About Musical Instruments Quiz
Every instrument in an orchestra belongs to a family: strings, woodwinds, brass or percussion. The Musical Instruments Quiz starts there and asks which family an instrument belongs to, how it makes its sound and how it is played, then goes around the world to the sitar, the bagpipes, the steelpan and the didgeridoo. Other questions are about famous composers, musical words such as tempo and pizzicato, and the basics of reading music. Instruments whose country of origin is argued over were left out, so every answer has one right choice.
How to play Musical Instruments Quiz
- Press Start for the first of ten questions. The clock starts with it and stops at your last answer.
- Each question asks about an instrument’s family, sound or home country, a composer or a musical word.
- Tap an answer, or press 1 to 4 (or A to D) on a keyboard. Answers are final: you see the right one and a one-line explanation, then press Next.
- Most correct answers ranks first, then the fastest time. Only a member’s first finished quiz of the day counts for the leaderboard.
Tips & strategy
- Sort the instrument by how it makes sound: plucked or bowed strings, blown woodwinds, buzzing lips in brass, or struck percussion.
- A flute and a saxophone are woodwinds even though they are made of metal: the family depends on how the sound is made.
- Many musical terms are Italian: piano means soft, forte means loud and allegro means fast and lively.
Musical Instruments Quiz: questions and answers
Do I need to read music to play?
No. A few questions are about reading music, but they are explained in one sentence each, and most questions are about instruments.
Are instruments from around the world included?
Yes, alongside the orchestra: from the sitar and the koto to the bagpipes, the steelpan and the Indigenous drums of North America.
How many questions does the Musical Instruments Quiz have?
156 checked questions: 54 easy, 76 medium and 26 hard. Each day takes ten, easiest first, and a question doesn’t come back until its level has been used up.