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Notes, Strings & Symphonies
Instruments, composers and the words written on every score.
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How many strings does a standard violin have?
Genres and Where They Began
Almost every genre is traceable to a city, a neighbourhood or a room. These are ten of the clearest cases.
About this topic
Musical genres are rarely invented; they emerge, usually in one place, out of whatever instruments, recordings and audiences happened to be available. Hip hop needed two turntables and a block party. House needed a Chicago club and a drum machine. Bossa nova needed a handful of musicians in Rio with an interest in American jazz. This quiz traces ten genres back to where they formed. The explanations give the decade and, where it is known, the specific scene — which is usually more interesting than the label that got attached later.
Questions & answers
Genres and Where They Began: all 10 questions and answers
Every question in this quiz is listed below with its correct answer and the reasoning behind it. Play first if you would rather not see the answers — or read through as a study sheet.
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1Reggae developed in which country?
- A Cuba
- B Trinidad and Tobago
- C Ghana
- D Jamaica Correct
Answer: D. Jamaica
Why: It grew out of ska and rocksteady in the late 1960s. Bob Marley and the Wailers carried it worldwide in the 1970s.
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2Which genre emerged from block parties in the Bronx during the 1970s?
- A Punk
- B House
- C Hip hop Correct
- D Disco
Answer: C. Hip hop
Why: DJs looped the instrumental breaks of funk records so dancers could keep going, and MCs talked over the top.
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3Flamenco is most associated with which region?
- A The Algarve in Portugal
- B Andalusia in southern Spain Correct
- C Provence in France
- D Tuscany in Italy
Answer: B. Andalusia in southern Spain
Why: It combines song, guitar and dance, with deep Roma influence. UNESCO added it to its heritage list in 2010.
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4Which American city is the industry centre of country music?
- A Nashville Correct
- B New Orleans
- C Detroit
- D Seattle
Answer: A. Nashville
Why: The Grand Ole Opry has broadcast from there since 1925, and the recording industry followed.
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5Which genre is built on the twelve-bar form and flattened "blue" notes?
- A Bebop
- B Ragtime
- C Gospel
- D Blues Correct
Answer: D. Blues
Why: It formed in the Deep South in the late nineteenth century, and its harmony underpins both rock and jazz.
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6Motown Records was founded in which city?
- A New York
- B Philadelphia
- C Detroit Correct
- D Chicago
Answer: C. Detroit
Why: Berry Gordy founded it in 1959. The name blends "motor" and "town", after the city's car industry.
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7Bossa nova originated in which country?
- A Mexico
- B Brazil Correct
- C Argentina
- D Portugal
Answer: B. Brazil
Why: It emerged in Rio de Janeiro in the late 1950s, softening samba rhythm with jazz harmony.
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8House music takes its name from a club in which city?
- A Chicago Correct
- B New York
- C Berlin
- D London
Answer: A. Chicago
Why: The Warehouse gave the genre its name in the early 1980s. Techno developed separately in Detroit at much the same time.
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9K-pop refers to popular music produced in which country?
- A Japan
- B Thailand
- C Singapore
- D South Korea Correct
Answer: D. South Korea
Why: It is built around agencies that train performers for years before release. It broke globally during the 2010s.
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10Opera as a form began in which country?
- A France
- B Austria
- C Italy Correct
- D Germany
Answer: C. Italy
Why: It appeared in Florence around 1600. Italian is still the source of most tempo and dynamic markings.
Read alongside this quiz
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Harmony is not a matter of taste alone. Simple ratios, overtones, and the compromise hiding inside every piano.
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