History of Dance Music Quiz

Tests comprehension and vocabulary from EnglishClub's History of Dance Music page. You can do this quiz online or print it on paper.

1. Funk musicians learned how to create funky _______ while playing.

melodies
rhythmic grooves
lyrics
a) melodies b) rhythmic grooves c) lyrics

2. In the mid-70s, a new and simpler kind of dance music called _______ became popular.

drum and bass
hip hop
disco
a) drum and bass b) hip hop c) disco

3. In the middle of most disco twelve-inch singles there's an extended section called

the drop
the breakbeat
the breakdown
a) the drop b) the breakbeat c) the breakdown

4. What do the letters EDM stand for?

electronic dance music
electric dance music
electro dance music
a) electronic dance music b) electric dance music c) electro dance music

5. In early EDM genres like techno and house, _______ were used instead of drum kits.

drum machines
drummers
drum sticks
a) drum machines b) drummers c) drum sticks

6. EDM producers also used drum breaks and other short sections of music they ______ from old jazz, soul and funk records.

re-recorded
copied
sampled
a) re-recorded b) copied c) sampled

7. Which word can mean a large outdoor party or music festival at which DJs play dance tracks?

a trance
a rave
a ball
a) a trance b) a rave c) a ball

8. Which beat is the most complex to play and most difficult to follow and dance to?

a breakbeat
a four-on-the-floor beat
a disco beat
a) a breakbeat b) a four-on-the-floor beat c) a disco beat

9. "At 160 bpm to 180 bpm, drum and bass is much faster than dubstep." What do the letters bpm stand for?

breaks per minute
beats per minute
bass per minute
a) breaks per minute b) beats per minute c) bass per minute

10. Which kind of music does not usually include lyrics and singing?

dance pop
trance
big beat
a) dance pop b) trance c) big beat

Your score is:

Correct answers:

Contributor: Matt Errey. Matt is the author of several books including 1000 Phrasal Verbs in Context and Common English Idioms for learners, and Matt's ESL Games and Quizzes for teachers.