Q 01/05

How many lines does a standard musical staff have?

A) Five

B) Seven

C) Four

D) Six

Answer · why

A) Five

Plainchant staves had four lines, and guitar tablature uses six, one per string.

Q 02/05

The mnemonic 'Every Good Boy Does Fine' names the lines of which clef?

A) Tenor

B) Treble

C) Bass

D) Alto

Answer · why

B) Treble

The spaces spell FACE. Bass-clef readers get 'Good Boys Do Fine Always' and 'All Cows Eat Grass' instead.

Q 03/05

The bass clef fixes which note on the fourth line of the staff?

A) G above middle C

B) D below middle C

C) Middle C itself

D) F below middle C

Answer · why

C) Middle C itself

That makes it an F-clef, one of only three clef symbols in modern notation alongside the G and C clefs.

Q 04/05

Which orchestral instrument is the main user of the alto clef?

A) Trombone

B) Cello

C) Bassoon

D) Viola

Answer · why

D) Viola

Cello, bassoon and trombone use the tenor clef for high passages, but the alto clef is essentially viola territory.

Q 05/05

Middle C sits one ledger line below which set of five lines?

A) The treble staff

B) The alto staff

C) The bass staff

D) The percussion staff

Answer · why

A) The treble staff

Seen from below, it is one ledger line above the bass staff, which is why it is called 'middle'.