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Greek Instruments Quiz

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Greek Instruments Quiz

Read the source notes, then answer the questions. Use evidence from the notes and precise musical vocabulary. Remember: the tsabouna is a traditional Greek bagpipe, but it is not an instrument from ancient Greece.

Source notes: instruments and their uses

The lyre was a small string instrument played by plucking its strings, often with a plectrum. It was associated with poetry, education and song. The kithara was a larger, more strongly built string instrument, commonly linked with skilled public performers and musical competitions. The aulos consisted of two pipes, usually played together; its strong, reedy sound suited performances and ceremonies. The panpipes, or syrinx, were made from pipes of different lengths and produced different pitches when blown across. The instruments did not all sound alike, and their construction shaped their musical possibilities. Ancient Greek ideas about scales, performance and musical theory later influenced European musical thought, although modern instruments developed through many different traditions.

Identify and compare

Use the source notes to answer the questions.

1.Which instrument in the source notes has two pipes played together and a reedy sound?

Lyre
Kithara
Aulos
Panpipes

2.Which statement best explains one difference between the lyre and the kithara?

The lyre was a wind instrument, while the kithara was a string instrument.
The kithara was larger and more strongly built than the lyre.
The lyre had two pipes, while the kithara had unequal-length pipes.
The kithara was a bagpipe, while the lyre was a drum.

3.Match each instrument to the description that fits it.

Lyre
Kithara
Aulos
Panpipes (syrinx)

Larger string instrument linked with skilled public performers
Unequal-length pipes that produce different pitches
Two pipes played together, producing a reedy sound
Small plucked string instrument associated with poetry, education and song

4.The name syrinx is associated with the panpipes. In Greek mythology, Pan is connected with this instrument. True or false: the source notes describe the panpipes as an instrument made from pipes of different lengths.

TrueFalse

Explain the sound

Support your explanations with musical vocabulary and evidence.

5.Complete the sentence: The panpipes can produce different pitches because their pipes are .

6.Describe two contrasts between the sound or playing method of a string instrument in the notes and the aulos. Use terms such as pluck, pipes, reedy, pitch or timbre.

7.A classmate says, “The tsabouna must be an ancient Greek instrument because it is a Greek bagpipe.” Correct this claim, explaining what the tsabouna is and how it differs from the instruments described in the source notes.

Music in context

Think about how instruments shape music and how musical ideas travel across time.

8.Imagine you are planning a performance of poetry accompanied by music in ancient Greece. Choose either the lyre or kithara and justify your choice using a detail from the source notes.

9.The source says ancient Greek musical ideas influenced later European thought, but that modern instruments developed through many traditions. Explain why it would be inaccurate to say that modern Western instruments simply came directly from ancient Greek instruments.