A (brief) History of The Guitar

Year 8 Topic Test

1. The Guitar is a S __________ instrument from the Fretted Family of string instruments. Fretted instruments were known throughout the ancient world, for example in ________________________ (give a country).

2. The best known fretted instrument, the L ________ came to Europe from Arabia around the time of the crusades. People who made them were called L ________________.

3. A famous Baroque Composer of Lute music was J.S. B _________.

4. Match these three early versions of the guitar with their correct names:

! ! ! Mandolin! ! Cittern!! ! Vihuela

5. Early guitars had only:

a) 3 stringsb) 4 or 5 stringsc) 6 strings! ! ! ....... which were made from _____________________ .

Year 8 Building Blocks of Music! ! ! ! ! Name ..................................... Class ..........

Questions from “The Guitar” by Millicent Isherwood - created by S.Wright 2009! ! ! ! Page 1

6. The man who standardised the Classical Guitar in measurements, tone quality and frame, was born in Spain 1817. His name was:

a) John Dowlandb) Mauro Guilianic) Antonio Torresd) Paco Pena

7. He developed the idea of the inside bracing of a guitar from roof building in Cathedrals. This process was called F_________ V______________.

8. Give a definition for the following two instruments. List the materials from which they are made and how they are different:

• Acoustic Guitar................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

• Electric Guitar................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

9. Name two men who developed the first mainstream Electric Guitars?

• __________________• __________________

10. How does an electric guitar work?................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

11. What instrument is this?

..........................................

12. What notes are its strings tuned to?

........ / ........ / ........ / ........

Year 8 Building Blocks of Music! ! ! ! ! Name ..................................... Class ..........

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Amplification And Special Effects

These affect the Tone-Colour of the instrument being played.

13. Give a short description of the special effects that can be made with an electric guitar.

Tremelo ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................Vibrato................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................Reverb................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................Fuzztone................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................Echo................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................Wah-Wah................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

Folk Music Then And Now

14. Music from which countries found their way to America? Name 3:

............................................................

............................................................

............................................................

15. In North Africa a string instrument called a Banio was used to accompany singing, dancing and storytelling. In America it came to be called a ______________.

Year 8 Building Blocks of Music! ! ! ! ! Name ..................................... Class ..........

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16. What were Minstrels? (pick the most correct response)

a) Slave performers with painted faces, singing, playing the banjo and telling funny storiesb) White performers with blackened faces, singing, playing the banjo and telling funny storiesc) Cowboys who would sing songs around the campfire to stay awake

In Europe many 19th Century and 20th Century composers discovered the appeal of folk music and incorporated tunes into their own works.

17. Match up the composer with his correct nation:

! ! ! Chopin! ! ! ! Norway

! ! ! Grieg! ! ! ! ! Poland

! ! ! Williams! ! ! ! England

18. Match these three instruments from Europe with their correct labels and nations:

! Russian Balalaika! ! Yugoslav Tambura! ! Greek Bouzouki

19. What is the most popular instrument to accompany folk singing?.........................................

20. What are protest songs and name a famous protest song singer?................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

Year 8 Building Blocks of Music! ! ! ! ! Name ..................................... Class ..........

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21. Talking Blues is when? (pick the most correct response)

a) A Black American preacher sang on the street with a guitarb) A Black American preacher sang in a choirc) A Black American preacher spoke in rhythm over a sung accompaniment

20th Century Guitar Styles

22. The rhythms and scales that African slaves brought to America soon merged with other forms to become the B __________. Most B ________ follows a repeating ______ bar pattern.

23. To accompany their songs on a guitar with all the blue notes what famous invention did guitarist Son House make to give the guitar that right sound?................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

24. RockʼnʼRoll was a mixture of which two earlier styles of Music?a) ..................................................b) ...................................................

25. Name two, early, influential rockers who both played guitar and helped develop RockʼnʼRoll?a) ..................................................b) ..................................................

26. Which band was the most influential rock band (from Britain) in the 1960ʼs?......................................................

Year 8 Building Blocks of Music! ! ! ! ! Name ..................................... Class ..........

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27. The guitar from 1940 was used primarily as an accompanying instrument. From 1960 onwards it became a L ________ instrument. This can be seen from the works of the following bands:

1. The S ______________2. The R _____________ S ___________3. The W _____________4. C ________________5. L ______ Z ________________

28. Two popular styles of Black American music that emerged in the late 1960ʼs onwards were S ________ and R ___________ .

29. The most important development of the guitar from 1960 onwards, was the emergence of the V _________________ Guitarist.

30. The Guitarist pictured below is a prime example. Who is he and what is he playing with his foot?

a) ..................................................b) ..................................................

THE END.

Year 8 Building Blocks of Music! ! ! ! ! Name ..................................... Class ..........

Questions from “The Guitar” by Millicent Isherwood - created by S.Wright 2009! ! ! ! Page 6