Lesson T2.2.2

T2.2.2 Developing musical ideas across traditions Quiz: KS3 Music, Unit 2

20 questions

Written by Revision Ninja · Last reviewed 11 October 2026

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Lesson T2.2.2, Developing musical ideas across traditions: 20 multiple choice questions for the KS3 Music (National Curriculum), Unit 2: Improvising and composing, written with Revision Ninja.

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The 20 questions

  1. What is a tradition in music?

    • A fixed tempo set for every piece in a concert
    • A type of notation used only in film scores
    • Customs and conventions passed down in a community
    • A single piece written by one composer and published once

  2. Which tradition uses the raga system?

    • Caribbean steel pan music
    • Indian classical music
    • Medieval European plainsong
    • Scottish Highland pipe music

  3. What is a raga in Indian classical music?

    • A melodic framework of set note rules
    • A rhythmic cycle played on a drum
    • A form of song with a chorus and verse
    • A harmony played over a fixed bass line

  4. What is a tala in Indian music?

    • A drone played continuously under the melody
    • A type of ornamentation for the voice
    • A repeating rhythmic cycle
    • A melody written with no rhythm

  5. Which tradition is associated with the gamelan ensemble?

    • Scottish pipe bands
    • Argentine tango
    • Music from Java and Bali
    • The Viennese waltz tradition

  6. What is a griot in West African tradition?

    • A type of drum used only at weddings
    • An instrument made from a gourd
    • A scale used in African harmony
    • A storyteller and musician

  7. Which tradition is most associated with the bagpipes?

    • Japanese koto music
    • Gregorian chant
    • Scottish folk
    • Brazilian samba

  8. What is flamenco?

    • Spanish art of song, guitar and dance
    • A Brazilian dance using a tambourine
    • An Italian opera form with spoken dialogue
    • A German brass band style

  9. A student uses the notes of an Indian raga to build a melody for a Western ensemble. Which skill is being applied?

    • Strict copying of a score note for note
    • Adapting ideas to a new setting
    • Applying twelve-tone serial rules
    • Writing a fugue with a strict subject

  10. Which features are typical of samba?

    • Only sustained string chords
    • A slow unmetred chant with no rhythm
    • A long solo with no accompaniment
    • Percussion and call and response

  11. A composer uses a drone in a piece inspired by Scottish pipes. What does the drone provide?

    • A fast cadenza at the end
    • A constant pitch underneath the melody
    • A short syncopated rhythm played on a snare
    • A change of key every four bars

  12. Why would a composer study the rhythm of a Ghanaian drumming tradition before composing?

    • To find out which key signature to avoid
    • How layered rhythms create a groove
    • To copy a whole piece from the tradition
    • To avoid using any percussion instruments

  13. A musician plays a Scottish reel much more slowly with rubato. Which idea is being developed?

    • Adding a drum solo without changing the tune
    • Replacing the tune with a new key signature only
    • Changing tempo and expression to reshape a tune
    • Changing the pitch of every note by an octave

  14. What is a tihai in Indian music?

    • A fast improvised section for the soloist
    • A drone sustained under the full ensemble
    • A short pause between two verses of a song
    • A repeated phrase landing on a strong beat

  15. A teacher asks students to take a pentatonic melody from Chinese tradition into a Western band. Which change best respects both traditions?

    • Ignoring the original phrasing entirely
    • Removing all rhythm from the melody
    • Keeping the scale and phrasing
    • Replacing every note with the chromatic scale

  16. Which instruments are central to a steel band from Trinidad?

    • Concert harps and timpani
    • Shakuhachi and koto
    • Tuned steel pans
    • Bandoneóns and guitars

  17. Why is it important to understand the cultural context of a tradition when developing its ideas?

    • It proves the music can be played on any instrument
    • It removes the need to listen to original recordings
    • It guarantees a commercial audience will buy the piece
    • It helps you use its ideas respectfully and accurately

  18. A composer combines a West African polyrhythm with European harmony. What is the most likely result?

    • An exact copy of a Western symphony with a drum added
    • A blend of rhythmic energy and familiar chords
    • A piece with no rhythm and only sustained chords
    • A strict fugue with no percussion

  19. Which pair of instruments is most typical of the Bhangra sound?

    • Bodhrán and tin whistle
    • Dhol and tumbi
    • Taiko and shakuhachi
    • Congas and maracas

  20. A melody in a Japanese style uses a pentatonic scale. What is one common name for that scale in Japanese music?

    • Whole-tone scale
    • Yo scale
    • Dorian mode
    • Raga Bhairav

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