Bernard Herrmann Quiz: Psycho's Shrieking Strings and Film Scores

This Bernard Herrmann quiz listens to the composer behind some of cinema's most famous music. Play 10 interactive questions on his first film score for Citizen Kane, the strings-only Psycho score and its stabbing shower cue, Vertigo, North by Northwest, his sound work on The Birds, his Oscar, the split with Hitchcock over Torn Curtain and Taxi Driver.

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🎯 Daily Trivia Challenge • 🧠 10 Questions • ⏱️ 150 Seconds

Question 1 / 10 Time: 150s

Job
What was Bernard Herrmann?
First
Which film was his first film score?
Psycho
Which instruments play the Psycho score?
Shower
What do the strings do in the shower scene?
Wish
What did Hitchcock first want for the shower scene?
Partner
With which director did Herrmann work often?
Birds
What did Herrmann do on The Birds?
Split
Which film ended his work with Hitchcock?
Oscar
For which film did Herrmann win an Oscar?
Last
Which Scorsese film was his final score?

Explanations: answer key for all 10 questions

Q1: What was Bernard Herrmann?
Answer: A film composer
He wrote for radio first.
Q2: Which film was his first film score?
Answer: Citizen Kane
He worked with Orson Welles.
Q3: Which instruments play the Psycho score?
Answer: Strings only
Budget limits shaped the choice.
Q4: What do the strings do in the shower scene?
Answer: Shriek in sharp stabbing notes
It is one of film's most famous cues.
Q5: What did Hitchcock first want for the shower scene?
Answer: No music at all
He changed his mind after hearing it.
Q6: With which director did Herrmann work often?
Answer: Alfred Hitchcock
They made several films together.
Q7: What did Herrmann do on The Birds?
Answer: Served as sound consultant
It has no traditional score.
Q8: Which film ended his work with Hitchcock?
Answer: Torn Curtain
Hitchcock rejected his score.
Q9: For which film did Herrmann win an Oscar?
Answer: The Devil and Daniel Webster
It was released in 1941.
Q10: Which Scorsese film was his final score?
Answer: Taxi Driver
He died shortly after recording it.

The Composer of Suspense

Bernard Herrmann was an American composer who wrote for radio with Orson Welles before scoring Welles' Citizen Kane in 1941, his first film score. That same year he won an Oscar for The Devil and Daniel Webster. His music used unusual instrument combinations to create mood.

He became Alfred Hitchcock's most important composer, writing scores for Vertigo, North by Northwest and Psycho. Psycho's score uses strings only, and in the shower scene they shriek in sharp stabbing notes. Hitchcock first wanted no music there but changed his mind after hearing the cue.

On The Birds, Herrmann served as sound consultant for electronic bird sounds instead of a traditional score. Their partnership ended when Hitchcock rejected his score for Torn Curtain in 1966. His final score was for Martin Scorsese's Taxi Driver, and he died shortly after recording it.

What This Quiz Teaches

Film music fans will enjoy these questions.

How his career began
What makes Psycho unique
Who he worked with
How the partnership ended
Which scores came last

Did You Know?

He also scored Cape Fear in 1962.
He wrote music for The Twilight Zone.
His Vertigo score has swirling themes.
He was known for a fiery temper.
Many directors still copy his style.