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Music detective (finding the style of a composition)

This page aims to act a bit like an expert system helping you to find details about a composition by deduction. Answer the questions and follow the links. When you cannot answer any more questions then you should have some of the answers or at least be on the right track.

Does it sound like:

Does it have Classical instruments or voices?

If instruments:  Does it sound like
If voices: Does it sound like
  • a Classical singer
  • a small Classical singing group
  • a large Classical singing group
If both instruments and voices: Does it sound like
  • a Classical singer with an instrument
  • a small Classical group with singing and playing
  • a large group with singing and playing
None of the above

Does it have popular instruments or voices?

If instruments:  Does it sound like
  • a Pop solo player
  • a small Pop group of players
  • large group playing Pop music
If voices: Does it sound like
  • a Pop singer
  • a small Pop singing group
  • a large Pop singing group
If both instruments and voices: Does it sound like
  • a Pop singer playing an instrument
  • a small Pop group with singing and playing
  • a large Pop group with singing and playing
None of the above

Does this world music have  instruments or voices?

If instruments:  Does it sound like
  • a world music solo player
  • a small world music group of players
  • large group playing world music
If voices: Does it sound like
  • a world music singer
  • a small world music singing group
  • a large world music singing group
If both instruments and voices: Does it sound like
  • a Pop singer playing an instrument
  • a small world music group with singing and playing
  • a large world music group with singing and playing?
None of the above

Classical solo player

Does it sound like a string instrument?
  • orchestral - a violin, viola, cello, double bass (from highest to lowest
  • renaissance - viols
  • plucked string guitar (or lute for older music)
  • harp
Does it sound like a wind instrument?
  • orchestral woodwind from highest to lowest - flute - oboe -clarinet - bassoon
  • orchestral brass from highest to lowest - trumpet - french horn - trombone - tuba
  • Renaissance  - recorder
Does it sound like a percussion instrument? (These instruments are hit to make the sounds)
  • Tuned percussion - wood
  • Tuned percussion metal sound glockenspiel
  • Untuned percussion
Does it sound like a keyboard instrument?
  • For older sounding music this could be a church organ or a harpsichord
  • For more recent music a piano (a percussion instrument.
None of the above

Small Classical instrumental group

Does it sound like a duet
  • These could be two melodic instruments
  • a melodic instrument accompanied by a harmonic instrument
  • two harmonic instruments
Does it sound like a quartet
  • The string quartet containing 2 violins, a viola and cello was popular in the Classical and romantic era
  • some quartets contain four of the same kind of instrument
Does it sound like a quintet (5)
  •  
Does it sound like a
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None of the above

Large group of Classical instrumentalists

Does it sound like a
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Does it sound like a
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Does it sound like a
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Does it sound like a
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None of the above

a Classical singer

Does it sound like a female trained voice
  • (from highest to lowest) Soprano, contralto,
Does it sound like a male trained voice
  • tenor, bass
None of the above

a small Classical singing group

Is this singing group unaccompanied (a capella)
  • a Renaissance madrigal
Does it sound like a
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Does it sound like a
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Does it sound like a
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None of the above

a large Classical singing group

Does it sound like church music
  • religious words often in Latin a Mass (A motet if not in Latin)
  • A hymn - simple and chordal
Does it sound like an opera
  • Dramatic chorus - many voices per part
None of the above

a Classical singer with an instrument accompaniment

Does it sound like a piano and solo voice.
  • Lieder - 19th century art song often sung in German
Does it sound like a
  •  
Does it sound like a
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Does it sound like a
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None of the above

a small Classical group with singing and playing

Does it sound like a
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Does it sound like a
  •  
Does it sound like a
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Does it sound like a
  •  
None of the above

a large group with singing and playing

Does it sound like a
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Does it sound like a
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Does it sound like a
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Does it sound like a
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None of the above

Pop solo player

Does it sound like a
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Does it sound like a
  •  
Does it sound like a
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Does it sound like a
  •  
None of the above

Small Pop group

Does it sound like a
  •  
Does it sound like a
  •  
Does it sound like a
  •  
Does it sound like a
  •  
None of the above

Large group of Pop instrumentalists

Does it sound like a
  •  
Does it sound like a
  •  
Does it sound like a
  •  
Does it sound like a
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None of the above

World music solo player

Does it sound like a
  •  
Does it sound like a
  •  
Does it sound like a
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Does it sound like a
  •  
None of the above

Small World music group

Does it sound like a
  •  
Does it sound like a
  •  
Does it sound like a
  •  
Does it sound like a
  •  
None of the above

Large group of World music instrumentalists

Does it sound like a
  •  
Does it sound like a
  •  
Does it sound like a
  •  
Does it sound like a
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None of the above

Copyright © 2002 David Hayes

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Answer1

If it does not have voices or instruments then it is likely to be using natural sounds from the environment or electronic sounds with random effects.

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