1. How many lines does a musical stave have?
5
A stave (or staff) has 5 lines and 4 spaces, and notes are written on and between them to show pitch.
2. Which three colours are the primary colours?
Red, yellow and blue
Red, yellow and blue are the primary colours. They cannot be made by mixing any other colours together.
3. What do you get when you mix red and yellow paint?
Orange
Red and yellow make orange, one of the three secondary colours.
4. What do you get when you mix blue and yellow paint?
Green
Blue and yellow make green.
5. In music, what does 'forte' tell a performer to do?
Play loudly
Forte means loud. Its opposite, piano, means soft.
6. In music, what does 'piano' (as a dynamic marking) tell a performer to do?
Play softly
As a dynamic marking, piano means soft or quiet. It is also, confusingly, the name of an instrument.
7. In a play, what is the protagonist?
The main character the story follows
The protagonist is the main character. The character who opposes them is the antagonist.
8. What is a monologue?
One character speaking alone at length
A monologue is a long speech given by one character.
9. Which family of instruments does the violin belong to?
Strings
The violin is a string instrument, played with a bow across strings.
10. Which family of instruments does the trumpet belong to?
Brass
The trumpet is a brass instrument.
11. What do you get when you mix red and blue paint?
Purple
Red and blue make purple (also called violet), another secondary colour.
12. Which colours are usually described as 'warm'?
Reds, oranges and yellows
Reds, oranges and yellows are the warm colours. Blues, greens and purples are the cool ones.
13. Which colours are usually described as 'cool'?
Blues, greens and purples
Blues, greens and purples are the cool colours.
14. In music, what does 'allegro' mean?
Fast
Allegro tells a performer to play at a fast, lively tempo.
15. In music, what does 'largo' mean?
Broad and slow
Largo tells a performer to play slowly and broadly.
16. What does a crescendo ask a performer to do?
Gradually get louder
A crescendo is a gradual increase in volume.
17. What does a diminuendo (or decrescendo) ask a performer to do?
Gradually get softer
A diminuendo is a gradual decrease in volume, the opposite of a crescendo.
18. Which family of instruments does the flute belong to?
Woodwind
The flute is a woodwind instrument, even though modern flutes are usually made of metal.
19. Which family of instruments does the xylophone belong to?
Percussion
The xylophone is a percussion instrument, played by striking its bars.
20. In a time signature of 4/4, how many beats are in each bar?
Four
The top number of a time signature shows how many beats are in each bar. In 4/4, that is four.
21. In a time signature of 3/4, how many beats are in each bar?
Three
3/4 time has three beats in each bar, the rhythm behind a waltz.
22. What is a vanishing point used for in art?
Showing where parallel lines appear to meet, to create perspective
A vanishing point is where parallel lines seem to meet in the distance, which is how artists create the illusion of depth.
23. What is dialogue in a play?
Conversation between two or more characters
Dialogue is the spoken conversation between characters, as opposed to a monologue spoken by one.
24. What does 'andante' mean in music?
At a walking pace
Andante asks for a moderate, walking pace, faster than largo but slower than allegro.
25. What does 'presto' mean in music?
Very fast
Presto asks for a very fast tempo, faster than allegro.
26. A semibreve (whole note) is usually worth how many beats in common time?
Four
A semibreve, or whole note, is worth four beats, the longest common note value.
27. A crotchet (quarter note) is usually worth how many beats in common time?
One
A crotchet, or quarter note, is worth one beat.
28. A minim (half note) is usually worth how many beats in common time?
Two
A minim, or half note, is worth two beats, twice as long as a crotchet.
29. A piece of music in a major key is usually described as sounding how?
Bright or happy
Major keys are often described as sounding bright or happy, though composers can use either key to create any mood.
30. A piece of music in a minor key is usually described as sounding how?
Sad or dark
Minor keys are often described as sounding sad, tense or dark, though this is a generalisation, not a rule.
31. In art, what does 'perspective' help an artist show?
Depth and distance on a flat surface
Perspective is a set of techniques for making a flat picture look like it has depth and distance.
32. Impressionism, a movement that began in France in the late 1800s, is best known for what?
Capturing light and colour with visible brushstrokes
Impressionist painters like Monet focused on capturing light and everyday scenes, often with loose, visible brushwork.
33. Cubism, a movement led by artists including Picasso, is known for what?
Breaking subjects into geometric shapes and multiple viewpoints
Cubist artists showed a subject from several angles at once, broken into geometric fragments.
34. In drama, what does 'upstage' mean?
The part of the stage furthest from the audience
Upstage is the area furthest from the audience. Downstage is closest to them.
35. In drama, what is improvisation?
Acting without a prepared script
Improvisation is performing without a script, making up lines and actions on the spot.
36. On a treble clef stave, what note does the bottom line represent?
E
The lines of the treble clef from bottom to top spell E, G, B, D, F, often remembered as 'Every Good Boy Deserves Football'.
37. On a treble clef stave, what do the spaces spell, bottom to top?
F, A, C, E
The spaces of the treble clef spell FACE, an easy word to remember.
38. What is the Renaissance best known for in art history?
A revival of realistic perspective, anatomy and classical ideas
The Renaissance, roughly the 14th to 17th centuries in Europe, revived classical learning and produced much more realistic, three-dimensional looking art.
39. Pop Art, a movement from the mid-20th century, drew its imagery from where?
Popular and consumer culture, like adverts and comic books
Pop artists like Andy Warhol used images from advertising, packaging and mass media.
40. What is a soliloquy?
A character speaking their thoughts aloud, often alone on stage
A soliloquy lets the audience hear a character's private thoughts, usually spoken when no other character is on stage.
41. In drama, a 'freeze frame' is used to do what?
Capture a single, still moment on stage
A freeze frame is a still, frozen image performers hold to emphasise a moment.
42. What technique does printmaking rely on?
Transferring an image from a prepared surface onto another
Printmaking transfers ink from a prepared plate, block or screen onto paper or fabric, often making multiple copies.
43. In the elements of dance, what does 'space' refer to?
Where the movement happens: level, direction and pathway
Space covers where a dancer moves: how high or low, which direction, and the pathway they trace.
44. In the elements of dance, what does 'energy' (or dynamics) refer to?
How the movement is performed, such as sharp or smooth, strong or light
Energy describes the quality of a movement: whether it is sharp or flowing, powerful or gentle.
45. What does watercolour paint rely on to create its typically light, transparent look?
Being thinned and mixed with water
Watercolour pigment is diluted with water, which is what gives it its light, see-through quality compared with oil paint.
46. In drama, 'stage left' and 'stage right' are defined from whose point of view?
The performer, facing the audience
Stage directions are given from the performer's point of view as they face the audience, which is the opposite of how it looks from the seats.
47. On a bass clef stave, the lines from bottom to top spell which notes?
G, B, D, F, A
The bass clef lines spell G, B, D, F, A, often remembered as 'Good Boys Deserve Fruit Always'.
48. In the elements of dance (often taught as Body, Action, Space, Time and Energy), what does 'action' refer to?
The actual movements themselves, such as travelling or turning
Action is the movement itself: travelling steps, jumps, turns, or movements performed on the spot.
49. A cue in drama is best described as what?
A signal, such as a line or sound, that tells a performer when to act
A cue tells a performer exactly when to come in, move, or change something, often a specific word or sound.
50. What generally distinguishes oil paint from watercolour?
Oil paint dries slowly and gives rich, opaque colour
Oil paint dries slowly, which lets artists blend it on the canvas, and it typically gives richer, more opaque colour than watercolour.