60 Musical Instrument Quiz Questions and Answers (inc. a Picture Round)

Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links, meaning I get a commission if you decide to make a purchase through my links, at no extra cost for you

Do you love everything that has to do with music and want to test your knowledge of the instruments? Then you’ve come to the right place!

There are so many musical instruments one can play but there is one thing they all have in common. It takes a lot of dedication to learn!

In this quiz, you will find 5 rounds of questions and answers about musical instruments plus a free printable picture round.

Round 1: Easy Musical Instrument Trivia Questions

1. Which instrument family is the violin part of?
2. How many strings does a guitar have?
3. What is the term for someone who plays the flute?
4. What country is most often associated with bagpipe music?
5. What instrument did Ringo Starr play in The Beatles?
6. What colour are the sharp and flat keys on a standard piano?
7. What was jazz legend Louis Armstrong’s primary instrument?
8. How many clarinet players are there in a standard sized orchestra?
9. Which instrument looks like a half-sized flute?
10. What instrument does acclaimed classical musician Lang Lang play?

Round 1: Easy Musical Instrument Trivia Questions and Answers

1. Which instrument family is the violin part of? The string family
2. How many strings does a guitar have? Six
3. What is the term for someone who plays the flute? Flauntist
4. What country is most often associated with bagpipe music? Scotland 
5. What instrument did Ringo Starr play in The Beatles? Drums
6. What colour are the sharp and flat keys on a standard piano? Black
7. What was jazz legend Louis Armstrong’s primary instrument? Trumpet
8. How many clarinet players are there in a standard sized orchestra? Two
9. Which instrument looks like a half-sized flute? Piccolo
10. What instrument does acclaimed classical musician Lang Lang play? Piano

Round 2: Musical Instrument Multiple-Choice Questions

1. Which of the following instruments has the most strings?
   1. Piano
   2. Harp
   3. Sitar
   4. Harpsichord 
2. Which of the following instruments does not need a reed?
   1. Clarient
   2. Bassoon
   3. Oboe
   4. Recorder
3. The Indian Tabla is a kind of ….
   1. Drum
   2. Flute
   3. Xylophone
   4. String instrument
4. What key is a standard Clarinet pitched in?
   1. C
   2. B
   3. B-flat
   4. A
5. Which of the following is not a real type of saxophone?
   1. Sopranino Saxophone
   2. Sopranissimo Saxophone 
   3. Contratenor Saxophone
   4. Subcontrabass Saxophone
6. The Middle Eastern Oud is a type of…
   1. Lute
   2. Pipe
   3. Cymbal
   4. Tambourine
7. How long is the tubing on a French horn?
   1. 3.5 metres (11 feet)
   2. 5.5 metres (18 feet)
   3. 7.5 metres (24 feet)
   4. 9.5 metres (31 feet)
8. What country does the Darbuka originate from?
   1. Indonesia 
   2. Nigeria
   3. Sri Lanka
   4. Egypt
9. What is the syrinx better known as?
   1. Harmonica
   2. Pan flute
   3. Recorder
   4. Melodica
10. Which of the following instruments could Mozart not play?
    1. Harp
    2. Bassoon
    3. Trumpet
    4. Flute

Round 2: Musical Instrument Multiple-Choice Questions and Answers

1. Which of the following instruments has the most strings? A. Piano
2. Which of the following instruments does not need a reed? D. Recorder
3. The Indian Tabla is a kind of …. A. Drum
4. What key is a standard Clarinet pitched in? C. B-flat
5. Which of the following is not a real type of saxophone? C. Contratenor Saxophone
6. The Middle Eastern Oud is a type of… a. Lute
7. How long is the tubing on a French horn? B. 5.5 metres
8. What country does the Darbuka originate from? D. Egypt
9. What is the syrinx better known as? B. Pan flute
10. Which of the following instruments could Mozart not play? D. Flute

Round 3: Musical Instrument Quiz – True or False

1. The oldest instrument ever discovered is a 60 thousand year old Neanderthal drum.
2. The Cor Anglais is a type of bass clarinet.
3. The banjo was brought to America by African slaves.
4. Electric guitars and bass guitars have the same number of strings.
5. Some cathedral organs have over 10 thousand pipes.
6. The head on a djembe is normally made from goat skin.
7. The trumpet is the loudest instrument in the orchestra.
8. The harmonium was invented as an Indian take on a European keyboard.
9. Most violin bows have between 50 and 100 strings.
10. Although he’s considered one of the greatest composers of all time, Tchaikovsky was not particularly proficient in playing any instrument.

Round 3: Musical Instrument Quiz Answers – True or False

1. The oldest instrument ever discovered is a 60 thousand year old Neanderthal drum. False, it’s a flute
2. The Cor Anglais is a type of bass clarinet. False, it’s a bass oboe
3. The banjo was brought to America by African slaves. True
4. Electric guitars and bass guitars have the same number of strings. False, bass guitars only have 4 strings
5. Some cathedral organs have over 10 thousand pipes. True
6. The head on a djembe is normally made from goat skin. True
7. The trumpet is the loudest instrument in the orchestra. False, it’s the trombone
8. The harmonium was invented as an Indian take on a European keyboard. True
9. Most violin bows have between 50 and 100 strings. False, it’s 150 and 200 hairs
10. Although he’s considered one of the greatest composers of all time, Tchaikovsky was not particularly proficient in playing any instrument. True

Round 4: Medium Musical Instrument Trivia Questions

1. Which instrument family does the piano belong to?
2. What are most violin bow strings made of?
3. What country did guitars originally come from?
4. What is the highest pitched drum on a standard drum kit?
5. What animal does the oboe represent in Prokofiev’s ‘Peter and the Wolf’?
6. What instrument might a flamenco dancer play while she dances?
7. What material are the bars on a marimba made of?
8. What is the Rumba Shaker better known as?
9. What is a bass bassoon called?
10. How many pedals does a timpani have?

Round 4: Medium Musical Instrument Trivia Questions and Answers

1. Which instrument family does the piano belong to? Percussion
2. What are most violin bow strings made of? Horse hair
3. What country did guitars originally come from? Spain
4. What is the highest pitched drum on a standard drum kit? Snare Drum
5. What animal does the oboe represent in Prokofiev’s ‘Peter and the Wolf’? The Duck
6. What instrument might a flamenco dancer play while she dances? Castanets 
7. What material are the bars on a marimba made of? Wood
8. What is the Rumba Shaker better known as? Maraca
9. What is a bass bassoon called? Contrabassoon
10. How many pedals does a timpani have? Two

Round 5: Hard Musical Instrument Trivia Questions

1. What is the scientific term for a wind instrument?
2. Which clef is viola music most often written in?
3. What is the solo instrument in the Jaws theme?
4. What instrument is used to summon Buddhist monks to prayer?
5. What is the flexible centre of an accordion called?
6. What is the standard tuning for the ‘top’ string on a Ukulele?
7. How many strings does the Chinese Erhu have?
8. Scherl & Roth, Antonio Strad and Strunal Schonback manufacture instruments in which orchestral family?
9. What is the name of the West African xylophone which uses gourds beneath the bars to make the sound more resonant?
10. Sheku Kanneh-Mason is one of the most famous players of which instrument?

Round 5: Hard Musical Instrument Trivia Questions and Answers

1. What is the scientific term for a wind instrument? Aerophone
2. Which clef is viola music most often written in? Alto Clef
3. What is the solo instrument in the Jaws theme? Tuba
4. What instrument is used to summon Buddhist monks to prayer? A Gong
5. What is the flexible centre of an accordion called? The bellows
6. What is the standard tuning for the ‘top’ string on a Ukulele? G
7. How many strings does the Chinese Erhu have? Two
8. Scherl & Roth, Antonio Strad and Strunal Schonback manufacture instruments in which orchestral family? Strings
9. What is the name of the West African xylophone which uses gourds beneath the bars to make the sound more resonant? Balafon
10. Sheku Kanneh-Mason is one of the most famous players of which instrument? Cello

Round 6: Musical Instruments Picture Quiz

Free Printable Musical Instruments Picture Round PDF here

Round 6: Musical Instruments Picture Quiz Answers

1. Bagpipe
2. Accordion
3. French Horn
4. Piano
5. Harmonica
6. Clarinet
7. Drums
8. Banjo
9. Electric guitar
10. Harp

You may also be interested in:

• Guitar Quiz: 40 Questions and Answers about the guitar
• Piano Quiz: 50 Quiz Questions and Answers about Piano
• Classical Music Quiz: 40 Quiz Questions and Answers about Classical Music