How many musicians are in a quartet? Four
  17. Which British band sang 'Bohemian Rhapsody'? Queen
  18. What do you call the person who leads an orchestra? A conductor
  19. Which instrument has a bag and pipes and is linked with Scotland? The bagpipes
  20. A song performed by one person alone is called a…? Solo
  21. Which instrument has black and white keys? The piano
  22. The Spice Girls were a famous pop group from which country? England
  23. Which of these is a brass instrument? The trumpet
  24. The catchy, repeated part of a song is the…? Chorus
  25. How many strings does a standard violin have? Four
  26. Which singer is known as the 'Queen of Soul'? Aretha Franklin
  27. Drums are usually played with…? Drumsticks
  28. Which band were nicknamed the 'Fab Four'? The Beatles
  29. A duet is performed by how many people? Two
  30. Which pop star sang 'Thriller'? Michael Jackson
  31. What do you call the symbols written on a musical staff? Notes
  32. The pop group ABBA came from which country? Sweden
  33. Which large keyboard instrument has pipes and is often found in churches? The organ
  34. Which Italian word tells musicians to play loudly? Forte
  35. Which Italian word tells musicians to play softly? Piano
  36. Which band member usually keeps the beat? The drummer
  37. What is a traditional Christmas song called? A carol
  38. Which US city is regarded as the home of country music? Nashville
  39. Which of these is a woodwind instrument? The flute
  40. Hip-hop is built around a vocal style called…? Rapping
  41. What is the highest female singing voice called? Soprano
  42. What is the lowest male singing voice called? Bass
  43. Which is the largest instrument in the orchestral string family? The double bass
  44. A live event where bands or artists perform is called a…? Concert
  45. Which of these instruments is plucked or strummed? The guitar

Medium questions 45

  1. Which composer wrote the 'Moonlight Sonata'? Beethoven
  2. Which band performed 'Bohemian Rhapsody'? Queen
  3. Which American singer was known as the 'Queen of Soul'? Aretha Franklin
  4. How many lines make up a standard musical staff (stave)? Five
  5. Which Swedish group recorded 'Dancing Queen' and 'Mamma Mia'? ABBA
  6. Who composed 'The Four Seasons'? Antonio Vivaldi
  7. 'Smells Like Teen Spirit' was a hit for which band? Nirvana
  8. Which instrument did Jimi Hendrix famously play? The guitar
  9. What nationality was the composer Mozart? Austrian
  10. Which decade is most associated with the peak of disco? The 1970s
  11. Bob Marley is most associated with which genre? Reggae
  12. How many lines are there in a standard musical staff? Five
  13. Which band's frontman was Freddie Mercury? Queen
  14. Who composed the opera 'The Magic Flute'? Mozart
  15. What does the Italian term 'allegro' mean? Fast and lively
  16. Which English city are The Beatles from? Liverpool
  17. Who composed the ballet 'Swan Lake'? Tchaikovsky
  18. Three or more notes sounded together form a…? Chord
  19. Which instrument family does the trumpet belong to? Brass
  20. 'Stairway to Heaven' is by which band? Led Zeppelin
  21. Which American rock singer is nicknamed 'The Boss'? Bruce Springsteen
  22. What does 'tempo' refer to in music? The speed
  23. The blues genre originated among African American communities in which country? The United States
  24. Which singer released the albums '21' and '25'? Adele
  25. Beethoven was famously afflicted by what later in life? Deafness
  26. What is the term for gradually getting louder? Crescendo
  27. Which instrument is Yo-Yo Ma renowned for? The cello
  28. The 'grunge' genre emerged from which US city in the early 1990s? Seattle
  29. Who composed the opera 'Carmen'? Georges Bizet
  30. How many distinct notes are in a major scale (before the octave repeats)? Seven
  31. Which Beatle wrote and performed the solo song 'Imagine'? John Lennon
  32. What is the symbol that sets the pitch at the start of a staff? A clef
  33. Which instrument is large, triangular, golden and plucked? The harp
  34. 'Hotel California' is a song by which band? The Eagles
  35. What is the Italian term for smoothly connected notes? Legato
  36. Which legendary 1969 music festival was held in New York state? Woodstock
  37. Whitney Houston's huge hit 'I Will Always Love You' was written by which country star? Dolly Parton
  38. What does 'a cappella' mean? Singing without instruments
  39. Jazz is strongly associated with the origins of which US city? New Orleans
  40. Which keyboard instrument predates the piano and plucks its strings? The harpsichord
  41. What is the lowest-pitched brass instrument in an orchestra? The tuba
  42. Which 1980s pop star was dubbed the 'Material Girl'? Madonna
  43. A piece written for a solo instrument with orchestra is called a…? Concerto
  44. Which band released 'The Dark Side of the Moon'? Pink Floyd
  45. What is the highest male voice type, above tenor? Countertenor

Hard questions 45

  1. Which Polish composer is famous for his piano nocturnes and etudes? Chopin
  2. What is the highest female singing voice? Soprano
  3. Which Italian musical term means to play smoothly and connected? Legato
  4. Who composed the 'Water Music' suites? Handel
  5. Which instrument is the musician Yo-Yo Ma famous for playing? Cello
  6. Who composed the opera cycle 'The Ring of the Nibelung'? Richard Wagner
  7. Which tempo marking means 'very fast'? Presto
  8. In which year did Elvis Presley die? 1977
  9. On sheet music, the dynamic 'piano' is abbreviated as…? p
  10. Who composed 'Clair de Lune'? Claude Debussy
  11. The interval from one note to the next of the same name is called an…? Octave
  12. Which instrument did Louis Armstrong famously play? The trumpet
  13. 'Like a Rolling Stone' was a landmark song by which artist? Bob Dylan
  14. What is the smallest interval in standard Western music? A semitone
  15. Which composer wrote his Ninth Symphony while almost completely deaf? Beethoven
  16. The band U2 comes from which country? Ireland
  17. Who composed the 'Brandenburg Concertos'? J.S. Bach
  18. 'Purple Rain' was an album and film by which artist? Prince
  19. In 4/4 time, how many beats does a whole note (semibreve) last? Four
  20. Which singer fronted The Supremes before a huge solo career? Diana Ross
  21. What does the time signature 4/4 indicate? Four beats per bar
  22. Which Italian composer wrote 'La Traviata' and 'Aida'? Giuseppe Verdi
  23. 'Good Vibrations' is a classic by which American band? The Beach Boys
  24. A large-scale orchestral work in several movements is called a…? Symphony
  25. Which guitarist of the '27 Club' set fire to his guitar at Monterey and played Woodstock? Jimi Hendrix
  26. Orchestras typically tune to the note A at which frequency? 440 Hz
  27. Who composed 'Rhapsody in Blue'? George Gershwin
  28. 'Hey Jude' was written mainly by which Beatle? Paul McCartney
  29. The 'ska' genre originated in which country? Jamaica
  30. What is the term for a gradual slowing of tempo? Ritardando
  31. Which Polish composer is famous for his piano nocturnes and études? Frédéric Chopin
  32. Which has the highest range of these orchestral woodwinds? The piccolo
  33. 'Respect' became a signature anthem for which soul legend? Aretha Franklin
  34. Which 1970s band's members included Robert Plant and Jimmy Page? Led Zeppelin
  35. Which ticking device helps musicians keep steady time? A metronome
  36. Who composed the 'New World Symphony'? Antonín Dvořák
  37. 'Born to Run' is a famous album by which artist? Bruce Springsteen
  38. Which instruments make up a standard string quartet? Two violins, a viola and a cello
  39. What is the term for a concluding passage at the end of a piece? Coda
  40. Which jazz trumpeter and bandleader recorded 'Kind of Blue'? Miles Davis
  41. The 'Waltz King' who wrote 'The Blue Danube' was…? Johann Strauss II
  42. Which British band released 'OK Computer' in 1997? Radiohead
  43. A multi-movement work for a solo instrument (often piano) is a…? Sonata
  44. Which jazz singer was known as 'Lady Day'? Billie Holiday
  45. 'Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band' (1967) was released by which band? The Beatles

Legends questions 45

  1. Who composed the '1812 Overture'? Tchaikovsky
  2. Singing 'a cappella' means performing with no…? Instruments
  3. Which composer wrote the 'New World Symphony'? Antonin Dvorak
  4. How many semitones are there in an octave? Twelve
  5. Which jazz trumpeter and singer was nicknamed 'Satchmo'? Louis Armstrong
  6. Who composed 'The Rite of Spring', which caused an uproar at its 1913 premiere? Igor Stravinsky
  7. What is the Italian term for a sudden strong accent on a note? Sforzando
  8. Who composed the 'Enigma Variations'? Edward Elgar
  9. The 12-bar form is fundamental to which genre? The blues
  10. What is the relative minor key of C major? A minor
  11. Who composed 'Pictures at an Exhibition'? Modest Mussorgsky
  12. Which saxophonist recorded the landmark album 'A Love Supreme'? John Coltrane
  13. In sonata form, the three main sections are exposition, development and…? Recapitulation
  14. Who composed the operas 'Tosca' and 'Madama Butterfly'? Giacomo Puccini
  15. A cadence moving from chord V to chord I, sounding finished, is a…? Perfect cadence
  16. Which 20th-century composer pioneered the twelve-tone technique? Arnold Schoenberg
  17. Which composer was working on his unfinished 'Requiem' when he died in 1791? Mozart
  18. In singing, what is a 'melisma'? Several notes sung on one syllable
  19. The 'cor anglais' (English horn) is most closely related to which instrument? The oboe
  20. The 'Trout Quintet' is a chamber work by which composer? Franz Schubert
  21. What does the term 'rubato' mean? Flexible, expressive timing
  22. Who wrote the tone poem 'Also sprach Zarathustra'? Richard Strauss
  23. In jazz, what is 'scat' singing? Improvised wordless vocals
  24. The well-known 'Dies Irae' chant traditionally belongs to which type of work? A requiem mass
  25. Who composed the orchestral suite 'The Planets'? Gustav Holst
  26. What is the term for combining independent melodies at the same time? Counterpoint
  27. Which Baroque composer wrote 'Water Music' and 'Messiah'? George Frideric Handel
  28. A 'tritone' spans how many semitones? Six
  29. Who composed the 'Hungarian Rhapsodies' for piano? Franz Liszt
  30. Which double-reed instrument is the lowest common woodwind in an orchestra? The bassoon
  31. 'Appalachian Spring' was composed by which American? Aaron Copland
  32. In tonal music, the 'home' note or key of a piece is called the…? Tonic
  33. Which composer wrote the 'Leningrad' Symphony under Soviet scrutiny? Dmitri Shostakovich
  34. Who composed the opera 'The Barber of Seville'? Gioachino Rossini
  35. What does 'pizzicato' instruct a string player to do? Pluck the strings
  36. Which jazz pianist and composer wrote 'Round Midnight'? Thelonious Monk
  37. Who composed 'Peter and the Wolf' and the ballet 'Romeo and Juliet'? Sergei Prokofiev
  38. A countertenor sings in roughly which vocal range? The alto/contralto range
  39. Which 1965 Beatles song, written by McCartney, features a string quartet? 'Yesterday'
  40. What does 'fortissimo' (ff) mean? Very loud
  41. Who wrote the 'Peer Gynt' suite, including 'In the Hall of the Mountain King'? Edvard Grieg
  42. A 'perfect fifth' spans how many semitones? Seven
  43. Who composed the music for the musical 'West Side Story'? Leonard Bernstein
  44. What is a 'fugue'? A piece built on imitative counterpoint of a theme
  45. Which Russian composer wrote the '1812 Overture'? Tchaikovsky

More quizzes

Wrestling quiz answers Leeds Rhinos quiz answers Manchester United quiz answers Arsenal quiz answers Premier League quiz answers The Bible quiz answers Sport quiz answers History quiz answers Science quiz answers Film & TV quiz answers
Play the Music quiz Test yourself properly · four tiers · free