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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?
The Orchestra, Section by Section
An orchestra is four families of instrument arranged by how far the sound carries. Here is how it fits together.
About this topic
A symphony orchestra looks complicated and is organised on a simple principle: instruments are grouped into four families, and the families are seated by how loud they are. Strings, the quietest and most numerous, sit at the front. Brass and percussion, which can drown everything else, sit at the back. These questions cover which instrument belongs where, what the conductor is actually doing, and a few conventions — like tuning to the oboe — that have survived long after the reason for them stopped being obvious.
Questions & answers
The Orchestra, Section by Section: 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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1Which section contains the violin, viola, cello and double bass?
- A Percussion
- B Strings Correct
- C Woodwind
- D Brass
Answer: B. Strings
Why: It is usually the largest section and sits nearest the conductor. A full orchestra may have thirty or more violins alone.
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2The oboe belongs to which family?
- A Woodwind Correct
- B Brass
- C Strings
- D Percussion
Answer: A. Woodwind
Why: It uses a double reed. The orchestra tunes to its A because its pitch is stable and its tone cuts through.
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3Which is the lowest-pitched instrument of the brass family?
- A Trombone
- B French horn
- C Trumpet
- D Tuba Correct
Answer: D. Tuba
Why: An orchestra usually carries just one, anchoring the bass of the brass section.
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4The timpani are what kind of instrument?
- A Wooden blocks
- B Hand bells
- C Tuned drums Correct
- D Cymbals
Answer: C. Tuned drums
Why: Pedals retune them mid-performance, which is why they can play actual notes. They are also called kettledrums.
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5A conductor's baton is used mainly to do what?
- A Signal the interval
- B Show the tempo and cue entries Correct
- C Amplify the sound
- D Hold the score in place
Answer: B. Show the tempo and cue entries
Why: The beating hand marks the metre while the free hand shapes dynamics and phrasing.
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6The clarinet produces its sound using what?
- A A single reed Correct
- B A double reed
- C A brass mouthpiece
- D Struck metal bars
Answer: A. A single reed
Why: The reed vibrates against the mouthpiece. Oboes and bassoons use two reeds vibrating against each other.
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7The leader of the first violins is known as what?
- A The conductor
- B The soloist
- C The principal
- D The concertmaster Correct
Answer: D. The concertmaster
Why: They lead the tuning, play violin solos and sit immediately to the conductor's left.
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8A symphony is best described as what?
- A A piece for a single instrument
- B The opening of an opera
- C An extended orchestral work, usually in several movements Correct
- D A short song for voice and piano
Answer: C. An extended orchestral work, usually in several movements
Why: Four movements is the classical norm. Haydn wrote more than a hundred of them.
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9Despite being made of brass, the saxophone is classed in which family?
- A Strings
- B Woodwind Correct
- C Brass
- D Percussion
Answer: B. Woodwind
Why: Families are defined by how the sound is produced, and the saxophone uses a single reed. Adolphe Sax patented it in the 1840s.
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10Where do the percussion and brass normally sit?
- A At the back of the orchestra Correct
- B At the very front
- C On the conductor's left
- D In the wings, offstage
Answer: A. At the back of the orchestra
Why: They carry furthest, so distance keeps them in balance with the strings.
Read alongside this quiz
Why some notes sound right together
Harmony is not a matter of taste alone. Simple ratios, overtones, and the compromise hiding inside every piano.
7 min readFrequently Asked Questions
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