Piano 101: Do You Have the Chops(ticks)?

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Last updated · 6 min play time

Bach, Beethoven, [YOUR NAME HERE]? Well maybe not yet, but everyone's got to start somewhere, right? If you're just getting started learning piano, this Piano 101 quiz will help you master the basics. Or perhaps your piano lesson days are long behind you and you're curious to see if anything stuck from all of those interminable lessons your mom made you take in the third grade. On the other hand, you might be a bona fide piano maestro looking to prove your expertise. Even if you've never tickled a single ivory but you like music and think it might be worthwhile to know some of the fundamentals of this amazing instrument, this Piano 101 quiz is for you too. Chord, Clef, Sharp, Allegro, Measure, Bar, Beat. . . Let's get 'em straight! 

: Piano Basics Quiz Questions

20 Questions · 427 Plays · 1 Comment

Question 1

The centrally located note on a standard piano keyboard that students typically learn first is called "Middle ?"

  • A
    A
  • B
    C
  • C
    B
  • D
    F

Question 2

How many keys does a standard piano have?

  • A
    76
  • B
    49
  • C
    88
  • D
    61

Question 3

In which century was the piano invented?

  • A
    17th century
  • B
    18th century
  • C
    2nd century
  • D
    19th century

Question 4

The name piano is a shortening of pianoforte, a combination of the Italian words piano and forte. What's the English translation of those two words?

  • A
    soft, loud
  • B
    hard, soft
  • C
    rock, roll
  • D
    keys, strings

Question 5

Which of a piano's three pedals is used most frequently?

  • A
    right
  • B
    middle
  • C
    fourth
  • D
    left

Question 6

Which of these is NOT one of the differences between a grand piano and an upright piano?

  • A
    upright pianos are easier to play
  • B
    an upright piano is cheaper
  • C
    the direction of the strings
  • D
    a grand piano has faster action

Question 7

Adagio, Allegro and Leggiero all describe which aspect of a piece of music?

  • A
    lyrical content
  • B
    time signature
  • C
    tempo
  • D
    beat

Question 8

What's the name of this music symbol?

  • A
    sharp
  • B
    hashtag
  • C
    pound
  • D
    flat

Question 9

What's the correct name for the horizontal lines in the background on sheet music?

  • A
    stave
  • B
    staff
  • C
    neither of these
  • D
    both of these

Question 10

What's the name of this essential tool for beginning pianists?

  • A
    thermometer
  • B
    metronome
  • C
    harmonograph
  • D
    tuning device

Question 11

Which of these is NOT an element of proper piano position?

  • A
    bench facing keyboard
  • B
    knees just under keyboard
  • C
    elbows bent and slightly lower than keys
  • D
    curved fingers

Question 12

What kind of symbol is the far right note?

  • A
    half note/minim
  • B
    whole note/semibreve
  • C
    quarter note/crotchet
  • D
    eighth note/quaver

Question 13

The vertical lines on sheet music are called bar lines. What is the section between two bar lines called?

  • A
    measure
  • B
    octave
  • C
    set
  • D
    scale

Question 14

The stack of two large numbers pictured here is called a time signature. What is the most popular time signature?

  • A
    3/4
  • B
    11/19
  • C
    4/4
  • D
    6/8

Question 15

Which notes make up the fundamental chord of C Major?

  • A
    C, F, H
  • B
    C, F, G
  • C
    C, D, G
  • D
    C, E, G

Question 16

How many notes make up a chord?

  • A
    1 or more
  • B
    4 or more
  • C
    3 or more
  • D
    2 or more

Question 17

What does the top number of a time signature tell you?

  • A
    # of notes per measure
  • B
    # of beats per measure
  • C
    # of white keys per measure
  • D
    # of pauses per measure

Question 18

What do you call this sequence of notes?

  • A
    measure
  • B
    scale
  • C
    symphony
  • D
    bridge

Question 19

What do the mnemonics "Every Good Boy Deserves Fudge" and FACE help piano students remember?

  • A
    the notes of a harmonic triad
  • B
    the order of notes on sheet music
  • C
    the time signature of pop music
  • D
    that practice makes perfect

Question 20

In which instrument category does the piano belong?

  • A
    woodwind
  • B
    percussion
  • C
    brass
  • D
    string

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