The bass clef is a kind of which clef?Answer: F clef. Source: Wikipedia, Clef. Read 2026-09-23.
How many letter names are used for notes before they repeat?Answer: 7. Source: Wikipedia, Musical note. Read 2026-09-23.
How many lines does a music staff have?Answer: 5. Source: Wikipedia, Staff (music). Read 2026-09-23.
How many spaces lie between the lines of a staff?Answer: 4. Source: Wikipedia, Staff (music). Read 2026-09-23.
In the bass clef, which notes sit in the four spaces, bottom to top?Answer: A, C, E, G. Source: Wikipedia, List of mnemonics. Read 2026-09-23.
In the bass clef, which notes sit on the five lines, bottom to top?Answer: G, B, D, F, A. Source: Wikipedia, List of mnemonics. Read 2026-09-23.
In the treble clef, what do the four spaces spell, bottom to top?Answer: FACE. Source: Wikipedia, List of mnemonics. Read 2026-09-23.
In the treble clef, which notes sit on the five lines, bottom to top?Answer: E, G, B, D, F. Source: Wikipedia, List of mnemonics. Read 2026-09-23.
The treble clef is a kind of which clef?Answer: G clef. Source: Wikipedia, Clef. Read 2026-09-23.
Show all 45 questions (36 more)
Notes and clefs, continued
What are the short lines added above or below the staff called?Answer: Ledger lines. Source: Wikipedia, Staff (music). Read 2026-09-23.
What does a flat sign do to a note?Answer: Lowers it by a half step. Source: Wikipedia, Accidental (music). Read 2026-09-23.
What does a natural sign do?Answer: Cancels an earlier sharp or flat. Source: Wikipedia, Accidental (music). Read 2026-09-23.
What does a sharp sign do to a note?Answer: Raises it by a half step. Source: Wikipedia, Accidental (music). Read 2026-09-23.
Where is middle C written in the treble clef?Answer: On the first ledger line under the staff. Source: Wikipedia, Staff (music). Read 2026-09-23.
Which clef puts middle C on the staff's middle line?Answer: Alto clef. Source: Wikipedia, Clef. Read 2026-09-23.
Rhythm and time signatures 15
How many eighth notes last as long as one quarter note?Answer: 2. Source: Wikipedia, Note value. Read 2026-09-23.
How many main beats is a bar of 6/8 usually felt in?Answer: 2, each a dotted quarter note. Source: Wikipedia, Time signature. Read 2026-09-23.
How many quarter notes last as long as one half note?Answer: 2. Source: Wikipedia, Note value. Read 2026-09-23.
How many quarter notes last as long as one whole note?Answer: 4. Source: Wikipedia, Note value. Read 2026-09-23.
How many quarter-note beats are in one bar of 3/4 time?Answer: 3. Source: Wikipedia, Time signature. Read 2026-09-23.
In 3/4 time, what does the bottom number 4 mean?Answer: A quarter note gets one beat. Source: Wikipedia, Time signature. Read 2026-09-23.
In 4/4 time, how many beats does a dotted half note last?Answer: 3. Source: Wikipedia, Dotted note. Read 2026-09-23.
In a time signature, what does the top number usually tell you?Answer: How many beats are in each bar. Source: Wikipedia, Time signature. Read 2026-09-23.
What does a dot after a note do?Answer: Adds half of the note's value. Source: Wikipedia, Dotted note. Read 2026-09-23.
What does a fermata over a note tell you to do?Answer: Hold it longer than its written value. Source: Wikipedia, Fermata. Read 2026-09-23.
What does a rest in music tell you to do?Answer: Stay silent for a set length. Source: Wikipedia, Rest (music). Read 2026-09-23.
What does a tie between two notes of the same pitch do?Answer: Joins them into one longer sound. Source: Wikipedia, Tie (music). Read 2026-09-23.
Which of these is a compound time signature?Answer: 6/8. Source: Wikipedia, Time signature. Read 2026-09-23.
Which time signature is also called common time?Answer: 4/4. Source: Wikipedia, Time signature. Read 2026-09-23.
Which time signature is also called cut time, or alla breve?Answer: 2/2. Source: Wikipedia, Time signature. Read 2026-09-23.
Keys, scales and terms 15
How many half steps are in a major third?Answer: 4. Source: Wikipedia, Interval (music). Read 2026-09-23.
How many half steps are in a perfect fifth?Answer: 7. Source: Wikipedia, Interval (music). Read 2026-09-23.
How many half steps are in an octave?Answer: 12. Source: Wikipedia, Interval (music). Read 2026-09-23.
In what order do flats appear in key signatures?Answer: B, E, A, D, G, C, F. Source: Wikipedia, Key signature. Read 2026-09-23.
In what order do sharps appear in key signatures?Answer: F, C, G, D, A, E, B. Source: Wikipedia, Key signature. Read 2026-09-23.
What does crescendo mean?Answer: Gradually get louder. Source: Wikipedia, Dynamics (music). Read 2026-09-23.
What does the dynamic marking f (forte) mean?Answer: Play loudly. Source: Wikipedia, Dynamics (music). Read 2026-09-23.
What does the dynamic marking p (piano) mean?Answer: Play softly. Source: Wikipedia, Dynamics (music). Read 2026-09-23.
What is the pattern of whole (W) and half (H) steps in a major scale?Answer: W, W, H, W, W, W, H. Source: Wikipedia, Major scale. Read 2026-09-23.
What is the relative minor of C major?Answer: A minor. Source: Wikipedia, Relative key. Read 2026-09-23.
Which major key has no sharps or flats?Answer: C major. Source: Wikipedia, Key signature. Read 2026-09-23.
Which major key has one flat, B flat?Answer: F major. Source: Wikipedia, Key signature. Read 2026-09-23.
Which major key has one sharp, F sharp?Answer: G major. Source: Wikipedia, Key signature. Read 2026-09-23.
Which of these tempo markings is the fastest?Answer: Presto. Source: Wikipedia, Tempo. Read 2026-09-23.
Which of these tempo markings is the slowest?Answer: Largo. Source: Wikipedia, Tempo. Read 2026-09-23.
How this list was compiled: Questions, wrong choices and explanations were written for this site. Each fact was checked against the Wikipedia article named in the question's own source line (Staff, Clef, Accidental, Musical note, Note value, Dotted note, Tie, Time signature, Fermata, Rest, Key signature, Major scale, Relative key, Interval, Tempo, Dynamics and the List of mnemonics for the line and space names). All read 2026-09-23. No exam board's paper is copied or named. Licence: own work
How it works
This music theory quiz has 45 questions in three sets: notes and clefs, rhythm and time signatures, and keys, scales and terms. Each answer comes with the reason, and missed questions come back until you get them right.
Read the full guide
Choose a set, or mix all three
Use the topic menu to stay on one set. The rhythm set works as a time signature quiz: what the two numbers mean, common and cut time, and why 6/8 is felt in two. Leave the menu on every topic for mixed music theory quiz questions.
For a class
Print, with a tick on With answer key, gives a paper round. Read the questions aloud as music theory trivia, or split the class into teams: teachers looking for music theory games can run it that way.
Every Good Boy Does Fine names the treble lines; the spaces spell FACE.
Sharps come in the order F, C, G, D, A, E, B; flats are the same letters backwards.
Questions and answers
What does the top number of a time signature mean?
Usually how many beats are in each bar. The bottom number says which note gets one beat: 4 for a quarter note, 2 for a half note, 8 for an eighth. So 3/4 is three quarter-note beats a bar.
Is this quiz for beginners?
Yes. It covers what a first year of lessons or a school music class teaches: reading the staff, counting note values, key signatures, basic intervals and Italian terms. It does not ask about composers or music history.
Why does it say quarter note and not crotchet?
The quiz uses American names: whole, half, quarter and eighth notes. In British English they are the semibreve, minim, crotchet and quaver. The values are the same.