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Music History Facts

Bowed strings, patent dates and chart firsts. This one is for people who read liner notes and know why an orchestra follows the oboe.

🎸 Music hard 20 questions ~7 min

What this quiz asks

Who invented the saxophone?
Which instrument does a symphony orchestra traditionally tune to?
Who is credited with inventing the piano around the year 1700?
In which year did Billboard launch its Hot 100 singles chart?
Beethoven was almost completely deaf by the time his Ninth Symphony premiered in 1824.
Was the theremin designed to be played without the performer ever touching it?
Select ALL of these instruments that are normally played with a bow in an orchestra.
Which invention did Thomas Edison unveil in 1877, allowing sound to be recorded and played back?
Which composer wrote the symphony nicknamed the Surprise, thanks to a sudden loud chord in its slow movement?
How many strings does a standard concert pedal harp have?
Which of these tempo markings asks for the fastest playing?
Modern concert pitch sets the A above middle C at 440 hertz.
Was the first Grammy Award ceremony held in the 1950s?
Sam Phillips founded which Memphis record label in 1952?
In which German city was Bach's St Matthew Passion first performed in 1727?
Select ALL of these orchestral instruments that belong to the woodwind family.
Select ALL of these composers who were born in the 18th century.
Order these recording formats by when the public first got them, earliest first.
How many keys does a standard full-size modern piano have?
Antonio Stradivari built his violins in the Italian town of Cremona.