Lesson T1.1.2

T1.1.2 Ensemble performance Quiz: KS3 Music, Unit 1

20 questions

Written by Revision Ninja · Last reviewed 11 October 2026

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Lesson T1.1.2, Ensemble performance: 20 multiple choice questions for the KS3 Music (National Curriculum), Unit 1: Performing, written with Revision Ninja.

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The 20 questions

  1. What is an ensemble?

    • Performers playing or singing together, each with a part
    • A notation system used only for percussion instruments
    • A piece written only for a solo voice with no accompaniment
    • A single performer playing several instruments at the same time

  2. In a choir, what does balance mean?

    • All singers sing at exactly the same volume throughout the piece
    • Each part is heard at a level suited to the music
    • Singers stand in a circle so the audience hears them from all sides
    • Every singer sings the melody line at the same time

  3. What is the key skill that ensemble playing depends on?

    • Playing each phrase exactly as practised alone
    • Memorising the whole score before rehearsals begin
    • Listening and adjusting to fit the group
    • Playing the loudest part so the group can follow you

  4. In a rock band, what is the usual role of the rhythm section?

    • Writing the lyrics while the others rehearse
    • A steady pulse and groove for the band
    • Playing the main melody over all the other parts
    • Choosing the key the band will perform in on the night

  5. In ensemble music, what is a 'part'?

    • A short cadence played at the end of a verse only
    • The complete score for every instrument on a single page
    • Music for one performer or one group of instruments
    • The first bar of a piece used to set the tempo

  6. What does a 'cue' mean in ensemble playing?

    • The final chord that ends a piece in a major key
    • A note played outside the piece's key by mistake
    • A repeated section that the whole group must play twice
    • A nod or gesture that signals when to come in

  7. What is a 'tutti' passage?

    • A slow passage marked to be played very quietly
    • A section where the whole ensemble plays together
    • A section written in a different time signature from the rest
    • A passage played by one instrument only with the others resting

  8. What does 'unison' mean in ensemble performance?

    • Performers taking turns to play a solo each bar
    • Several performers playing the same notes at the same time
    • Playing with no accompaniment or rhythm at all
    • Each performer playing a different melody in a different key

  9. A school orchestra's cellos are much louder than the violins, hiding the melody. What should the conductor ask for?

    • The violins to stop playing until the cellos finish
    • The whole orchestra to play faster to cover the gap
    • The cellos to play more quietly so the violins can be heard
    • The cellos to move up an octave without changing the volume

  10. A drummer keeps speeding up during a group song. Which ensemble skill is lacking?

    • Improvising a solo over the chords
    • Keeping a steady tempo together
    • Tuning the instrument before the performance
    • Reading staff notation accurately

  11. A samba band must lock together on the same pattern. What is the main ensemble aim?

    • Changing the tempo by one player's choice alone
    • Playing a shared rhythm in time with each other
    • Each player improvising a melody in a different key
    • Playing a long solo while the others rest

  12. A singer in a choir hears that she is singing ahead of the others. What should she do?

    • Stop singing until the choir finishes the verse
    • Listen to the others and match her timing
    • Move to the alto part without telling the conductor
    • Sing louder so the others can catch up to her

  13. A school band plays a chord, but one player is a semitone flat. What does this affect?

    • The tempo of the whole piece gets faster
    • The piece changes from major to minor
    • It sounds out of tune with the group
    • The time signature changes to a different metre

  14. Which signal is most useful for an ensemble leader to bring everyone in together?

    • Asking the audience to clap on the first beat
    • A clear upward breath or beat before the entry
    • Turning the lights off in the performance space
    • Playing a loud chord on the piano alone

  15. A pianist plays a chord while the cellist plays a long sustained note underneath. What is this sustained note called?

    • A fermata
    • A drone
    • A glissando
    • A cadenza

  16. A conductor or leader must make sure a piece starts together. What is their main role?

    • Playing the loudest part to drown out mistakes
    • Choosing which audience members sit nearest the stage
    • Writing a new piece for the ensemble during the performance
    • Giving clear beats and cues so everyone enters together

  17. Two bass and melody lines move in contrary motion. What does this create?

    • A pattern that repeats without any change in pitch
    • Two identical lines that move in the same direction
    • Two lines moving in opposite directions
    • A single line played by two instruments in unison

  18. Why does a group often rehearse sections separately as well as the whole piece?

    • Because separate rehearsals change the time signature of the piece
    • Because the full group is not allowed to play until each part is memorised
    • Because sections cannot be played in the same key as the whole
    • Each part is secure before the parts are combined

  19. A string quartet has four players. Which combination of instruments is correct?

    • Two violins, two cellos and a double bass
    • Two violins, a viola and a cello
    • Two flutes, a clarinet and a trumpet
    • Four violins playing in different keys

  20. Which texture has one melody supported by chords that move in the same rhythm?

    • Heterophony
    • Homophony
    • Monophony
    • Polyphony

All KS3 Music quizzes