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CHAPTER 10 Western Musical Instruments
MULTIPLE CHOICE
1. The instruments of the Western orchestra are categorized in four groups: strings, brass, percussion, and
a. flutes. c. woodwinds.
b. chordophones. d. idiophones.
2. Which is the correct order of bowed string instruments from highest to lowest in range?
a. violin, viola, cello, double bass c. viola, violin, cello, double bass
b. violin, cello, viola, double bass d. double bass, cello, viola, violin
3. The special effect produced on a string instrument by plucking a string with the finger is called
a. vibrato. c. pizzicato.
b. glissando. d. tremolo.
4. In string playing, the rapid movement of the wrist creates a throbbing effect called
a. vibrato. c. pizzicato.
b. glissando. d. trill.
5. What is double-stopping?
a. a special staccato bow stroke
b. a technique for changing pitches on the French horn
c. playing on two strings at once
d. a lengthy pause in music
6. The device placed on the bridge of string instruments to muffle the sound is called a
a. reed. c. bow.
b. double reed. d. mute.
7. Harmonics are produced on a string instrument by
a. playing two strings simultaneously.
b. lightly touching the string at certain points while the bow is being drawn.
c. rapidly alternating two tones.
d. sliding the hand from one note to the next.
8. A chord whose notes are played in succession, as on the harp, is called a(n)
a. scale. c. arpeggio.
b. glissando. d. double-stop.
9. Which of the following instruments is NOT a member of the bowed string family?
a. guitar c. viola
b. violoncello d. violin
10. Which of the following instruments is MOST likely played by a rock musician?
a. acoustic guitar c. solid-bodied electric guitar
b. hollow-bodied electric guitar d. mandolin
11. Woodwind instruments
a. are all made of wood. c. all have a woody tone quality.
b. are all played with a wooden reed. d. all consist of a pipe with holes.
12. The highest-sounding member of the woodwind family is the
a. flute. c. clarinet.
b. oboe. d. piccolo.
13. Which of the following is the lowest-sounding member of the double-reed family?
a. oboe c. contrabassoon
b. English horn d. bass clarinet
14. Which of the following is NOT a double-reed instrument?
a. clarinet c. bassoon
b. English horn d. oboe
15. Which of the following is a double-reed instrument?
a. flute c. clarinet
b. oboe d. saxophone
16. Which of the following is true of all brass instruments?
a. They are made of metal.
b. They are blown into through a metal mouthpiece.
c. Their sounds are created by the vibration of the lips.
d. all of the asnwers shown here.
17. The soprano brass instrument sometimes described as possessing a brilliant timbre is the
a. trumpet. c. clarinet.
b. French horn. d. violin.
18. Which of the following brass instruments is sometimes played with the performer’s hand plugging the bell?
a. trumpet c. trombone
b. French horn d. tuba
19. Which of the following is NOT a member of the brass family?
a. trumpet c. English horn
b. French horn d. tuba
20. The bass instrument in the brass family is the
a. double bass. c. bassoon.
b. trombone. d. tuba.
21. The percussion family comprises a variety of instruments that are made to sound by
a. strumming. c. plucking.
b. blowing air. d. striking or shaking.
22. Timpani are members of the ________ family of instruments.
a. string c. percussion
b. brass d. woodwind
23. Which of the following is NOT a percussion instrument?
a. timpani c. xylophone
b. harp d. snare drum
24. Which of the following is a pitched percussion instrument?
a. xylophone c. bass drum
b. snare drum d. gong
25. Which of the following is an unpitched percussion instrument?
a. bass drum c. glockenspiel
b. timpani d. xylophone
26. The piano got its name, originally fortepiano, from
a. the name of its inventor. c. its wide dynamic range.
b. the fact that it could not sustain tones. d. its large size.
27. Which of the following statements describes the organ?
a. Sound is created when air flows through pipes controlled by the organist.
b. Some organs have more than one keyboard, including one played by the feet.
c. Electric keyboards and synthesizers can imitate the sound of an organ.
d. all of the answers shown here.
28. Which is the MOST recent instrument to join the woodwind family?
a. clarinet c. saxophone
b. oboe d. bassoon
29. String instruments excel at performing smoothly, connected notes, which is called
a. legato. c. pizzicato.
b. staccato. d. tremelo.
30. Instruments related to the guitar include the
a. banjo and mandolin. c. mandolin and viola.
b. banjo and violin. d. banjo and oboe.
TRUE/FALSE
1. String instruments are generally played by either bowing or plucking.
2. The violin evolved to its present form at the hands of Italian instrument makers between around 1600 and 1750.
3. The viola is somewhat smaller and higher pitched than the violin.
4. The term pizzicato means to play in a throbbing manner.
5. The guitar is most likely of African origin.
6. All woodwind instruments are made of wood.
7. The most recently invented member of the woodwind family is the oboe.
8. The term embouchure refers to the position of the player’s lips, jaw, and facial muscles.
9. The trumpet is the lowest-pitched instrument of the brass family.
10. The bugle has a wide range of pitches due to its valves.
11. The two categories of orchestral percussion instruments are pitched and unpitched.
12. Most percussion instruments fall into the categories of idiophones and aerophones.
13. Xylophone-like instruments are used in diverse world music.
14. A narrow range of pitches and dynamics limit the piano.
15. The pipe organ is a wind instrument, sounded by air.
16. The harpsichord produces sound by quills that pluck its metal strings.
17. The oboe and English horn are known as double-reed instruments.
18. The trombone is a brass instrument that offers a full and rich sound in the tenor range.
19. John Philip Sousa designed the flugelhorn.
20. Castanets are central to the ensemble known as the gamelan.
1. Choose four musical instruments, each representing one of the four families of instruments, and describe their physical appearances
and how they produce sound.
2. Describe the principal types of keyboard instruments and how they produce sound.
