Sound Check: Musical Vocabulary Quiz

Question: Which of these vocal ranges can sing the lowest notes?

Answer: Sopranos make up the top of the vocal range, while basses make up the bottom. In between them are mezzo-soprano, contralto, tenor, and baritone.

Question: Which of the following best describes a musical crescendo?

Answer: Crescendo can be traced back to the Latin word for “increase.”

Question: A musician will use a metronome to…

Answer: Metronomes are devices that can be set to tick a certain amount of times per minute. Metronome comes from the Greek words metron, meaning “measure,” and nomos, meaning “law.”

Question: A nocturne is a piece of music meant to evoke…

Answer: Similar to the word nocturnal (frequently used to describe animals active at night), nocturne refers to works that relate to the evening or night.

Question: Which of these instruments can use a capo?

Answer: A capo is a type of clamp that can be affixed to the neck of a stringed instrument such as a guitar or ukulele to uniformly raise the pitch of all the strings.

Question: Which of the following are accidentals?

Answer: The sharp sign, which resembles a hashtag, raises a note a half step, while the flat sign, resembling a lowercase b, lowers a note a half step.

Question: Staccato typically refers to notes that are played…

Answer: Staccato notes are cut short and disconnected. Staccato can be used outside the musical world to describe other things that are abrupt or disjointed.

Question: During a musical performance, where is a coda usually found?

Answer: From the Italian word meaning “tail,” coda refers to a concluding portion of music distinct from the rest of the piece.

Question: Which of these musical words comes from the Italian word for “merry”?

Answer: Allegro music should be played in a brisk and lively manner.

Question: When sheet music shows the word fortissimo, the musician should…

Answer: From the Italian for “strong,” forte (sometimes marked with a lowercase f) indicates that the music should be played loud, fortissimo (ff) means even louder, and fortississimo (fff) louder still.

Question: Études are pieces of music generally written for what purpose?

Answer: Étude comes from the French word meaning “study.” That said, some études, such as those of Chopin, are beloved by audiences.

Question: A falsetto is a performer typically known for what?

Answer: Falsetto comes from the Italian diminutive for “false.” Frankie Valli’s soaring notes in “Big Girls Don’t Cry” and “Walk Like a Man” are classic examples of falsetto performances.

Question: Playing the notes of a chord in succession rather than simultaneously is known as what?

Answer: Arpeggio is derived from the Italian for “to play the harp.” Arpeggios can be found in Coldplay’s “Clocks” and Queen’s “Bohemian Rhapsody.”

Question: A performer who sees a fermata over a note should do what?

Answer: The fermata symbol is an arc over the top of a dot, resembling an eye.

Question: Which of the following is an example of a glissando?

Answer: Glissando can be traced back to the French word glissant, meaning “slide.” Glissandos involve rapidly going up or down a musical scale. George Gershwin’s “Rhapsody in Blue” and ABBA’s “Dancing Queen” open with clarinet and piano glissandos, respectively.