The Little Drummer Boy Quiz | Percussion

Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. In an orchestra, how many drums are in a standard set of timpani (kettledrums)?

Answer: 4

They range in size from 23" diameter up to 32", and most modern tympani, ('tympano' is the singular), are adjustable in tone.

2. The carol, 'The Twelve Days of Christmas', is more than just a fun song to sing. Each numbered day has some religious significance, such as 'Three French Hens' meaning faith, hope, charity, and 'Ten Lords a-leaping' representing the Ten Commandments. What does 'Twelve Drummers Drumming' represent?

Answer: 12 articles of the Apostles Creed

This is the one version (there are several) of the 'Apostle's Creed', with the twelve articles numbered -

1. 'I believe in God the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth.
2. I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord.
3. He was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary.
4. Under Pontius Pilate, He was crucified, died, and was buried.
5. He descended to the dead. On the third day he rose again.
6. He ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father.
7. He will come again to judge the living and the dead.
8. I believe in the Holy Spirit,
9. the holy catholic Church, the communion of saints,
10. the forgiveness of sins,
11. the resurrection of the body,
12. and the life everlasting.
Amen.'

The 'Four Calling Birds' are the four Gospels and 'Eleven Pipers Piping' are the eleven faithful disciples.

3. In a standard drum kit, such as used by most pop music bands, which type of drum is usually played with a foot pedal?

Answer: Bass drum

The bass drum is usually played with a pedal operated by the right foot of the drummer. It is often decorated with the band's name or logo.

A floor tom is a deep drum, played with normal sticks, and the snare is the small drum directly in front of the drummer. It gets its name from the metal wire coils across the bottom skin (the 'snares').

Claves are not drums- they are a pair of thick sticks that are banged together.

4. A remarkably talented drummer belted out the beat for 'The Muppets' house band. Most people would recognise him as Animal, but do you know the name of the band?

Answer: Dr. Teeth and The Electric Mayhem

Animal was allegedly a parody of some of the wilder drummers of the rock era; in fact he gets so carried away that he has to be chained to his drumkit! The Electric Mayhem were part of the Muppets' amazing cover version of Queen's 'Bohemian Rhapsody'.

Rick Dees released 'Disco Duck' in 1976 to cash in on the disco craze. Australia's Captain Matchbox released a few fun songs in the early 1970s, including 'My Canary Has Circles Under His Eyes', 'Your Feets Too Big' and 'Wangaratta Wahine'. Strawberry Alarm Clock were part of the 'flower power' movement of the 1960s, with their big hit being 'Incense and Peppermints'.

5. Drumsticks are used to play many types of drum, but which instrument is usually NOT played with them?

Answer: Dayereh

Dayereh come from Central Asia, and are a very old instrument. They are similar to a tambourine, but are played differently. The fingers are used much more than the palm, and both hands are used to produce the sound.

Drumsticks are traditionally made of wood, but can also be made of newer materials such as fibreglass, or with nylon tips.

6. Three of these terms relate to drum-playing, and one does not. Which is the odd one out?

Answer: Clavier

A clavier is part of a keyboard instrument, particularly the piano. It is the technical term for the keyboard.

A flam is two drum strokes played quickly in succession, and a paradiddle is a series of four strokes. A pataflafla is a set of four strokes, with the first and last being flams.

7. Not all drums are made just for making music. Slit drums are made from hollow logs in areas of Africa and Asia, but for what purpose?

Answer: Communication

Different thicknesses of wood in the drum give different tones, and the booming, resonant sound can carry for miles.

8. A bongosero is an expert player of which type of drum?

Answer: Bongos

Bongos are an integral part of Cuban music and are played by hand, with sticks rarely being used. Their origin is not certain, but they may have been modified from Central African instruments.

Bongos consist of two small drums joined together, and held between the knees.

The bougarabou is quite a bit larger, and comes from Senegal. The djembe is similar, but higher pitched than a bougarabou; it also comes from western Africa. A marimba is a much larger instrument and is similar to a large xylophone.

9. Who played the drums on most of Elvis Presley's earlier hits?

Answer: DJ Fontana

Dominic Joseph Fontana was there at the beginning of Elvis' brilliant career, and stayed with him for many years, and many hits. They parted company in 1970.

Sonny Payne was the beatsmith for Count Basie, and the flamboyant Bobby Elliot supplied the beat, and sometimes the lead, for the British invasion band, The Hollies. Carl Palmer was the Palmer in progressive rock group, Emerson, Lake and Palmer.

10. Which of these musicians would most likely to play a bodhran with a cipin?

Answer: Irish traditional musician

It is a hand-held drum, a bit like a large tambourine without the metal jingly bits. The cipin (or tipper) is a double-headed drumstick, and the instrument can also be played with just hands or fingers.

Source: Author ozzz2002

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor gtho4 before going online.
Any errors found in FunTrivia content are routinely corrected through our feedback system.

The Little Drummer Boy Trivia Quiz

Big drums, little drums, soft drums, loud drums- they are all here, even a few cousins of drums.

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