Quay of Sea Quiz | Other Music

Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. We're off on a fishing trip. Where will we board the boat?

Answer: the key

Yes, the quay (key).

A quay is a wharf or jetty where boats can tie up. Believe it or not, back in the Middle Ages, the word really was 'key' but the French got in the way and the spelling changed to 'quai'. Back to English, it became 'quay'. At least the pronunciation didn't change much.

In music, the 'key' is the set of notes (tones) which are used to compose a song or tune.

Sets of notes are called scales. Scales can be major or minor, depending on just which notes are involved. The quiz title alludes to the 'Key of C'. This usually means 'C major' where the notes are C, D, E, F, G, A and B.

There are 12 major keys and 12 minor keys, giving a total of 24 different scales. 'C major' is the name for one of these.

2. Now we're heading out to a fishing spot. What sea conditions are we hoping for?

Answer: flat

Flat seas make fishing more comfortable. Rough seas can lead to motion sickness and no one wants that.

A 'flat' in music is when a note's pitch is lowered (flattened) by a semitone. A funny-looking 'b' symbol is used to indicate a flat note.

3. The boat's skipper checks that we understand the ________ 'um', legal sizes of fish we can keep.

Answer: minim

Most countries specify minimum legal sizes of different fish species for recreational fishers. Any fish smaller than these sizes must be returned to the water.

A 'minim' is a musical note with a particular duration: how long it is played for. A minim is a half note. The word comes from Latin and means, 'very small'.

4. What sort of fish (that looks like it should be 'tailless') are we hoping to catch?

Answer: coda

We're hoping to catch some New Zealand blue cod (Parapercis colias). It's good eating.

In music, the 'coda' (Latin: 'tail') is the very last, ending part of a song or tune. On a musical score, an uppercase (capital) 'O' with cross-hairs is used to represent the coda. It's like a navigation sign. In another part of the music, the words 'To Coda' indicate a jump to the marked finishing section.

5. We're not far from our fishing spot and are asked to check our hooks to make sure they're ________.

Answer: sharp

Hooks that are sharp and in good condition are important when we're fishing. They ensure that we're able to land any fish we hook, rather than losing them.

A 'sharp' in music is when a note's pitch is raised (sharpened) by a semitone. A '#' symbol is used to indicate a sharp note.

6. We anchor over someone's favorite spot and cast our lines. Fishing is the perfect ________.

Answer: tonic

A 'tonic' is anything that makes you feel better. Fishing certainly can do that.

Musically, the 'tonic' is the first note of a scale. Earlier, the C major scale was described. The tonic here is C.

7. One of our party hooks a mako shark. We need to quickly cut the line to release this ________ bycatch.

Answer: accidental

'Accidental' bycatch refers to unintentionally caught species. Fortunately, this was a juvenile shark.

Musically, an 'accidental' marks a note that is not part of a piece's scale. This is done by putting a natural sign in front of a note.

The G major scale is: G, A, B, C, D, E, F#. If the composer wants F instead of F#, such notes are accidentals and marked with natural signs.

8. We've had a good day. Time to clean the fish. What outer parts will need removing?

Answer: scales

Most fish are covered with protective 'scales'. Removing them is much easier with an appropriate tool.

'Scales' are sets of notes used to write music. There are 24 different keys or scales, including the 'Key of C'.

9. The skipper has a small ________ on board and we're able to enjoy a cold drink on the way home.

Answer: bar

A 'bar' can be a drinking establishment, or a source of beverages.

A 'bar' is also a small section of music, usually containing the same number of beats as all the other bars. A time signature indicates the number of beats in each bar.

10. Homeward bound, it's great to sit and ________ knowing it's been a good day and we'll have fresh fish for dinner.

Answer: rest

Resting, relaxing and talking about the "one that got away" are usually part of a ritual at the end of a fishing expedition.

In music, a 'rest' marks a pause, or places where no notes are played. For every note, there is an equivalent rest, used to indicate pauses of different lengths.

*****

Fishing or music? The two are not mutually exclusive and it's great that we can embrace both. The key is to see how they fit together!

Source: Author psnz

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Quay of Sea Trivia Quiz

Were you ever forced to learn music or to play an instrument? Particularly when you'd rather have done something else? It's been said that a bad day fishing is better than a good day working. Let's put those ideas together and see what happens.

Questions		Choices
1. We're off on a fishing trip. Where will we board the boat?		flat
2. Now we're heading out to a fishing spot. What sea conditions are we hoping for?		tonic
3. The boat's skipper checks that we understand the ________ 'um', legal sizes of fish we can keep.		coda
4. What sort of fish (that looks like it should be 'tailless') are we hoping to catch?		rest
5. We're not far from our fishing spot and are asked to check our hooks to make sure they're ________.		sharp
6. We anchor over someone's favorite spot and cast our lines. Fishing is the perfect ________.		scales
7. One of our party hooks a mako shark. We need to quickly cut the line to release this ________ bycatch.		minim
8. We've had a good day. Time to clean the fish. What outer parts will need removing?		bar
9. The skipper has a small ________ on board and we're able to enjoy a cold drink on the way home.		accidental
10. Homeward bound, it's great to sit and ________ knowing it's been a good day and we'll have fresh fish for dinner.		the key