Lesson T4.2.2

T4.2.2 Musical devices Quiz: KS3 Music, Unit 4

20 questions

Written by Revision Ninja · Last reviewed 11 October 2026

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Lesson T4.2.2, Musical devices: 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. What is a glissando?

    • A short pause marked with a crown symbol
    • A repeated note played as fast as possible
    • A smooth slide between two pitches
    • A sudden loud accent on a single note

  2. What is pizzicato?

    • Bowing very close to the bridge
    • Striking the strings with wooden sticks
    • Plucking the strings instead of bowing
    • Playing with the bow turned over

  3. What does vibrato mean?

    • A fast repetition of a single note
    • A change of key during the phrase
    • A slight, regular wobble of pitch
    • A sudden drop in volume at the end

  4. What is a trill?

    • A held note with a sudden loud ending
    • A pause on a chord at the end of a phrase
    • Fast alternation with the note above
    • A slow slide down to the lowest pitch

  5. What is an arpeggio?

    • A chord played all at once with a loud accent
    • A melody played in two different keys
    • A repeated note with no change in pitch
    • The notes of a chord played one after another

  6. What is a cadenza?

    • A free, showy solo passage near the end
    • A short repeated pattern in the bass
    • A passage played by the whole orchestra in unison
    • A quiet ending where the music fades

  7. What is imitation in music?

    • When the tempo gets gradually slower
    • When every part plays a different key at once
    • One part copies a melody just after another
    • When one instrument drops out for the whole piece

  8. What is a pedal point?

    • A held bass note sounding under changing harmony
    • A foot-operated switch that changes the instrument's tone
    • A sudden change of key at the end of a phrase
    • A note played on the very highest key of a piano

  9. A composer wants a bird-like flutter in the melody. Which device is most effective?

    • An ostinato
    • A trill
    • A pedal point
    • A cadenza

  10. A composer wants a melody to slide smoothly between two notes. Which device is this?

    • Fermata, a held note
    • A smooth slide between notes
    • Mordent, a quick turn to the note below
    • Turn, a figure circling the main note

  11. A composer marks sul ponticello for the viola. What effect does this produce?

    • A deep, warm, muffled sound
    • A glassy, thin, metallic sound
    • A louder, sharper attack
    • A very fast flutter in the pitch

  12. A composer wants a quick decorative note before the main note. Which device is this?

    • A pause held longer than its written note
    • Grace note
    • A curved line joining two notes
    • A closing section added to the piece

  13. A brass player uses a mute to change the sound of the instrument. What is this changing?

    • Pitch, how high the notes sound
    • Tempo, how fast the music goes
    • Timbre
    • Key, the home note of the music

  14. A composer wants a rapid repetition of a note to create tension. Which device is this?

    • Portamento
    • Tremolo
    • Fermata
    • Coda

  15. Which ornament moves quickly from the main note to the note below and back?

    • Turn
    • Mordent
    • Grace note
    • Trill

  16. A composer wants a voice to enter after another and copy its melody. Which device is this?

    • Pedal point
    • Drone
    • Cadenza
    • Canon

  17. Why might a composer use a pedal point under changing chords?

    • A steady note under changing chords
    • To replace the melody with a steady beat
    • To show the key has changed to minor
    • To stop the harmony from changing at all

  18. A composer wants the notes in a passage to sound detached and crisp. Which marking is most likely?

    • A slur over the notes
    • A tenuto line under the notes
    • A fermata over the notes
    • Staccato dots above the notes

  19. A melody is played on piano, then repeated an octave lower on cello. Which device is this?

    • Reversing the melody
    • Stretching the note values of the melody
    • Moving the melody to a new pitch level
    • Inverting the melody

  20. Which device makes a melody sound more ornate without changing its main notes?

    • Removing all dynamics
    • Using a pedal point
    • Changing the time signature
    • Adding ornaments

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