The Piano Trivia Quiz

Answer: C

"Middle C" is the note that most piano players are first taught. When they are beginning to learn the instrument, it helps the player to master the notes of the different scales before moving onto more complicated pieces higher up and lower down the piano.

Answer: Claude Debussy

Debussy wrote many piano solos, but never a complete piano concerto. The other three, however, wrote many.

Answer: Hammer

Special hammers are used to hit the string using a simple mechanism so that when a key is depressed, the hammer strikes the corresponding string. The hammer then returns to its original position for the next time its note is needed. A plectrum is used to strum guitars, a bow is used on string instruments (e.g. the violin) and reeds are used on woodwind instruments (e.g. clarinets).

Answer: 36

There are 36 black keys and 52 white keys altogether making a total of 88. The black notes are: A#, C#, D#, F# and G# (or Bb, Db, Eb, Gb and Ab respectively); and the white notes are: A, B, C, D, E, F and G.

Answer: Quiet-loud

'Piano' is the Italian word for 'soft' or 'quiet' and 'forte' is Italian for 'strong' or 'loud'. The instrument was called this because it could create a range of dynamics when being played.

Answer: Láng Láng

Láng Láng is a Chinese concert pianist; Sam "The Man" Taylor was an American tenor saxophonist; Ulf Håkan Hardenberger is a Swedish trumpeter and Caoimhín Ó Raghallaigh is an Irish fiddler.

Answer: Percussion

The piano would be in the percussion section as it has hammers inside of it that need to hit the string before the sound can be heard thus classing it as percussion. Piano soloists would, of course, be seated at the front of the orchestra instead of with the percussion section.

Answer: A

On most pianos, the lowest note is an 'A'. This note was chosen to be the lowest note because the sound becomes too weak for the average human ear to tell the difference between notes lower than it.

Answer: Steinway & Sons

Steinway is the only true piano 'brand' in the list. Dolgoch is simply a Welsh name, Wakana a Japanese name and Xavier a French name.

Answer: Bamboo

Mahogany is used for legs, key-bed mouldings, pedal lyres and cross-banding veneer. Sugar pine is used for soundboard ribs. Hard maple is used for action parts, wrest planks, bridges and rims.