Lesson T3.1.2

T3.1.2 Other notations across styles and genres Quiz: KS3 Music, Unit 3

20 questions

Written by Revision Ninja · Last reviewed 11 October 2026

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Lesson T3.1.2, Other notations across styles and genres: 20 multiple choice questions for the KS3 Music (National Curriculum), Unit 3: Musical notation, written with Revision Ninja.

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The 20 questions

  1. What is tablature (tab) most commonly used for?

    • Showing the key of a piece for choirs
    • Which fret and string to play on guitar
    • Writing rhythms for drum kits only
    • Recording the dynamics of a string quartet

  2. What is a chord chart?

    • A chart listing the lyrics in alphabetical order
    • Chord names above the melody for the harmony
    • A list of the tempo changes across a piece
    • A diagram of piano keys with coloured notes

  3. What is graphic notation?

    • Numbers only, showing the bar count
    • Shapes, symbols or drawings for sounds
    • Standard notes on five lines with a clef
    • Written text describing the melody in words only

  4. What does tonic sol-fa use to name notes?

    • Numbers from 1 to 88 for piano keys
    • Syllables such as do, re and mi
    • Letters A to G only
    • Colours matching the staff lines

  5. What is a lead sheet?

    • Melody, chords and lyrics, not every part
    • A diagram of stage positions for a band
    • A sheet of rhythm symbols with no pitch
    • A full score with every instrument on its own staff

  6. Which notation system is used for Indian music?

    • Tablature with only four strings
    • Graphic shapes of drums only
    • Staff notation with only one line
    • Syllables such as sa, re and ga

  7. Which notation shows the scale degrees as numbers in relation to the tonic?

    • Tablature for fretted instruments
    • Numbered (jianpu) notation
    • Lead sheet with chord symbols
    • Graphic score with coloured shapes

  8. What is a piano roll or MIDI grid?

    • A written list of chord names
    • A staff with a bass clef and tempo marking
    • A diagram of the piano keys in a row
    • Notes as bars on a grid of pitch and time

  9. A guitar tab shows the number 3 on the high E string. What does this mean?

    • Play the third string from the top
    • Pause for three beats
    • Play three notes quickly in a row
    • Third fret, high E string

  10. A student reads a chord chart that says Am, F, C, G. What should they do?

    • Change key after every chord
    • Play the four notes A, F, C and G at once
    • Play the chords in order with the melody
    • Ignore the chords and play the melody only

  11. A graphic score shows a long, rising line. What might it suggest?

    • A sudden stop in all sound
    • A change to a new time signature
    • A repeated rhythm pattern
    • A gradual rise in pitch

  12. Which notation would be most useful for a beginner learning a guitar riff?

    • Full orchestral score
    • Graph of frequencies
    • Tablature
    • Figured bass

  13. A pianist sees a chord symbol C7 above a bar. What does the 7 indicate?

    • Seven beats per bar
    • The bar should be played seven times
    • Play the seventh note of the scale only
    • A seventh added to the chord

  14. A drum pattern is written with symbols for each drum sound on a grid. Which notation is this?

    • Solfa syllables for each drum sound
    • Percussion notation on a grid or stave
    • Figured bass for the drum kit
    • Tablature for strings and frets

  15. Why would a jazz student learn to read lead sheets?

    • To write in the key of C only
    • To learn the exact fingerings of the violin
    • To read every instrumental part of a symphony
    • To play a tune from chord symbols and melody

  16. A musician shows notes using only the letter names A to G. Which system is this?

    • Numbered notation
    • Tonic sol-fa
    • Letter notation
    • Sargam

  17. A jianpu melody shows 5 - 3 - 1 in the key of C major. Which notes are these?

    • F, D, B
    • A, F, D
    • C, E, G
    • G, E, C

  18. A lead sheet shows Dm7, G7, C. Which chord progression is this?

    • V, I, IV in C major
    • vi, IV, I in C major
    • ii, V, I in C major
    • I, IV, V in C major

  19. A piece uses staff notation and tab on the same score for a guitar part. What is the main benefit?

    • Staff notation is no longer needed once tab is added
    • Exact pitch and rhythm on staff, fingering from tab
    • Tab replaces the time signature so no beats are counted
    • Tab shows the dynamics while the staff shows the lyrics

  20. What does the chord symbol Bm mean?

    • The B minor chord
    • The B diminished chord
    • The B seventh chord
    • The B major chord

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