Music Through History · seed 1 · A4, ink-friendly. The answer key prints on its own page for grown-ups.

Music Through History

Arts & Music · Music · ages 8-11
Name ______________________   Date ____________

  1. Which musical tradition uses gongs and metal xylophones that chime and ring together?

    • Jazz
    • Gamelan
    • A symphony orchestra

  2. Which composer is known for symphonies that could turn from loud, stormy parts to soft, gentle ones?

    • Beethoven
    • Bach
    • Louis Armstrong

  3. Before recording was invented, people could only hear music by listening to it performed live.

    Circle one:   True   False

  4. Which sentence best describes one way music changed over time?

    • Recording let people listen to music without needing live musicians in the room
    • Composers stopped writing new music after Beethoven
    • Orchestras got rid of all their instruments over time

  5. You hear a trumpet player making up a bouncy new tune on the spot, with a drummer keeping a swinging beat. What style is this most likely to be?

    • A symphony by Beethoven
    • Gamelan
    • Jazz

  6. This timeline shows the styles from long ago to today. Count the boxes and type how many eras are shown.

    Bach's timeBeethoven's timeJazz ageRecorded pop

    Answer: ______________

  7. Ravi hears a trumpet improvising a new tune over a swinging drumbeat and says, 'That's definitely a gamelan orchestra.' Is he right?

    • Yes, gamelan always includes a trumpet solo
    • Yes, jazz and gamelan sound exactly the same
    • No, that describes jazz, not gamelan

  8. Zoe says, 'Music from long ago all sounds the same, no matter who wrote it or where they lived.' What is wrong with her idea?

    • Zoe is right, music has never changed
    • Music from different times and places actually sounds very different, like Beethoven's stormy symphonies compared to ringing gamelan gongs
    • Only jazz has ever sounded different from other styles
LightMySky · lightmysky.comW1-mt__1i5N9PywE-s1

Answer key

For grown-ups. Fold this page away before handing over the rest.

Music Through History W1-mt__1i5N9PywE-s1

  1. Gamelan · Gamelan orchestras use sets of gongs and metal xylophones played together.
  2. Beethoven · Beethoven's symphonies often move between big, stormy sections and quiet, gentle ones.
  3. True · Recording came later and let people listen to music without live musicians in the room.
  4. Recording let people listen to music without needing live musicians in the room · Recording was a big change because people could listen to the same performance again and again.
  5. Jazz · Jazz musicians often improvise, making up new melodies as they play.
  6. 4 · The timeline moves from Bach's time, to Beethoven's time, to the jazz age, to recorded pop: four eras in total.
  7. No, that describes jazz, not gamelan · A trumpet improvising over a swinging beat is a sign of jazz. Gamelan uses ringing metal gongs and xylophones instead.
  8. Music from different times and places actually sounds very different, like Beethoven's stormy symphonies compared to ringing gamelan gongs · Composers and musicians from different eras and places had very different sounds, from stormy symphonies to chiming gamelan.
Worksheet · LightMySky