Folk Music Trivia
Folk Music trivia invites you into a tradition rooted in oral storytelling, regional customs, and songs passed from one generation to the next. From classic ballads and protest anthems to well-known performers and surprising facts, it offers an engaging mix of easy, funny, and more challenging questions for a wide range of players.
Easy Folk Music Trivia
13 questions
These easy Folk Music trivia questions are great for beginners and kids around age 12 and under.
Question 1
Who wrote the folk classic "This Land Is Your Land"?
Answer: Woody Guthrie wrote "This Land Is Your Land."
The song "This Land Is Your Land" was written by Woody Guthrie.
Question 2
At which festival did Bob Dylan famously play an electric set in 1965?
Answer: Bob Dylan played an electric set at the Newport Folk Festival in 1965.
Dylan's electric set in 1965 took place at the Newport Folk Festival.
Question 3
Which singer was an early champion of Bob Dylan's songwriting?
Answer: Joan Baez was an early champion of Bob Dylan's songwriting.
Joan Baez helped bring attention to Bob Dylan's songwriting early on.
Question 4
Pete Seeger was a member of which folk group?
Answer: Pete Seeger was a member of the Weavers.
The Weavers included Pete Seeger is a member.
Question 5
Who is often called the father of bluegrass?
Answer: Bill Monroe is often called the father of bluegrass.
Bill Monroe is widely known by the nickname "the father of bluegrass.".
Question 6
Which musician became famous for a three-finger banjo style?
Answer: Earl Scruggs became famous for a three-finger banjo style.
Earl Scruggs is especially known for his three-finger banjo approach.
Question 7
Which artist is closely associated with the song "Goodnight, Irene"?
Answer: Lead Belly is closely associated with the song "Goodnight, Irene."
The song "Goodnight, Irene" is closely associated with Lead Belly.
Question 8
The 1958 hit version of "Tom Dooley" was recorded by which group?
Answer: "Tom Dooley" was a hit for the Kingston Trio in 1958.
The Kingston Trio is the group behind the 1958 hit "Tom Dooley.".
Question 9
"We Shall Overcome" became an anthem of which movement in the United States?
Answer: "We Shall Overcome" became an anthem of the U.S. civil rights movement.
The song became strongly linked with the U.S. civil rights movement.
Question 10
Who wrote "Blowin' in the Wind" in 1962?
Answer: Bob Dylan wrote "Blowin' in the Wind" in 1962.
Bob Dylan wrote "Blowin' in the Wind" in 1962.
Question 11
The charango is closely associated with which mountain region?
Answer: The charango is closely associated with the Andes.
The charango is closely associated with the Andes.
Question 12
Which singer was one half of Simon & Garfunkel?
Answer: Paul Simon was one half of Simon & Garfunkel.
Paul Simon is one half of Simon & Garfunkel.
Question 13
Playful one: if your playlist starts with "This Land Is Your Land," whose name should pop into your head first?
Answer: Woody Guthrie should come to mind first because he wrote "This Land Is Your Land."
This question points back to the fact that Woody Guthrie wrote "This Land Is Your Land.".
Folk Music Family Trivia
12 questions
These family Folk Music trivia questions are built for mixed-age game nights, classrooms, and groups.
Question 1
Who compiled the collection known as the English and Scottish Popular Ballads?
Answer: Francis James Child
Francis James Child is known for compiling the English and Scottish Popular Ballads.
Question 2
Which musician was especially known for preserving Appalachian dulcimer traditions?
- A.Jean Ritchie
- B.Judy Collins
- C.Shirley Collins
- D.Lee Hays
Answer: Jean Ritchie
Jean Ritchie is closely associated with preserving Appalachian dulcimer traditions.
Question 3
Who recorded "Both Sides, Now" in 1967?
Answer: Judy Collins
Judy Collins recorded "Both Sides, Now" in 1967.
Question 4
Which folklorist made influential field recordings of traditional singers?
- A.Harry Smith
- B.Francis James Child
- C.Lee Hays
- D.Alan Lomax
Answer: Alan Lomax
Alan Lomax became famous for making influential field recordings of traditional singers.
Question 5
If someone records musicians on a porch or in a village instead of in a formal studio, what is that called?
Answer: A field recording
A field recording captures performers outside a formal studio setting.
Question 6
Who released the Anthology of American Folk Music in 1952?
Answer: Harry Smith
Harry Smith released the Anthology of American Folk Music in 1952.
Question 7
Which traditional ballad is found in both Britain and North America?
- A.Waltzing Matilda
- B.Drunken Sailor
- C.Solidarity Forever
- D.Barbara Allen
Answer: Barbara Allen
"Barbara Allen" is a traditional ballad known on both sides of the Atlantic.
Question 8
Which song is often described as Australia's unofficial national song?
- A.Solidarity Forever
- B.Waltzing Matilda
- C.Barbara Allen
- D.Drunken Sailor
Answer: Waltzing Matilda
"Waltzing Matilda" is often described is Australia's unofficial national song.
Question 9
What is the name of the frame drum used in Irish traditional music?
- A.bodhrán
- B.The sitar
- C.The kora
- D.The dulcimer
Answer: The bodhrán
The bodhrán is a frame drum associated with Irish traditional music.
Question 10
Which instrument in this set is a long-necked plucked instrument of Indian music?
- A.The bodhrán
- B.The kora
- C.The fiddle
- D.sitar
Answer: The sitar
The sitar is a long-necked plucked instrument of Indian music.
Question 11
What is the name of the West African harp-lute?
- A.The bodhrán
- B.The dulcimer
- C.kora
- D.The sitar
Answer: The kora
The kora is described is a West African harp-lute.
Question 12
Which island in Nova Scotia is famous for its fiddle tradition?
Answer: Cape Breton Island
Cape Breton Island in Nova Scotia is known for its fiddle tradition.
Fun Folk Music Trivia
13 questions
These fun Folk Music trivia questions highlight surprising moments and playful facts for game-night groups.
Question 1
Which famous filmmaker, better known for crime epics than acoustic guitars, directed the Bob Dylan documentary "No Direction Home"?
Answer: Martin Scorsese directed the Bob Dylan documentary "No Direction Home."
Despite being famous for narrative films, Martin Scorsese directed Dylan's documentary "No Direction Home.".
Question 2
The title "No Direction Home" comes from a line in which Bob Dylan song?
Answer: It comes from a line in Bob Dylan's "Like a Rolling Stone."
The documentary title borrows wording from Dylan's song "Like a Rolling Stone.".
Question 3
Name the manager who had both Bob Dylan and Janis Joplin on his client list.?
Answer: Albert Grossman managed both Bob Dylan and Janis Joplin.
Albert Grossman is the shared management link between Dylan and Joplin.
Question 4
If you walked into the world of the 2013 film "Inside Llewyn Davis," which musical scene would you be entering?
Answer: The early-1960s folk scene.
"Inside Llewyn Davis" is set in the early-1960s folk scene.
Question 5
The banjo's deeper family history traces back to instrument traditions from what region?
Answer: The banjo has roots in West African instrument traditions.
West Africa is the banjo's deeper traditional root.
Question 6
The mbira is especially associated with traditional music from which country?
Answer: The mbira is strongly associated with Zimbabwean traditional music.
Among traditional instruments, the mbira is especially tied to Zimbabwe.
Question 7
Which instrument is the one most strongly linked here with Russian folk music: balalaika, nyckelharpa, or didgeridoo?
- A.nyckelharpa
- B.didgeridoo
- C.concertina
- D.balalaika
Answer: Balalaika.
The balalaika is strongly associated with Russian folk music.
Question 8
What is the name of Sweden's traditional keyed fiddle?
Answer: The nyckelharpa is the traditional keyed fiddle of Sweden.
The nyckelharpa is specifically identified is a traditional keyed fiddle from Sweden.
Question 9
Flamenco's story is especially centered in which Spanish region?
Answer: Andalusia is central to the history of flamenco.
Andalusia is central to flamenco history.
Question 10
If your road trip playlist ends at the Newport Folk Festival, which U.S. state should your GPS announce?
Answer: Rhode Island.
The Newport Folk Festival is held in Rhode Island.
Question 11
Which U.S. state claims the dulcimer as its official state instrument?
Answer: Kentucky.
The dulcimer is officially recognized is the state instrument of Kentucky.
Question 12
Which folk instrument skips the bow and instead uses a hand-cranked wheel rubbing the strings?
Answer: The hurdy-gurdy.
A hurdy-gurdy produces sound with a hand-cranked wheel contacting the strings.
Question 13
True or false: A jaw harp is also commonly called a Jew's harp.?
Answer: True
The alternate common name given for jaw harp is Jew's harp.
Funny Folk Music Trivia
13 questions
These funny Folk Music trivia questions highlight playful moments, odd facts, and inside jokes.
Question 1
Which traditional folk song sends a frog into the dating world with marriage on his mind?
- A."Frog Went A-Courting."
- B.Old Dan Tucker
- C.The Irish Rover
- D.The Cat Came Back
Answer: "Frog Went A-Courting."
"Frog Went A-Courting" is a traditional folk song about a frog seeking marriage.
Question 2
What is the title of the 19th-century American folk song with the comic title character Old Dan Tucker?
Answer: "Old Dan Tucker."
"Old Dan Tucker" is a 19th-century American folk song with a comic title character.
Question 3
In the comic folk song, which animal absolutely refuses to take the hint and keeps returning?
Answer: The cat in "The Cat Came Back."
"The Cat Came Back" is a comic folk song about an unusually persistent cat.
Question 4
Which widely known humorous folk-style song begins the culinary chaos with an old lady swallowing a fly?
- A.On Top of Spaghetti
- B.The Laughing Policeman
- C.There Was
- D.Miss Lucy Had a Baby
Answer: "There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly."
"There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly" became a widely known humorous folk-style song.
Question 5
Which novelty hit from 1944 made listeners wonder whether the lyrics were nonsense or just having a very good time?
- A.Yakety Yak
- B.The Irish Rover
- C.A Boy Named Sue
- D.Mairzy Doats
Answer: "Mairzy Doats."
"Mairzy Doats" became a novelty hit in 1944 by playing with nonsense-sounding lyrics.
Question 6
Who had the hit recording of "The Laughing Policeman" in 1922?
Answer: Charles Penrose.
"The Laughing Policeman" was a hit recording by Charles Penrose in 1922.
Question 7
"Yakety Yak" brought comic storytelling to a 1958 recording by which group?
Answer: The Coasters.
"Yakety Yak" was recorded by the Coasters in 1958 and drew on comic storytelling.
Question 8
If your chewing gum loses its flavour on the bedpost overnight, whose hit are you dealing with?
Answer: Lonnie Donegan's.
"Does Your Chewing Gum Lose Its Flavour (On the Bedpost Overnight?)" is a hit for Lonnie Donegan.
Question 9
Which novelty folk song is powered by the sort of family-tree joke that makes everyone reach for a pencil?
Answer: "I'm My Own Grandpa."
"I'm My Own Grandpa" is a novelty folk song built around a family-tree joke.
Question 10
Which comic parody cheerfully rolls meatballs into the orbit of "On Top of Old Smoky"?
- A.The Irish Rover
- B.Mairzy Doats
- C.There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly
- D."On Top of Spaghetti."
Answer: "On Top of Spaghetti."
"On Top of Spaghetti" is a comic parody of "On Top of Old Smoky.".
Question 11
Who wrote the song "A Boy Named Sue"?
Answer: Shel Silverstein.
"A Boy Named Sue" was written by Shel Silverstein.
Question 12
Whose live recording of "A Boy Named Sue" won a Grammy?
Answer: Johnny Cash's.
Johnny Cash's live recording of "A Boy Named Sue" won a Grammy.
Question 13
"Hello Muddah, Hello Fadduh" borrowed its tune from which piece by Ponchielli?
Answer: "Dance of the Hours."
"Hello Muddah, Hello Fadduh" was based on Ponchielli's "Dance of the Hours.".
Hard Folk Music Trivia
14 questions
These hard Folk Music trivia questions are for expert fans who want a real challenge.
Question 1
In what year did the first volume of Francis James Child's ballad collection appear?
Answer: 1882
The first volume of Francis James Child's ballad collection appeared in 1882.
Question 2
Who created the Roud Folk Song Index?
Answer: Steve Roud
The Roud Folk Song Index was created by Steve Roud.
Question 3
Which collector is specifically associated with gathering both English folk songs and morris dances?
Answer: Cecil Sharp
Cecil Sharp collected English folk songs and morris dances.
Question 4
Name the early collector of English folk songs identified here as Sabine Baring-Gould.?
Answer: Sabine Baring-Gould
Sabine Baring-Gould was an early collector of English folk songs.
Question 5
Which folk revival figure co-wrote the 1950 book "The Singing Englishman"?
Answer: A. L. Lloyd
A. L. Lloyd co-wrote the 1950 book "The Singing Englishman.".
Question 6
The Newport Jazz Festival came first; in what year did that earlier festival begin?
Answer: 1954
The 1954 Newport Jazz Festival preceded the Newport Folk Festival by five years.
Question 7
What was the founding year of the Newport Folk Festival?
Answer: 1959
The Newport Folk Festival was founded in 1959.
Question 8
Who ran the Folklore Center in Greenwich Village?
Answer: Israel G. Young
Israel G. Young ran the Folklore Center in Greenwich Village.
Question 9
Which record-label founder is tied to the 1948 launch of Folkways Records?
Answer: Moses Asch
Moses Asch founded Folkways Records in 1948.
Question 10
Since 1987, what institution has served as the steward of Folkways Records?
Answer: Smithsonian Folkways
Smithsonian Folkways became the steward of Folkways Records in 1987.
Question 11
Alan Lomax published "The Land Where the Blues Began" in which year?
Answer: 1993
Alan Lomax published "The Land Where the Blues Began" in 1993.
Question 12
What is the title of Jean Ritchie's 1955 book documenting her family's traditions?
Answer: Singing Family of the Cumberlands
Jean Ritchie's 1955 book "Singing Family of the Cumberlands" documented her family's traditions.
Question 13
How many Child Ballads are commonly counted in the standard numbering?
Answer: 305
The Child Ballads are commonly numbered at 305.
Question 14
What alternate name is commonly used for the Appalachian dulcimer?
Answer: mountain dulcimer
The Appalachian dulcimer is also known is the mountain dulcimer.
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