About Guess the Composer
Guess the Composer is a free online listening game: you hear up to 30 seconds of classical music and name the composer, among more than 150 composers from before 1600 to the 20th century.
How do you play?
Each round plays an excerpt. Choose the composer from four names, or type the name for more points. A game lasts 5, 10, 15 or 20 rounds, and the faster you answer, the more you can score.
How hard is it?
There are five levels: Evident, Easy, Medium, Hard and Very hard. A level reflects how hard the composer is to name, not how famous the piece is. The wrong answers get closer to the right one as the level rises.
What music is in the game?
You can play all music, or narrow a game to seven periods and to genres and instruments such as symphony, concerto, sonata, piano, string quartet, opera, ballet, violin, cello and woodwinds.
What is This Week's Special?
A themed game with pieces chosen by hand. The first one is about the clarinet.
How can I learn to recognize composers?
The composer pages describe how to recognize 30 great composers by ear, and who they can be mistaken for.
Is it free?
Yes. You get one game a day without an account and three with a free account. This Week's Special does not count towards that limit.
Where does the music come from?
Excerpts of freely licensed or public-domain recordings, and videos played in YouTube's own player. Each recording is credited after its round; see recordings, terms and privacy.