Instrument Riddles. Quiz | Musical Instruments

Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. "Seventy-six ______________ led the big parade!"

Answer: Trombones

A song from the musical, 'The Music Man'.

2. What is the opening instrument of the 'Tuba Mirum' in Mozart's Requiem?

Answer: Trombone

Tuba in Italian means "tube" and is in this context really to the trumpet of the Lord blowing at the end of time to raise the dead. Mozart, being the genius that he was, opted to substitute the even more noble instrument, the trombone. Perhaps he felt it blended better with the bass vocal solo that it accompanies.

3. This instrument was once known as the sackbut.

Answer: Trombone

OK, if you haven't figured it out yet, I'm a trombonist. (And proud of it!) The word sackbut comes from the french word, saqueboute, which literally means "push-pull", referring of course to the slide. It should be noted that the term "sackbut" does not in any way describe to the physical condition of the trombonist.

4. This instrument plays the opening fanfare of the 'William Tell Overture (also known as the 'Lone Ranger' theme).

Answer: Trumpet

I don't blame you if you guessed 'trombone' again. Thought I had a one track mind, huh? BTW, the real name for this piece is the 'William Tell Overture' by Rossini.

5. Tommy Dorsey was famous for playing this instrument.

Answer: Trombone

OK, I'm back on track! Dorsey, of course, was a famous jazz trombonist, especially noted for his rendition of "I'm Getting Sentimental Over You". Dorsey played well in the upper register of the instrument.

6. A fiddle is, generally speaking, the same thing as a violin.

Answer: True

A fiddle is, of course, what you call it in country or bluegrass music. I suppose the expression, "fiddlesticks", refers to the bow, but I don't know how it came to be used as an expression of disappointment.

7. As you cover more holes on any woodwind instrument, the pitch generally gets...

Answer: Lower

As you cover the holes, the air column travels a longer distance causing a lower pitch.

8. The sound only comes out of the clarinet at the bell.

Answer: False

Related to question #7. If you don't cover any holes, the air (and sound) comes primarily out of the top holes of the clarinet. Only when you cover all the holes (and press a key that covers the lowest holes) does the air make it to the bell. This is why miking a clarinet up close can be difficult, because the sound can come out of any hole.

9. The sound always comes out of the trumpet at the bell.

Answer: True

Unlike the clarinet, the trumpet changes pitches through valves, which redirect the air through extra pieces of tubing, causing a longer air column. However, no matter which valves you press, it always comes out at the bell.

10. This instrument commonly has two sets of tuning slides for the valves.

Answer: French horn

It has two sets because of the thumb valve (aka trigger). The horn is actually two instruments in one: a short horn in Bb and longer horn in F. When you depress the trigger, the air is cut off from a part of the tubing, thus creating the shorter, higher-pitched horn. Each of the two horns has its own set of tuning slides to fine-tune the notes used with and without the trigger.

Source: Author notwilbur

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor Matve before going online.
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Instrument Riddles. Trivia Quiz

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