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The Vivacious Viola! Trivia Quiz

A quiz on the best alto instrument (at least in my opinion): the viola!

A multiple-choice quiz by joannlee. Estimated time: 3 mins.

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Viola

Author
joannlee

Time
3 mins

Type
Multiple Choice

Quiz #
246,024

Updated
Dec 03 21

# Qns
10

Difficulty
Average

Avg Score
6 / 10

Plays
495

One at a Time - Single Page - Timed Game

Question 1 of 10

1. What clef is viola music *primarily* written in? Hint

Tenor Clef

Bass Clef

Alto clef

Treble Clef

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Question 2 of 10

2. In order (lowest to highest), what are the names of the strings? Hint

E, A, D, G

A, D, G, C

C, G, D, A

G, D, A, E

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Question 3 of 10

3. Which composer "liked best to play the viola, with appropriate loudness and softness"? Hint

Beethoven

J.S. Bach

Haydn

Rimsky-Korsakov

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Question 4 of 10

4. In an orchestra, the violist on the right is the higher chair.

True

False

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Question 5 of 10

5. The frog is located on which part of the instrument? Hint

It's another word for the chinrest

The bottom of the bow

It's what you tune the viola with

There's no such thing on a viola

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Question 6 of 10

6. Many agree that the viola has a deep, rich sound. What can a violist do to add to this deep sound? Hint

Narrow vibrato

Wide vibrato

More bow speed

Less bow speed

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Question 7 of 10

7. Which of the following composers was also a professional violist? Hint

Shostakovich

Paderewski

Dvorak

Enescu

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Question 8 of 10

8. In a traditional string quartet, how many violists are there? Hint

Two

One

Three

Zero

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Question 9 of 10

9. What country was the viola created in? Hint

Brazil

Italy

Russia

Germany

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Question 10 of 10

10. Which famous rock star began his musical career on viola? Hint

John Lennon

Jimi Hendrix

Freddy Mercury

Janis Joplin

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Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. What clef is viola music *primarily* written in?

Answer: Alto clef

Also called viola clef or c clef since the symbol is centered on the 'c' line of the staff.

2. In order (lowest to highest), what are the names of the strings?

Answer: C, G, D, A

Violins and basses are the only instruments, usually seen in the orchestra, with E strings. The C string is what differentiates the viola from the violin. The viola also shares the same strings up (one octave up) as the cello.

3. Which composer "liked best to play the viola, with appropriate loudness and softness"?

Answer: J.S. Bach

C.P.E. Bach stated this about his father, Johan Sebastian Bach.

4. In an orchestra, the violist on the right is the higher chair.

Answer: False

The violist on the left is the highest chair because they are the 'outside' player, meaning they are closest to the audience. In the violin section, players on the right are the higher chair because they are then closest to the audience.

5. The frog is located on which part of the instrument?

Answer: The bottom of the bow

The frog is a part of the bow on any string instrument, really.
You tune with pegs and/or fine tuners, and the chinrest is just a chinrest.

6. Many agree that the viola has a deep, rich sound. What can a violist do to add to this deep sound?

Answer: Wide vibrato

The viola, as with all lower stringed instruments, should use a wider vibrato to enrich their sound. Violins use narrow vibrato, because their pitches are higher, and so their vibrato mimics the string vibrations.

7. Which of the following composers was also a professional violist?

Answer: Dvorak

In addition to being an accomplished composer, Antonin Dvorak was a professional violist in the Provisional Theatre Orchestra.

8. In a traditional string quartet, how many violists are there?

Answer: One

A string quartet usually consists of a first violinist, a second violinist, a violist, and a cellist.

9. What country was the viola created in?

Answer: Italy

Both the viola and the violin originated from the Italian 'viola da braccio'.

10. Which famous rock star began his musical career on viola?

Answer: Jimi Hendrix

Interestingly enough, he did in fact play viola at a young age. I'm not sure about the others, but John Lennon's first instrument was a banjo.

Source: Author joannlee

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor agony before going online.
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