Music Theory & Notation
This symbol tells musicians to play loud/strong.
What is forte (f)?
This family includes instruments that produce sound buzzing into a mouthpiece.
What is brass?
This keyboard instrument, invented around 1700, replaced the harpsichord because it could play both loud and soft.
What is the piano?
This person stands at the front of the ensemble and leads the group through tempo, cues, and interpretation.
Who is the conductor?
This composer, known for his powerful film scores, wrote the music for Star Wars, Harry Potter, and Jurassic Park.
Who is John Williams?
This marking tells you to gradually get softer.
What is a decrescendo or diminuendo?
This percussion instrument can play melodies because it has tuned wooden bars.
What is the xylophone or marimba?
This early string instrument, shaped like a small guitar, was popular in medieval and Renaissance music and is considered an ancestor of the modern guitar.
What is the lute?
This device assists in maintaining a steady tempo using clicks.
What is a metronome?
This English composer wrote The Planets, a suite where each movement represents a different astrological character.
Who is Gustav Holst?
This is the other name for the 4/4 time signature.
What is common time (C)?
This double‑reed instrument is known for its bright, penetrating tone and is often used to tune the orchestra/band.
What is the oboe?
This major musical shift in the 20th century blended African rhythms, blues, and improvisation, eventually becoming one of America’s most influential genres.
What is jazz?
This term refers to the way a musician shapes their mouth, lips, and facial muscles to produce a controlled, focused sound on a wind instrument.
What is embouchure?
This famous composer wrote “Ode to Joy,” which appears in his Ninth Symphony.
Who is Ludwig van Beethoven?
This sign raises a note by a half step.
What is a sharp (#)?
This low woodwind instrument often reinforces the bass foundation of the concert band with a reedy timbre.
What is the bassoon?
This invention in the early 20th century allowed musicians to broadcast live performances to audiences miles away, changing how people experienced music.
What is the radio?
This device, often made of cloth, silk, or cotton, is used to clean a woodwind instrument.
What is a swab?
This composer is most well known for his "Messiah" oratorio, often played during Christmas time.
Who is George Frideric Handel?
This sign indicates a sharp, flat, or natural, even if the key signature says otherwise.
What is an accidental?
This large brass instrument provides the bass pitches and can be worn by its player.
What is the sousaphone?
This invention in the 1920s was the first electronic instrument that could be played without touching it.
What is the theremin?
This is the term for the complete collection of all instrumental parts, used only by the conductor.
What is the score?
This Russian composer is known for The Nutcracker and Swan Lake, two of the most famous ballets ever written.
Who is Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky?