Lesson T3.1.1

T3.1.1 Staff notation Quiz: KS3 Music, Unit 3

20 questions

Written by Revision Ninja · Last reviewed 11 October 2026

In partnership with Revision Ninja

Lesson T3.1.1, Staff notation: 20 multiple choice questions for the KS3 Music (National Curriculum), Unit 3: Musical notation, written with Revision Ninja.

Host it live on the board and students join with a game code on their own devices, or revise alone with Free Play. The answers are revealed in the game.

Host this setFree Play

The 20 questions

  1. How many lines does a standard musical staff have?

    • Four
    • Five
    • Six
    • Three

  2. What is the symbol at the start of the staff that shows which pitches the lines represent?

    • Time signature
    • Clef
    • Barline
    • Key signature

  3. Which clef is used for higher-pitched notes, such as the right-hand melody on piano?

    • Percussion clef
    • Treble clef
    • Tab clef
    • Bass clef

  4. What does a time signature of 3/4 show?

    • Three semibreves in each bar
    • Four minim beats in each bar
    • Three crotchet beats a bar
    • Four crotchets in each bar

  5. How many beats is a minim worth in 4/4?

    • Four
    • Two
    • One
    • Half a beat

  6. Which symbol means a rest lasting a full bar in any time signature?

    • Breve rest, lasting two bars
    • Crotchet rest, lasting one beat
    • Semibreve rest
    • Quaver rest, lasting half a beat

  7. What does a bar line do?

    • It marks the end of the piece only
    • It shows the speed of the piece in beats per minute
    • It shows which notes should be played loudly
    • It divides the music into equal measures

  8. What does a key signature show?

    • Which instruments play the piece
    • The speed of the music in beats per minute
    • Which sharps or flats apply throughout
    • How many beats are in each bar

  9. On the treble clef, what is the note name of the bottom line?

    • G
    • C
    • E
    • B

  10. A bar of 4/4 contains a crotchet, two quavers and a minim. Does it add up?

    • No, it adds up to 3 beats
    • No, it adds up to 5 beats
    • No, it adds up to 6 beats
    • Yes, 1 + 1 + 2 = 4 beats

  11. A bar of 3/4 has a dotted minim and a crotchet. Does it fit?

    • Yes, it adds up to 3 beats
    • No, it adds up to 5 beats
    • Yes, it adds up to 2 beats
    • No, it adds up to 4 beats

  12. A key signature shows one sharp, on F. Which key is most likely?

    • C major
    • G major
    • D minor
    • F major

  13. A student wants a rest lasting two beats in 4/4. Which rest is correct?

    • Crotchet rest
    • Quaver rest
    • Minim rest
    • Semibreve rest

  14. A tempo marking says allegro. What does this tell the performer?

    • Pause with a long hold
    • Play very quietly
    • Play slowly and sadly
    • Play fast and lively

  15. What does a dotted crotchet equal in 4/4?

    • 1 beat
    • 1.5 beats
    • 2 beats
    • 0.5 beats

  16. What is a ledger line used for?

    • Changing the pitch of an entire staff
    • Marking the start of a repeat
    • Notes above or below the staff
    • Showing a change of key mid-bar

  17. A melody has three sharps in its key signature. Which major key is it?

    • E major
    • A major
    • F major
    • D major

  18. A melody is written in 6/8. Why does it feel different from 3/4?

    • 6/8 has six minim beats in each bar
    • Two felt beats, each of three quavers
    • 6/8 has three semibreve beats per bar
    • 6/8 is always played faster than 3/4

  19. Which tempo marking is the slowest?

    • Allegro
    • Presto
    • Largo
    • Moderato

  20. A passage changes clef from treble to bass in mid-piece. Why might this happen?

    • It shows the piece ends in the bass register
    • Notes move lower, so bass clef keeps them on the staff
    • The composer wants the music to change key with no other change
    • The melody moves into a higher octave beyond the treble range

All KS3 Music quizzes