Lesson T4.1.2

T4.1.2 Types of scales Quiz: KS3 Music, Unit 4

20 questions

Written by Revision Ninja · Last reviewed 11 October 2026

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Lesson T4.1.2, Types of scales: 20 multiple choice questions for the KS3 Music (National Curriculum), Unit 4: Musical dimensions and devices, written with Revision Ninja.

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The 20 questions

  1. How many different note names are in a major scale?

    • Five
    • Twelve
    • Eight
    • Seven

  2. What is the pattern of tones and semitones in a major scale?

    • T T T T T S S
    • T S T S T S T
    • T T S T T T S
    • S T T S T T T

  3. What is a chromatic scale?

    • Every semitone within an octave
    • A scale of whole tones only
    • A scale with five notes only
    • A scale built only from the tonic and dominant

  4. What is a whole-tone scale?

    • Only whole tones, six notes per octave
    • A scale with twelve semitones per octave
    • A scale built from the tonic and fifth
    • A scale that uses only the black keys

  5. What is the blues scale?

    • A scale made only of semitones
    • A seven-note scale identical to the major scale
    • Six notes: minor pentatonic plus a flat fifth
    • A scale that uses only the black keys of a piano

  6. How many notes are in a pentatonic scale?

    • Eight
    • Seven
    • Five
    • Six

  7. What is the harmonic minor scale?

    • The whole-tone scale with a raised fourth
    • The natural minor with a raised seventh
    • The major scale with a flattened third
    • The chromatic scale with five notes

  8. What is an octatonic scale?

    • A scale of seven notes all a semitone apart
    • A scale found only in Western classical opera
    • A scale of only four notes built on a fifth
    • Eight notes alternating whole and half steps

  9. A melody uses the notes C, D, E, G and A only. Which scale is this?

    • C major pentatonic
    • C whole-tone, with six equal steps
    • C blues scale, with a flattened fifth
    • C chromatic, using all twelve notes

  10. A composer uses all twelve notes of the octave. Which scale type is this?

    • Pentatonic
    • Major
    • Chromatic
    • Whole-tone

  11. A jazz student adds a blue note to the minor pentatonic. Which note is typically added?

    • A flattened fifth
    • A sharpened second
    • A doubled tonic
    • A raised seventh

  12. A scale has the notes C, D, E, F sharp, G sharp, A sharp. Which scale is this?

    • Major scale
    • Whole-tone scale
    • Pentatonic scale
    • Chromatic scale

  13. How many semitones does a major scale span from its tonic to its octave?

    • Six semitones
    • Twelve
    • Eight semitones
    • Seven semitones

  14. Which scale do the white keys of a piano form when starting on C?

    • C pentatonic
    • C blues
    • C chromatic
    • C major

  15. What is the tone and semitone pattern of the natural minor scale?

    • T T T S T T S
    • S T T T S T T
    • T S T T S T T
    • T T S T T T S

  16. In the harmonic minor scale based on A, which note is raised compared with the natural minor?

    • G sharp
    • F sharp
    • D sharp
    • C sharp

  17. Why might a composer use the whole-tone scale to create a dreamy effect?

    • Equal steps avoid a tonic, so it floats
    • It contains the most semitones of any scale
    • It always resolves strongly to the tonic
    • It needs a conductor to choose the tempo

  18. The blues scale in A includes a note between the fourth and fifth degrees. Which note is it?

    • E natural
    • F natural
    • E flat
    • C sharp

  19. Which feature makes the octatonic scale distinct from the major scale?

    • It has eight notes and alternates tones and semitones
    • It contains no semitones at all between its notes
    • It uses exactly twelve different notes per octave
    • It has only five notes per octave, like a pentatonic scale

  20. What is the tone and semitone pattern of the Phrygian mode starting on E?

    • T T S T T T S
    • S T T T S T T
    • T S T T S T T
    • T T T S T T S

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