Musical Elements I (Music History)

When notating music for others to read, composers traditionally have used __________ words to indicate dynamics. Select one: A. German B. Italian C. Russian D. English

B. Italian

__________ is a standard adopted by manufacturers for interfacing synthesizer equipment. Select one: A. Analog synthesis B. MIDI C. Digital synthesis D. Sampling

B. MIDI

The English horn is neither English nor a horn, but a/an Select one: A. form of bugle. B. alto oboe. C. piece of cane used by woodwind players. D. percussion instrument.

B. alto oboe.

The lowest instrument in the orchestra is the Select one: A. tuba. B. contrabassoon. C. piccolo. D. double bass.

B. contrabassoon.

A gradual increase in loudness is known as a Select one: A. decrescendo. B. crescendo. C. diminuendo. D. fortissimo.

B. crescendo.

The __________ has strings that are plucked by a set of plastic, leather, or quill wedges. Select one: A. accordion B. harpsichord C. piano D. organ

B. harpsichord

Brass instruments did not acquire valves until the __________ century. Select one: A. middle of the eighteenth B. middle of the nineteenth C. end of the eighteenth D. end of the nineteenth

B. middle of the nineteenth

A hollow, funnel-shaped piece of wood or plastic that brass players use to alter the tone of their instruments is called a Select one: A. crook. B. mute. C. reed. D. tailpiece.

B. mute.

The distance between the lowest and highest tones a voice or instrument can produce is called a/an Select one: A. dynamic accent. B. pitch range. C. octave. D. timbre.

B. pitch range.

The relative highness or lowness of a sound is called Select one: A. dynamics. B. pitch. C. timbre. D. octave.

B. pitch.

A thin piece of cane, used singly or in pairs by woodwind players, is called a Select one: A. double-stop. B. reed. C. mouthpiece. D. mute.

B. reed.

The range of a singer's voice depends on Select one: A. the type of microphone the singer uses. B. training and physical makeup. C. physical makeup. D. training.

B. training and physical makeup.

The __________ are the only orchestral drums of definite pitch. Select one: A. bass drums B. tympani C. tambourines D. snare drums

B. tympani

It is difficult to sing well because __________ than in speaking. Select one: A. All choices are correct. B. wider ranges of pitch and volume are used C. singing demands a greater supply and control of breath D. vowel sounds are held longer

A. All choices are correct.

Which of the following is the slowest tempo indication? Select one: A. adagio B. allegro C. andante D. vivace

A. adagio

Music can be defined as Select one: A. an art based on the organization of sounds in time. B. sounds produced by musical instruments. C. a system of symbols performers learn to read. D. sounds that are pleasing, as opposed to noise.

A. an art based on the organization of sounds in time.

A symphonic band Select one: A. consists mainly of brass, woodwinds, and percussion instruments. B. is another term for symphonic orchestra. C. consists mainly of brass and percussion instruments. D. uses a drum-major instead of a conductor.

A. consists mainly of brass, woodwinds, and percussion instruments.

In general, the smaller the vibrating element, the __________ its pitch. Select one: A. higher B. lower C. softer D. louder

A. higher

The organization of beats into regular groups is called Select one: A. meter. B. dynamics. C. tempo. D. syncopation.

A. meter.

The main tool of composers of electronic music during the 1950s was the Select one: A. tape studio. B. piano. C. sampler. D. synthesizer.

A. tape studio.

The term __________ refers to the rate of speed of the beat of the music. Select one: A. tempo B. dynamics C. meter D. syncopation

A. tempo

Tone color is synonymous with Select one: A. timbre. B. dynamic accent. C. sound. D. amplitude.

A. timbre.

When a string player causes small pitch fluctuations by rocking his or her left hand while pressing a string down, it is called Select one: A. vibrato. B. tremolo. C. nervoso. D. pizzicato.

A. vibrato.

The xylophone consists of a set of __________ bars played with mallets. Select one: A. wooden B. plastic C. glass D. metal

A. wooden

The abbreviation OP stands for "opus," Latin for Select one: A. work. B. opulent. C. character. D. catalog.

A. work.

In the full score of an orchestral composition, the families of instruments are arranged from top to bottom in this order: Select one: A. strings, woodwinds, brass, percussion. B. woodwinds, brass, percussion, strings. C. brass, woodwinds, percussion, strings. D. percussion, woodwinds, brass, strings.

B. woodwinds, brass, percussion, strings.

The first, or stressed, beat of a measure is known as the Select one: A. upbeat. B. intro. C. downbeat. D. head.

C. downbeat.

When a performer emphasizes a tone by playing it more loudly than the tones around it, it is called a Select one: A. crescendo. B. blooper. C. dynamic accent. D. pianissimo.

C. dynamic accent.

A tone in music is a sound that Select one: A. is produced by irregular vibrations. B. is pleasing to the ear. C. has a definite pitch. D. has an indefinite pitch.

C. has a definite pitch.

The bow, used to produce sound on instruments, is a slightly curved stick strung tightly with Select one: A. flax. B. string. C. horsehair. D. catgut.

C. horsehair.

Woodwind instruments are so named because they Select one: A. have wooden key mechanisms. B. use a wooden reed. C. are made of wood. D. were originally made of wood.

D. were originally made of wood.

The treble clef is used for Select one: A. middle range pitches, such as those played by the violas. B. relatively low pitches, such as those played by a pianist's left hand. C. relatively high pitches, such as those played by the pianist's right hand. D. drums and non-pitched percussion instruments.

C. relatively high pitches, such as those played by the pianist's right hand.

In musical notation, silence is indicated by Select one: A. beams. B. notes. C. rests. D. clefs.

C. rests.

A gradual slowing-down of tempo is indicated by the term Select one: A. crescendo. B. andante. C. ritardando. D. accelerando.

C. ritardando.

A staff is a Select one: A. symbol indicating silence rather than sound. B. piece of wood used by a conductor. C. set of five horizontal lines. D. black or white oval used in notation.

C. set of five horizontal lines.

When an accent occurs on an unexpected beat, the effect is known as Select one: A. expiation. B. pizzicato. C. syncopation. D. an error.

C. syncopation.

Which of the following is not a percussion instrument of definite pitch? Select one: A. chimes B. xylophone C. tambourine D. tympani

C. tambourine

The vibrations of brass instruments come from Select one: A. a single reed. B. a column of air in a metal tube. C. the musician's lips. D. a double reed.

C. the musician's lips.

The piano has __________ keys spanning more than seven octaves. Select one: A. 66 B. 47 C. 56 D. 88

D. 88

Synthesizers Select one: A. can usually be played by means of a keyboard. B. allow the composer complete control over pitch, tone color, dynamics, and duration. C. generate a great variety of musical sounds and noises. D. All choices are correct.

D. All choices are correct.

The __________ is a regular, recurrent pulsation that divides music into equal units of time. Select one: A. rhythm B. syncopation C. tempo D. beat

D. beat

A __________ is placed at the beginning of a staff to show the exact pitch of each line and space. Select one: A. ledger line B. sharp sign C. note D. clef

D. clef

A gradual decrease in loudness is known as a Select one: A. crescendo. B. fortissimo. C. ritardando. D. diminuendo.

D. diminuendo.

The four main properties of musical sounds are pitch, dynamics, tone color, and Select one: A. melody. B. medium. C. harmony. D. duration or rhythm.

D. duration or rhythm.

Degrees of loudness and softness in music are called Select one: A. pitches. B. tone colors. C. notes. D. dynamics.

D. dynamics.

Western music uses the __________ letters of the alphabet to indicate pitch. Select one: A. last three B. first eight C. first five D. first seven

D. first seven

Register refers to Select one: A. the number of reeds an instrument uses. B. the instrument manufacturer's brand name. C. playing two or more notes at the same time. D. part of an instrument's total range.

D. part of an instrument's total range.

The highest woodwind instrument in the orchestra is the Select one: A. flute. B. clarinet. C. oboe. D. piccolo.

D. piccolo.

The __________ has many sets of pipes controlled from several keyboards, including a pedal keyboard. Select one: A. accordion B. piano C. harpsichord D. pipe organ

D. pipe organ

Plucking a string with a finger instead of using a bow is called Select one: A. pluckato. B. tremolo. C. vibrato. D. pizzicato.

D. pizzicato.