Music Terminology Quiz

What does the term "accelerando" mean in musical terms?

• A) A slow tempo

• B) Momentarily emphasizing a note with a dynamic attack

• C) Gradually speeding up the speed of the rhythmic beat

• D) A loud dynamic marking

What is a "bar" in music?

• A) A group of musical performers

• B) The first beat of a musical measure

• C) A common term for a musical measure

• D) A musical symbol that lowers the pitch one half-step

What does "forte" indicate in music?

• A) A slow tempo

• B) A secondary melodic idea

• C) A loud dynamic marking

• D) Gradually getting quieter

What is the meaning of "andante" in musical terms?

• A) A fast tempo

• B) A moderate tempo (a walking speed)

• C) A powerful metallic instrument

• D) A concluding section appended to the end of a work

What is a "dotted note" in music?

• A) A note that is played more strongly than other beats

• B) A note with a dot to the right of it that adds half the rhythmic duration to the note's original value

• C) A note that lowers the pitch one half-step

• D) A note that indicates the performer should go back to the start of a piece

What does fortissimo (f) indicate?

• A category of musical composition

• A very loud dynamic marking

• The smallest interval in the Western system of equal temperament

• An early prototype of the modern piano

What is improvisation in music?

• The combination of instruments that a composition is written for

• The measured distance between two musical pitches

• "On-the-spot" creation of music while it is being performed

• A very loud dynamic marking

What does instrumentation mean in the context of music?

• The smallest interval in the Western system of equal temperament

• The elemental category describing vertical combinations of pitches

• A rapid slide between two distant pitches

• The combination of instruments that a composition is written for

What is an interval in music?

• A category of musical composition

• A very loud dynamic marking

• The combination of instruments that a composition is written for

• The measured distance between two musical pitches

What is a key signature?

• A symbol that indicates the volume of the music

• A series of sharps or flats written on a musical staff to indicate the key of a composition

• The main melody of a musical piece

• A type of musical scale