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Quiz about You Want To Play A What
Quiz about You Want To Play A What

You Want To Play A What? Trivia Quiz


Writing a rock song is easy right? Vocalist, a guitar or two, bass and drums. But just occasionally an unusual instrument gets thrown in the mix too, like these.

A multiple-choice quiz by 480154st. Estimated time: 4 mins.
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Author
480154st
Time
4 mins
Type
Multiple Choice
Quiz #
391,838
Updated
Dec 03 21
# Qns
10
Difficulty
Average
Avg Score
7 / 10
Plays
450
Awards
Top 35% Quiz
Last 3 plays: Guest 50 (8/10), Guest 108 (4/10), Guest 75 (7/10).
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Question 1 of 10
1. Which instrument made an appearance on both "It's A Long Way To The Top" by AC/DC and "Anthem" by Sensational Alex Harvey Band, showing the roots of band members? Hint


Question 2 of 10
2. "Spirit Of The Radio" by prog rockers Rush, "Little Wing" by Jimi Hendrix and U2's "I Will Follow" all make use of which xylophone like instrument? Hint


Question 3 of 10
3. Rod Stewart used one in a song about a wind, and Al Kooper helped Lynyrd Skynyrd by playing it on "Mississippi Kid". What was the instrument? Hint


Question 4 of 10
4. The flute is well known in rock music thanks to Jethro Tull, but which hard rock band used one on their 1970 album track "Planet Caravan"? Hint


Question 5 of 10
5. Which instrument, traditionally associated with bluegrass music, was played by Slash on the Guns n Roses track "Breakdown"? Hint


Question 6 of 10
6. David Miles played hurdy-gurdy for Metallica on their "Low Man's Lyric" track and Nigel Eaton played it on "Gallows Pole" for Robert Plant and Jimmy Page, but which former Deep Purple member is also an accomplished hurdy-gurdy player? Hint


Question 7 of 10
7. Loved by music teachers in schools throughout the world, and often a child's first instrument, on which Rolling Stones song did Brian Jones play the recorder? Hint


Question 8 of 10
8. When you are a band riding the crest of the punk/new wave wave, what you really want to do is release a song featuring an angry instrument like a harpsichord. Say what? Which English punk pioneers did just that? Hint


Question 9 of 10
9. "The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time" was a 1994 video game for the Nintendo 64 console which saw a huge rise in ocarina sales and interest in the instrument. However, The Troggs had famously used an ocarina many years before, on which track? Hint


Question 10 of 10
10. Originating in west and central Africa, and hugely popular in Guatemala, which percussion instrument was played by Jack White on White Stripes' track "The Nurse" as well as by Ray Cooper on Elton John's "Island Girl" and by Todd Rundgren on the Psychedelic Furs hit "Love My Way"? Hint



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Most Recent Scores
Oct 24 2024 : Guest 50: 8/10
Oct 20 2024 : Guest 108: 4/10
Oct 17 2024 : Guest 75: 7/10
Oct 10 2024 : Guest 24: 7/10
Sep 29 2024 : Guest 24: 5/10
Sep 20 2024 : Guest 24: 7/10
Sep 19 2024 : Guest 32: 6/10
Sep 19 2024 : Guest 46: 10/10
Sep 15 2024 : Guest 24: 7/10

Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts
1. Which instrument made an appearance on both "It's A Long Way To The Top" by AC/DC and "Anthem" by Sensational Alex Harvey Band, showing the roots of band members?

Answer: Bagpipes

Alex Harvey was from Glasgow and AC/DC's Bon Scott was born in Forfar, so it's no surprise they admired the bagpipes, but while "Anthem" used the London-Scottish Territorial Army Regiment to play the pipes, Scott actually played them himself on the AC/DC track.

When Corporation Lane in Melbourne was renamed ACDC Lane, bagpipers played "It's A Long Way To The Top" as part of the opening ceremony.
2. "Spirit Of The Radio" by prog rockers Rush, "Little Wing" by Jimi Hendrix and U2's "I Will Follow" all make use of which xylophone like instrument?

Answer: Glockenspiel

Producer Steve Lilywhite played the glock for U2 while drummer Neil Peart did the honours for Rush, and Hendrix played it on his track. Other notable appearances for the glockenspiel include "Born To Run" by Bruce Springsteen, Bloc Party track "Signs", "I Write Sins Not Tragedies" by Panic! At The Disco and even "Nightmare" by heavy metal band Avenged Sevenfold.
3. Rod Stewart used one in a song about a wind, and Al Kooper helped Lynyrd Skynyrd by playing it on "Mississippi Kid". What was the instrument?

Answer: Mandolin

Ray Jackson from the band Lindisfarne is credited with playing on Stewart's "Mandolin Wind", although Stewart has said it was so long ago, he can't really remember who the musician was. A notable mention must go to the Rolling Stones who drafted in Ry Cooder to play mandolin on their version of Robert Johnson's "Love In Vain".
4. The flute is well known in rock music thanks to Jethro Tull, but which hard rock band used one on their 1970 album track "Planet Caravan"?

Answer: Black Sabbath

Guitarist Tony Iommi played flute on "Planet Caravan" from "Paranoid", Sabbath's second album, a track which also featured conga drums. Also worth checking out if the flute is your thing are "Rhayander/Rhayander Goes To Town" by prog rock band Camel and Ukrainian death metal band Nokturnal Mortum who have a flautist named Saturious.
5. Which instrument, traditionally associated with bluegrass music, was played by Slash on the Guns n Roses track "Breakdown"?

Answer: Banjo

For a great banjo track, have a listen to "Journey Of The Sorcerer", by Eagles, an instrumental track from their 1975 album, "One Of These Nights". Alternatively check out Hayseed Dixie or Iron Horse, as both bands do some interesting banjo/fiddle cover versions of artists like AC/DC, Motorhead, Kiss and Van Halen among others.

The banjo was also used by Led Zeppelin on "Gallows Pole", along with a mandolin.
6. David Miles played hurdy-gurdy for Metallica on their "Low Man's Lyric" track and Nigel Eaton played it on "Gallows Pole" for Robert Plant and Jimmy Page, but which former Deep Purple member is also an accomplished hurdy-gurdy player?

Answer: Ritchie Blackmore

Blackmore formed the band Blackmore's Night in 1997, with his wife, Candice Night, and they play medieval folk rock, or as Blackmore himself described it, "Mike Oldfield meets Enya.". They have released several albums, and the majority feature Blackmore playing the hurdy-gurdy on at least one track.
7. Loved by music teachers in schools throughout the world, and often a child's first instrument, on which Rolling Stones song did Brian Jones play the recorder?

Answer: Ruby Tuesday

Jones was a talented multi-instrumentalist, contributing to many Stones tracks in a variety of ways. Apart from guitar and harmonica, he played sitar on "Paint It Black", mellatron on "Stray Cat Blues", marimba on "Under My Thumb", saxophone on "Citadel" as well as autoharp, oboe and Appalachian dulcimer on various tracks. Jones sadly died in 1969.
8. When you are a band riding the crest of the punk/new wave wave, what you really want to do is release a song featuring an angry instrument like a harpsichord. Say what? Which English punk pioneers did just that?

Answer: The Stranglers

"Golden Brown" was the track from The Stranglers' 1981 album "La folie" on which keyboard player Dave Greenfield turned his hand to the harpsichord. Even less punk, is the fact that this is a popular track for advanced dancers to waltz to, although is not suitable for beginners as it has an extra upbeat. In 1983, "Golden Brown" won an Ivor Novello award.
9. "The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time" was a 1994 video game for the Nintendo 64 console which saw a huge rise in ocarina sales and interest in the instrument. However, The Troggs had famously used an ocarina many years before, on which track?

Answer: Wild Thing

It was 1966 when lead singer Reg Presley could be found playing an ocarina, an instrument which dates back over 12,000 years and was used in ancient Chinese civilizations. It is also known as a shepherd's flute, and consists of an enclosed space with a mouthpiece and between four and twelve finger holes. Normally ceramic, Reg Presley had fibreglass models made as he kept breaking the traditional ones.
10. Originating in west and central Africa, and hugely popular in Guatemala, which percussion instrument was played by Jack White on White Stripes' track "The Nurse" as well as by Ray Cooper on Elton John's "Island Girl" and by Todd Rundgren on the Psychedelic Furs hit "Love My Way"?

Answer: Marimba

The marimba is actually a widely used instrument across many musical genres. The Rolling Stones use it on "Under My Thumb", Carl Orff used it in his opera "Antigonae" and Ed Sheeran with "Shape Of You" and ABBA with "Mamma Mia" both had chart success with marimba songs. Not as well known but well worth a listen is Ruth Underwood, playing an electric marimba on Frank Zappa's track "St. Alfonzo's Pancake Breakfast".
Source: Author 480154st

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