Music An Appreciation, Kamien - Exam Preparation Test Bank (Downloadable Doc)

Part I
Student: ___________________________________________________________________________

1. Music can be defined as
A. sounds produced by musical instruments.
B. sounds that are pleasing, as opposed to noise.
C. an art based on the organization of sounds in time.
D. a system of symbols that performers learn to read.
2. The four main properties of musical sounds are pitch, dynamics, tone color, and
A. duration.
B. rhythm.
C. melody.
D. medium.
3. The relative highness or lowness of a sound is called
A. timbre.
B. pitch.
C. dynamics.
D. octave.
4. The _____ of a sound is decided by the frequency of its vibrations.
A. dynamics
B. pitch
C. timbre
D. amplitude
5. Pitch is defined as
A. degrees of loudness or softness in music.
B. the quality that distinguishes musical sounds.
C. the relative highness or lowness that we hear in a sound.
D. leaning on a musical note.
6. The pitch of a sound is decided by the _____________ of its vibrations.
A. amplitude
B. timbre
C. frequency
D. dynamics
7. The frequency of vibrations is measured in
A. cycles per minute.
B. cycles per second.
C. dynamic levels.
D. Italian words.
8. In general, the smaller the vibrating element, the __________ its pitch.
A. higher
B. softer
C. lower
D. louder
9. In music, a sound that has a definite pitch is called a
A. noise.
B. dynamic accent.
C. sound.
D. tone.

,10. A tone in music is a sound that
A. is pleasing to the ear.
B. is produced by irregular vibrations.
C. has an indefinite pitch.
D. has a definite pitch.
11. The distance in pitch between any two tones is called
A. duration.
B. dynamic accent.
C. timbre.
D. an interval.
12. If a pitch vibrates at 880 cycles, the octave below would vibrate at ____ cycles.
A. 220
B. 440
C. 660
D. 1760
13. When two different tones blend so well when sounded together that they almost seem to merge into one
tone, the interval is called a(n)
A. dynamic accent.
B. octave.
C. pitch range.
D. interval.
14. When tones are separated by the interval called a(n) ______, they sound very much alike.
A. pitch range
B. dyad
C. octave
D. cycle
15. The distance between the lowest and highest tones a voice or instrument can produce is called
A. pitch range.
B. an octave.
C. dynamic accent.
D. timbre.
16. Dynamics in music refers to
A. the quality that distinguishes musical sounds.
B. the relative highness or lowness we hear in a sound.
C. an exemplary performance.
D. degrees of loudness and softness.
17. The loudness of a sound is related to the _________ of the vibration that produces the sound.
A. timbre
B. amplitude
C. duration
D. frequency
18. A dynamic accent occurs in music when a performer
A. emphasizes a tone by playing it more loudly than the tones around it.
B. plays all the notes loudly.
C. stamps his or her foot on the floor.
D. begins speeding up the music.

,19. When a performer emphasizes a tone by playing it more loudly than the tones around it, it is called a
A. blooper
B. dynamic accent
C. crescendo
D. pianissimo
20. When notating music for others to read, composers traditionally have used ____________ words to
indicate dynamics.
A. English
B. Italian
C. German
D. Russian
21. The Italian dynamic markings traditionally used to indicate very soft, soft, and very loud are
respectively
A. piano, mezzo forte, forte.
B. mezzo piano, forte, fortissimo.
C. pianissimo, piano, fortissimo.
D. pianissimo, forte, fortissimo.
22. A gradual increase in loudness is known as a
A. decrescendo.
B. crescendo.
C. fortissimo.
D. diminuendo.
23. A gradual decrease in loudness is known as a ________
A. ritardando
B. crescendo
C. fortissimo
D. diminuendo
24. Timbre is synonymous with _______
A. sound
B. vibrations
C. tone color
D. dynamic accent
25. Tone color is synonymous with __________
A. sound
B. amplitude
C. timbre
D. dynamic accent
26. It is more difficult to sing than to speak because
A. singing demands a greater supply of air and control of breath.
B. vowel sounds are held longer in singing than in speaking.
C. wider ranges of pitch and volume are used in singing than in speaking.
D. All answers are correct
27. The range of a singer's voice depends on
A. training.
B. physical makeup.
C. training and physical makeup.
D. which microphone the singer uses.

, 28. While professional singers can command a pitch range of two octaves or more, an untrained voice is
usually limited to about
A. half an octave.
B. one octave.
C. an octave and a half.
D. two octaves.
29. Which of the following is not a normal classification of male voice ranges?
A. contralto
B. baritone
C. tenor
D. bass
30. Register refers to
A. part of an instrument's total range.
B. playing two or more notes at the same time.
C. the instrument manufacturer's brand name.
D. the number of reeds an instrument uses.
31. A part of an instrument's total range is called a
A. mute.
B. register.
C. pizzicato.
D. subrange.
32. A symphonic band
A. is another term for symphonic orchestra.
B. consists mainly of brass and percussion instruments.
C. uses a drum-major instead of a conductor.
D. consists mainly of brass, woodwind, and percussion instruments.
33. Symphonic bands differ from symphonic orchestras in that they
A. are smaller.
B. have a drum major instead of a conductor.
C. play only marches.
D. do not contain a string section.
34. The bow that string players usually use to produce sound on their instruments is a slightly curved stick
strung tightly with
A. catgut.
B. horsehair.
C. string.
D. flax.
35. The strings of a violin are tuned
A. by tightening or loosening the pegs.
B. by putting on new strings.
C. by moving the bridge.
D. at the factory.
36. Plucking the string with the finger instead of using a bow is called
A. tremolo.
B. pizzicato.
C. vibrato.
D. pluckato.