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Quiz about The Percussion Family
Quiz about The Percussion Family

The Percussion Family Trivia Quiz


The percussion family of instruments is extremely varied, so I won't try to get everything in on this quiz. Enjoy this sampling of various different types of percussion instruments.

A photo quiz by reedy. Estimated time: 5 mins.
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Author
reedy
Time
5 mins
Type
Photo Quiz
Quiz #
364,441
Updated
Dec 03 21
# Qns
10
Difficulty
Tough
Avg Score
6 / 10
Plays
1184
Last 3 plays: kickaha49 (9/10), davtrtmn (4/10), Guest 75 (1/10).
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Question 1 of 10
1. These paired drums are individually known as the 'hembra' (female) and the 'macho' (male). Together, what are they called? Hint


Question 2 of 10
2. Originating in West Africa, this drum's name translates as 'gather in peace' from the Bambara language. What is its name? Hint


Question 3 of 10
3. This is an example of a drum found within a Japanese Taiko ensemble, or 'kumi-daiko' (drum collection). Taiko is a general term referring to any drum, so what is the actual name of the drums in a kumi-daiko? Hint


Question 4 of 10
4. An example of a pitched percussion instrument, this particular one includes resonating tubes below the bars that have butterfly valve driven by a motor to produce a tremolo effect when the bars are struck with mallets. What instrument is this? Hint


Question 5 of 10
5. Also known as kettledrums, what is the proper name for these tunable drums? Hint


Question 6 of 10
6. A tambourine can be made of wood or plastic, and come with or without a skin, but all of them have the metal jingles, which are called what? Hint


Question 7 of 10
7. The percussion instrument in this picture is a commercially produced version of a steel-tongue drum, which, when first created in 2007, was made from what item? Hint


Question 8 of 10
8. These shaker-type percussion instruments originate in Latin America and are traditionally made from dried gourd shells or coconuts filled with seeds or beans. By which of these names are they NOT known? Hint


Question 9 of 10
9. A piano makes its sound when hammers strike strings within the body of the instrument. So which is it, a percussion instrument or a string instrument? Hint


Question 10 of 10
10. Known interchangeably as a trap set, drum set, or drum kit, this standard of rock and jazz bands everywhere is a combination of a number of different percussion instruments. Which of these is not commonly included? Hint



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Most Recent Scores
Today : kickaha49: 9/10
Oct 02 2024 : davtrtmn: 4/10
Sep 30 2024 : Guest 75: 1/10
Sep 21 2024 : Guest 101: 7/10
Sep 12 2024 : Guest 136: 8/10
Sep 10 2024 : Lascaux: 6/10
Sep 06 2024 : SixShutouts66: 4/10
Sep 01 2024 : Guest 69: 7/10
Aug 28 2024 : Guest 98: 5/10

Score Distribution

quiz
Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts
1. These paired drums are individually known as the 'hembra' (female) and the 'macho' (male). Together, what are they called?

Answer: Bongos

Bongos are of Afro-Cuban origin, first appearing in the eastern region of Cuba in the 19th century. The hembra is the larger drum, which of course makes the macho the smaller drum. Traditionally played with the hands and with the larger (hembra) drum on the right... IF you are right handed.

Drums with skins (stretched membranes) are classified as membranophone percussion instruments. The sound is produced primarily by striking the skin (head) of the drum, either with the hand or a stick or mallet.
2. Originating in West Africa, this drum's name translates as 'gather in peace' from the Bambara language. What is its name?

Answer: Djembe

The Bamana are a Malian tribe, and the name djembe comes from their phrase 'Anke djé, anke bé' which translates as 'everyone gather together in peace'. The key words in the phrase, 'djé' and 'bé', mean 'gather' and 'peace', respectively.

The true origins of the djembe are unclear, as there are no written records that relate the creation of the instrument, but it has come to be associated with the Mali Empire, which goes back as far as the year 1230 AD.

The djembe is another example of a membranophone percussion instrument.
3. This is an example of a drum found within a Japanese Taiko ensemble, or 'kumi-daiko' (drum collection). Taiko is a general term referring to any drum, so what is the actual name of the drums in a kumi-daiko?

Answer: Wadaiko

Collectively known as wadaiko, the various sizes of drums within the kumi-daiko are individually named as well. There are specific names depending on how the drums are made, and then there are names relating to the size of the drum.

The largest drums in the kumi-daiko are ō-daiko (large drum), and it provides the underlying pulse. Nagado-daiko are the most common (mid-size) drums in the ensemble, while chū-daiko (slightly smaller mid-size) and shime-daiko (smaller) drums are the main voice and rhythms.

Other instruments can also join taiko ensembles, including the atarigane (a small gong) and bamboo flutes known as shakuhachi and shinobue.

Taiko drums are (yet again) membranophones as well.
4. An example of a pitched percussion instrument, this particular one includes resonating tubes below the bars that have butterfly valve driven by a motor to produce a tremolo effect when the bars are struck with mallets. What instrument is this?

Answer: Vibraphone

The first instrument with the name 'vibraphone' was produced in 1921, but the basic design from then has changed to today's modern vibraphone. Other versions of the instrument have also carried the name 'vibraharp', and quite often, either version just carries the simple nickname 'vibes'.

Barred percussion instruments such as the four answer options are considered idiophones, meaning that their sound is produced by vibration. These, specifically, are struck idiophones, meaning that their sound is produced by hitting them with a stick or mallet.

A personal note: I love the mellow sound of the vibraphone so much that I had one play with a string quartet for my wedding.
5. Also known as kettledrums, what is the proper name for these tunable drums?

Answer: Timpani

Traditionally, timpani are large copper bowls with a skin (or head) stretched across the top. A mechanism (commonly a foot pedal, although other systems exist) can adjust the tension on the timpani head to raise and lower the pitch of the drum when it is struck by a mallet. Timpani as we know them today evolved from military drums, and by the late 18th century had become a standard part of the orchestra, typically with four timpani of different ranges being used.

They have also become common in brass/reed bands (or wind ensembles).
6. A tambourine can be made of wood or plastic, and come with or without a skin, but all of them have the metal jingles, which are called what?

Answer: Zils

The term 'zil' comes from the Turkish word for cymbals. Zils (or zills) are the tiny cymbals used in belly dancing. Thus, the word has come to be used for any small cymbals, not just those used in Turkish music and dancing.

Depending on whether or not the tambourine has the skin, it can be considered either a 'struck idiophone (no skin), or a struck membranophone (with skin). The sound of the jangling zils gives the tambourine a light, high-sounding timbre, which has an added lower depth when using a tambourine with a skin.
7. The percussion instrument in this picture is a commercially produced version of a steel-tongue drum, which, when first created in 2007, was made from what item?

Answer: A propane tank

The steel-tongue drum was a combination of a couple of other similar types of drums already being developed in the early 20th century. One of them, called the 'hang', is like two metal bowls placed together (to look somewhat like a UFO) with portions of the top section tuned to different pitches. The other was an instrument crafted from a small metal freon canister, where the metal on the side was cut to leave flaps (or tongues) that each produced a different bell-like tone when struck.

In 2007, Dennis Havlena took these two drums and combined their properties using the base of a 20-lb propane tank, also cutting tongues, this time radially into the bottom of the larger tank. The style has since been commercially produced, no longer using propane tanks, but refining the instrument to the beautiful specimen you see in the photo.
8. These shaker-type percussion instruments originate in Latin America and are traditionally made from dried gourd shells or coconuts filled with seeds or beans. By which of these names are they NOT known?

Answer: Cabasas

Maracas (or shac-shacs or rumba shakers) are traditionally played in pairs, with one of the shakers pitched higher than the other. Originally used in the many forms of Latin music, the maracas have also come to be common in band and orchestra, as well as in elementary music classes.

A cabasa is traditionally a hollow gourd (on a stick, similar in shape to maracas) with a net of wooden beads on the outside that rattle when shaken or rubbed against the outer surface. Commercially made cabasas often use metal beads instead of wooden, and only simulate the shape of a gourd.
9. A piano makes its sound when hammers strike strings within the body of the instrument. So which is it, a percussion instrument or a string instrument?

Answer: Both

The other questions in this quiz involve membranophones and idiophones as categories of percussion instruments, but the piano qualifies as a chordophone.

A chordophone is any instrument that has its sound made by a vibrating string, which includes all instruments commonly thought of as stringed instruments (guitar, violin, lute, etc.). In the case of the piano, however, the achievement of the string vibration is made by the striking of the taut strings by a hammer (levered when you push down on a key on the keyboard). The act of striking something to make it produce a sound qualifies it as a percussion instrument as well.

The piano (shortened form of the Italian name for the instrument, pianoforte) was first invented by Bartolomeo Cristofori circa 1700 AD. The oldest surviving pianos built by Cristofori date from the 1720s.
10. Known interchangeably as a trap set, drum set, or drum kit, this standard of rock and jazz bands everywhere is a combination of a number of different percussion instruments. Which of these is not commonly included?

Answer: Temple blocks

A typical drum set consists of a snare drum, a bass drum (with pedal), a set of tom-toms (usually a minimum of four plus a floor tom), a hi-hat (pedal-operated cymbals), and a number of other cymbals of varying sizes (usually a minimum of two). Not always considered part of a drum kit, but usually among the first added to the ensemble are wood blocks and cowbells, to add some other sound possibilities.

Temple blocks are typically a separate set of percussion idiophones, a set of hollow wood blocks that produce a set of high to low sounds (usually between five to ten blocks).
Source: Author reedy

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor agony before going online.
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Related Quizzes
This quiz is part of series Instrumental Quizzes:

Have a try at some of my music quizzes that touch on various types of instruments, along with a couple on 'Classical' music.

  1. Shake, Rattle and Roll Average
  2. Which Is My Family? Very Easy
  3. Xylophoning Home Average
  4. The Woodwind Family Average
  5. The Brass Family Average
  6. The Percussion Family Tough
  7. The String Family Easier
  8. Instruments of the Orchestra Average
  9. Temporal Rift Average
  10. Music to My Years Average
  11. Composer Conundrum Easier

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