Pitch Perfect Trivia Quiz

Answer: B-flat

Instruments pitched in the key of B-flat sound one whole tone (a major 2nd) lower than the concert pitch (at the same octave). So, when they play a C on their instrument, it *sounds* like a B-flat on a piano (or other concert-key instrument). This can look different on the written page, however, as some instruments sound an octave or more away from what is written for them to read.

The clarinet was invented around 1700 by German instrument maker Johann Christoph Denner. The different instruments in the clarinet family are made to be in different keys, so that the whole family can cover a wide range, while still having essentially the same fingerings and seeing the same notes written on the page.

There are clarinets pitched in E-flat and A, in addition to the ones pitched in B-flat. But as this question fits the B-flat category for the quiz, here is a list of all the clarinets in the family that are pitched in B-flat:

B-flat soprano clarinet (the most popular clarinet) - sounds a major 2nd lower than written.
B-flat bass clarinet - sounds a major 9th (2nd plus an octave) lower than written.
B-flat contrabass clarinet - sounds a major 16th (2nd plus two octaves) lower than written.

Answer: B-flat

It was already mentioned in the info section for the B-flat (soprano) clarinet that the bass clarinet is also pitched in B-flat.

It should also be noted that while the instrument's music is commonly written in the treble clef (written a major 9th higher than it sounds), there is some music out there with the part written in the bass clef. When that happens, the music is written just a major 2nd above how it sounds (similar to music written in treble clef for the B-flat soprano clarinet).

Answer: B-flat

Like the clarinet, saxophones come in a family of instruments that cover a wider range than one instrument can manage alone. Belgian musician and inventor Adolphe Sax developed the whole family in the early 1840s, looking to combine the versatility of woodwind instruments (like the clarinet) with the power of the brass. He patented his saxophones in 1846.

The entire saxophone family are pitched in B-flat and E-flat, alternating through the range of instruments from highest to lowest:

Soprillo/piccolo (B-flat)
Sopranino (E-flat)
Soprano (B-flat)
Alto (E-flat)
Tenor (B-flat)
Baritone (E-flat)
Bass (B-flat)
Contrabass (E-flat)
Subcontrabass (B-flat)

All of the music for each saxophone looks the same. In the case of the tenor saxophone, this means that the instrument sounds a major 9th (an octave and a major 2nd) lower than written.

Answer: C

There are many different varieties of flute from many different cultures around the world, but for the purposes of this quiz, we are looking at the Western concert flute that is played in concert bands and orchestras.

The flute is a non-transposing instrument, meaning that it sounds the same note as is written on the page, at the same register. It is a transverse (or side-blown) woodwind instrument that makes its sound by the musician blowing across a hole, rather than directly into the instrument.

While the flute has been included in Western 'classical' music repertoire basically since the beginning of recorded (written down) music, the instrument itself is quite different from those early versions, now made of metal and with a precision key system.

Answer: C

Piccolos (or piccolo flutes) followed a similar development as their larger family member. They were used early on primarily as a smaller, more piercing addition to military bands, and with the modernization that allowed for more precision, became more common in concert band and orchestral works.

The piccolo is a concert-pitch instrument, but it does transpose by a full octave, sounding one octave higher than what is written on the page.

Other instruments in the Western concert flute family include the alto flute (in the key of G, sounding a perfect 4th lower than written) and the bass flute (in the key of C, sounding one octave lower than written).

Answer: C

The oboe, like the flute, is pitched in the key of C, and does not transpose, sounding the same as what is seen on the page.

The modern double reed oboe developed from the shawm, which was popularly used between the 13th and 17th centuries. Like the flute and clarinet, the oboe saw modifications and modernization in the 19th century that brought it closer to its current appearance and quality.

As an aside, the oboe is the instrument I (your quiz author) have played for about 40 years.

There are other instruments in the oboe family, including the oboe d'amore (pitched in A), the English horn (pitched in F), and the bass oboe and heckelphone, (both pitched in C, one octave lower).

Answer: C

Like the oboe, the bassoon is a double reed instrument. And like the oboe, the bassoon is pitched in the key of C, and is non-transposing, albeit with music written in the bass clef.

While related by virtue of having a double reed, the bassoon is not actually in the same family as the oboe. The other primary instrument in the family is the contrabassoon, which is pitched one octave lower than the bassoon.

Answer: E-flat

The clarinet and the bass clarinet were already discussed in this quiz, with both of those members of the family pitched in the key of B-flat

The alto clarinet finds itself in-between the other two, pitched in E-flat (a perfect 5th lower than the soprano clarinet, and a perfect 4th higher than the bass clarinet).

Compared to concert pitch, the alto clarinet sounds a major sixth lower than what is written on the page, so when it plays a written C, it sounds like a lower E-flat.

Answer: E-flat

Similar to the alto clarinet, the E-flat alto saxophone sounds a major 6th lower than is written on the page, however, as noted previously in discussing the tenor saxophone, the music for every saxophone is written to look the same on the page, regardless of the varying saxophones and their sounding ranges.

The alto saxophone is the most commonly-played instrument of the family, with the tenor saxophone being a close second. While concert band commonly includes music for both instruments (and the baritone saxophone), the alto saxophone is the smallest of the three (good for young students) and has more melodic lines written (for its higher range).

Answer: E-flat

The final instrument for this quiz is the baritone saxophone, which is the lowest of the most commonly-played instruments of the saxophone family. It is quite large in comparison with other woodwind instruments, but is quite distinct with its powerful bass voice. Along with its alto and tenor companions, the saxophone family is integral to concert band and march music, and (of course) jazz.

Like the alto saxophone, the baritone saxophone is pitched in E-flat - but one octave lower. Thus, the instrument sounds an octave and a major sixth (or a major 13th) lower than written.