Play and learn
Name that period
Every piece you play was written at a particular time, and each period of music history has its own sound. In this quick game a composer and one of their pieces appear, and you name the period the music comes from. Play a round, build a streak, and learn where your pieces fit on the timeline.
Name that period
- Score
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- Streak
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The periods of music history
Vivaldi published The Four Seasons in 1725, and Tchaikovsky wrote his Violin Concerto in 1878. Both are music for violin and orchestra, but their styles are far apart. Knowing when a piece was written tells a young musician how to play it in its own style: how freely to stretch the beat, how to shape a phrase, and whether to add ornaments.
Musicians group the centuries into periods: the Medieval and Renaissance years before 1600, the Baroque, the Classical period, the Romantic period, and the music written since 1900. The years where one period ends and the next begins are approximate.
New to the periods? Read the Musical Periods class first.
How this game helps
Short rounds build quick recall. Every answer comes with a date, so you learn when each piece was written, and many of the pieces are for violin, viola, or cello. The streak scoring rewards a run of correct answers. Play a round as a warm up before a Suzuki violin lesson or a practice session at home.
Ready for real lessons?
When your young musician is ready to play this music on a real violin, we would love to help them begin.