Deck 1

Question 1

The note with the longest string on a standard piano keyboard is

Answer 1

A

Question 2

A piano has over X number of parts

Answer 2

10,000

Question 3

The note with the shortest string is

Answer 3

C

Question 4

Today’s pianos use strings made from…

Answer 4

high tension steel

Question 5

Each piano key has how many strings?

Answer 5

Most have 3, except for the lower register which has 2 or a single string wrapped in coiled copper.

Question 6

The pitch of a string is determined by its

Answer 6

length and tension

Question 7

What two things happen when a key is struck?

Answer 7

1. A hinged hammer on the other end comes up to strike the strings
2. The key lifts the damper off the strings so it can vibrate

Question 8

Hammers are located above or below strings?

Answer 8

Below

Question 9

Hammers are covered in

Answer 9

felt

Question 10

The volume of sound is determined by

Answer 10

The speed of the hammer striking the string. To play louder the hammer must strike faster and vice versa.

(From further research, force is also involved and the force can be determined by speed, distance and of course the design of the action)

Question 11

What is the piano action called that allows the hammer to fall away immediately after striking the string and why does this matter?

Answer 11

Escapement allows the hammer to fall away immediately which 1) lets the sound ring and 2) allows rapid repetition of a key/note.

Question 12

The soundboard _______ the tone of the vibrating strings through ______.

Answer 12

The soundboard amplifies the tone of the vibrating strings through sympathetic vibration.

Question 13

Cracks can develop in the soundboard due to

Answer 13

dryness
extreme temperature changes

Question 14

The pedal to the right is called _____.
It’s function is….

Answer 14

the damper
to lift the dampers off the strings, sustaining the sound until the pedal is released.

Question 15

The left pedal is called the ____. It functions by ______ in order to both _____ and ______.

Answer 15

Una corda or soft pedal

Shifts the keyboard to the right causing the hammers to hit one less string

It both softens the sound and changes to tone quality to a more muted veiled sound.

Question 16

The middle pedal is called _____.
It’s function is to _______.
What is unique about this pedal?

Answer 16

Sostenuto pedal
It sustains the sound of thise keys depressed when the pedal goes down but not notes olayed afterwards (unlike the damper pedal which sustains all notes played while it is down).
The sostenuto pedal is not on all pianos and is not essential for playing the piano repertoire.

Question 17

The keyboard cover is also called

Answer 17

the fallboard

Question 18

You should sit on the front half of the bench. With your arms extended your knuckles should reach

Answer 18

the fallboard. If you have to lean, move the bench.

Question 19

With shoulders relaxed and your hands on the keys, your forearms should be

Answer 19

level with the keyboard

Question 20

The curve of your fingers should be the same as

Answer 20

the natural curve of your fingers when your arms are hanging loosely at your sides

Question 21

What part of the thumb plays the key

Answer 21

the side tip

Question 22

A written note (other than a whole note) consists of a stem and a _____.

Answer 22

notehead

Question 23

A double bar line means

Answer 23

the end of the piece.

Question 24

The interval between C and E is

Answer 24

a third

Question 25

An interval can be played which two ways?

Answer 25

1) Broken (separately in sequence) 2) Blocked (together simultaneously)

Question 26

Playing the same piece using different keys is called

Answer 26

transposing

Question 27

A measure is ______.
______ divide the music into measures.

Answer 27

a group of beats
bar lines

Question 28

The word scale comes from

Answer 28

the Latin word “scala” meaning ladder.

Question 29

Penta is Latin for

Answer 29

five

Question 30

A penta scale is

Answer 30

a 5-note scale

Question 31

What are the notes of the C pentascale

Answer 31

C-D-E-F-G

Question 32

The overall structure of a piece is called

Answer 32

musical form

eg sections A & B with form A-B-A

Question 33

mf is a _____
and it means _____

Answer 33

dynamic mark
mezzo forte, moderately loud

Question 34

A musical pattern that is repeated higher or lower is called a

Answer 34

sequence

Question 35

There are X lines and Y spaces on a staff.

Answer 35

There are 5 lines and 4 spaces on a staff.

Question 36

Piano uses two staves (staffs) connected by a ______ and a ______ which is called ______.

Answer 36

brace
bar line (that connects both staves)
Grand Staff

Question 37

In a time signature the top number is _____ and the bottom is _____.

Answer 37

beats per measure

the kind of note receiving one beat

Question 38

An accent mark (>) above or below a note means to emphasize the note by

Answer 38

playing it louder than the notes around it.