50 Piano Quiz Questions and Answers

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Do you love music and have a bit of a passion for musical instruments? Then this ultimate piano quiz is for you!

The piano is one of the most famous instruments in the world. Not only is it very popular amongst beginner musicians but it’s also the preferred one of so many maestros.

In this quiz about the piano, we will put your knowledge to the test. You will find questions about the history of piano, the keys, famous songs and more.

Round 1: Easy Piano Trivia Questions

1. What colour are sharp and flat keys on the piano?
2. How many pedals does a standard piano have?
3. What is the name of the furthest right pedal on a standard piano?
4. In which country was the piano invented?
5. What was the term piano originally short for?
6. Which composer is known for his beautiful piano compositions, including the Moonlight Sonata and the Raindrop Prelude?
7. If you went to see a piano concerto performed in a concert hall, what kind of instrument would the pianist most likely play on?
8. What country does the pianist Lang Lang come from?
9. Who composed the Rondo Alla Turca (Turkish March)?
10. What is the name for the piano’s closest predecessor, which was an important instrument in music from the Baroque and Renaissance periods?

Round 1: Easy Piano Trivia Questions and Answers

1. What colour are sharp and flat keys on the piano? Black
2. How many pedals does a standard piano have? Three
3. What is the name of the furthest right pedal on a standard piano? The sustain pedal/damper pedal
4. In which country was the piano invented? Italy
5. What was the term piano originally short for? Pianoforte 
6. Which composer is known for his beautiful piano compositions, including the Moonlight Sonata and the Raindrop Prelude? Frédéric Chopin
7. If you went to see a piano concerto performed in a concert hall, what kind of instrument would the pianist most likely play on? A Grand Piano 
8. What country does the pianist Lang Lang come from? China
9. Who composed the Rondo Alla Turca (Turkish March)? Wolfgang Amadeus 
10. What is the name for the piano’s closest predecessor, which was an important instrument in music from the Baroque and Renaissance periods? The Harpsichord

Round 2: Piano Multiple-Choice Questions

1. What kind of instrument is a piano?
   1. A string instrument
   2. A percussion instrument
   3. A brass instrument 
   4. It doesn’t fit into any of the traditional instrument families
2. How many keys are there on a standard piano?
   1. 64
   2. 72
   3. 80
   4. 88
3. Which 20th century composer and pianist was famous for his superb technique and extraordinarily large hand-span?
   1. Dinu Lipatti
   2. Dmitri Shostokovich
   3. Sergey Rachmaninoff 
   4. Igor Stravinsky
4. What were piano keys primarily made of until the mid-20th century?
   1. Wood
   2. Stone
   3. Ivory
   4. Marble
5. Polish pianist Romuald Koperski holds the record for the longest ever piano concert, but how many hours did it go on for?
   1. 103
   2. 133
   3. 163
   4. 193
6. Which company invented the clavinova?
   1. Yamaha
   2. Steinway
   3. Kawai
   4. Steinway & Sons
7. Approximately how many strings does a grand piano have?
   1. 130
   2. 230
   3. 330
   4. 430
8. What are most piano hammers made of?
   1. Wood
   2. String
   3. Felt
   4. Wool
9. How many pieces are there in Robert Schumann’s Scenes from Childhood collection?
   1. 3
   2. 7
   3. 10
   4. 13
10. In 1929, Maurice Ravel wrote a piano concerto for Austrian pianist Paul Wittgenstein that could be played with only the left hand. Why could Wittgenstein not play with his right hand?
    1. He lost his right arm in an accident
    2. He lost his right arm in WWI
    3. He lost the use of his right hand due to a stroke
    4. It was part of a stunt in which he played two pianos at the same time with two hands

Round 2: Piano Multiple-Choice Questions and Answers

1. What kind of instrument is a piano? B. A percussion instrument 
2. How many keys are there on a standard piano? D. 88
3. Which 20th century composer and pianist was famous for his superb technique and extraordinarily large hand-span? c. Sergey Rachmaninoff 
4. What were piano keys primarily made of until the mid-20th century? C. Ivory
5. Polish pianist Romuald Koperski holds the record for the longest ever piano concert, but how many hours did it go on for? A. 103
6. Which company invented the clavinova? A. Yamaha 
7. Approximately how many strings does a grand piano have? B. 230
8. What are most piano hammers made of? D. Wool
9. How many pieces are there in Robert Schumann’s Scenes from Childhood collection? D. 13
10. In 1929, Maurice Ravel wrote a piano concerto for Austrian pianist Paul Wittgenstein that could be played with only the left hand. Why could Wittgenstein not play with his right hand? B. He lost his right arm in WWI

Round 3: Piano Quiz – True or False

1. Middle C is placed exactly at the centre of the keyboard.
2. There are twice the number of hammers inside the piano than there are keys on the keyboard.
3. The most common cause for a piano falling out of tune is a change in temperature or humidity.
4. The Goldberg Variations was the only piece that Bach wrote specifically for piano.
5. The first ever piano concerto was composed by Friedrich Handel in 1770.
6. Grand pianos and upright pianos have different action mechanisms to make a sound.
7. The most expensive piano ever sold was a Steinway & Sons grand piano which had been previously owned by Leonard Bernstein.
8. The piano has the largest note range of any instrument in the orchestra.
9. The famous piano solo in Rhapsody in Blue was initially written to be improvised, and was only formally notated after the debut performance. Therefore, we don’t know how the iconic piece sounded at its premier.
10. A standard piano has 26 more white keys than black keys.

Round 3: Piano Quiz Answers – True or False

1. Middle C is placed exactly at the centre of the keyboard. False
2. There are twice the number of hammers inside the piano than there are keys on the keyboard. False, there are the same number of hammers as keys
3. The most common cause for a piano falling out of tune is a change in temperature or humidity. True
4. The Goldberg Variations was the only piece that Bach wrote specifically for piano. False, it was written for harpsichord
5. The first ever piano concerto was composed by Friedrich Handel in 1770. False
6. Grand pianos and upright pianos have different action mechanisms to make a sound. True
7. The most expensive piano ever sold was a Steinway & Sons grand piano which had been previously owned by Leonard Bernstein. False, it was the upright piano from the movie Casablanca
8. The piano has the largest note range of any instrument in the orchestra. True
9. The famous piano solo in Rhapsody in Blue was initially written to be improvised, and was only formally notated after the debut performance. Therefore, we don’t know how the iconic piece sounded at its premier. True
10. A standard piano has 26 more white keys than black keys. False, there are only 16 more white keys than black keys.

Round 4: Medium Piano Trivia Questions

1. What are most piano keys made out of today?
2. What were black keys made of on pre-1950s keyboards?
3. What do you call a piano duet in which the two players play the same instrument at the same time?
4. Which 19th century pianist and composer was followed by thousands of crazed admirers, and is considered to have been one of the first modern celebrities?
5. Which modern Italian composer is known for his minimalist, dreamlike piano solos?
6. What kind of piano is a Clavinova?
7. What song does the pianist Sam play in the iconic bar scene in Casablanca?
8. Which 19th century composer and pianist was one of the foremost talents of her day, but gave it all up to support her husband’s successful music career?
9. Often played as a solo piece or arranged for piano and another instrument, which Baroque canon is famous today as a wedding song?
10. What is the first note of Für Elise?

Round 4: Medium Piano Trivia Questions and Answers

1. What are most piano keys made out of today? Wood
2. What were black keys made of on pre-1950s keyboards ? Ebony
3. What do you call a piano duet in which the two players play the same instrument at the same time? Piano Four-Hands
4. Which 19th century pianist and composer was followed by thousands of crazed admirers, and is considered to have been one of the first modern celebrities? Franz Liszt 
5. Which modern Italian composer is known for his minimalist, dreamlike piano solos? Ludovico Einaudi
6. What kind of piano is a Clavinova? Digital Piano
7. What song does the pianist Sam play in the iconic bar scene in Casablanca? As Time Goes By
8. Which 19th century composer and pianist was one of the foremost talents of her day, but gave it all up to support her husband’s successful music career? Clara Schumann
9. Often played as a solo piece or arranged for piano and another instrument, which Baroque canon is famous today as a wedding song? Pachelbel’s Canon/Canon in D
10. What is the first note of Für Elise? E

Round 5: Hard Piano Trivia Questions

1. Who invented the piano?
2. Which New York City museum would you visit if you wanted to see one of the first pianos ever made by the inventor of the instrument?
3. Which ancient thinker invented the monocord, the piano’s oldest ancestor?
4. Which Canadian piano manufacturer made the iconic crystal piano played at the Beijing Olympics?
5. What is the cast-iron frame of the piano called?
6. Which romantic piano solo is most commonly known today as the tune for the ‘Go to sleep, go to sleep’ lullaby?
7. From which Pagannini composition did Liszt borrow the melody for La Campanella?
8. Who wrote The Celebrated Chop Waltz, better known as Chopsticks?
9. Clair de Lune is the 3rd movement of which suite by Debussy?
10. Chopin is known for his piano compositions inspired by Polish traditional music. What type of folk dances composed by Chopin were banned in Poland during WWII?

Round 5: Hard Piano Trivia Questions and Answers

1. Who invented the piano? Bartolomeo Cristofori
2. Which New York City museum would you visit if you wanted to see one of the first pianos ever made by the inventor of the instrument? The Metropolitan Museum of Art
3. Which ancient thinker invented the monocord, the piano’s oldest ancestor? Pythagoras 
4. Which Canadian piano manufacturer made the iconic crystal piano played at the Beijing Olympics? Heintzman & Co.
5. What is the cast-iron frame of the piano called? The Harp
6. Which romantic piano solo is most commonly known today as the tune for the ‘Go to sleep, go to sleep’ lullaby? Brahms’ Lullaby  
7. From which Pagannini composition did Liszt borrow the melody for La Campanella? Violin Concerto No. 2
8. Who wrote The Celebrated Chop Waltz, better known as Chopsticks? Euphemia Allen
9. Clair de Lune is the 3rd movement of which suite by Debussy? Bergamasque
10. Chopin is known for his piano compositions inspired by Polish traditional music. What type of folk dances composed by Chopin were banned in Poland during WWII? Mazurkas

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