Ella Fitzgerald Quiz: Guess the Song & Test Your Trivia
Two things give an Ella Fitzgerald quiz away: a voice with no rough edges and a scat break no one else could match. Guess the Ella Fitzgerald song from 'Dream a Little Dream of Me' and 'Summertime' to 'Cheek to Cheek' and the swing anthem 'It Don't Mean a Thing', then test your trivia on which composer's Song Book each standard came from. She cut whole albums of Cole Porter, Duke Ellington and the Gershwins, so the writer is often the real question. See how well you know the First Lady of Song.
Start your solo quiz
Name as many tracks as you can from short audio clips. The faster you answer, the more you score.
10 questions4 answers each
Guess the Ella Fitzgerald Song
'Dream a Little Dream of Me', 'Summertime' and 'Cheek to Cheek' are the standards players catch first.
Dream a Little Dream of Me
Summertime
Cheek to Cheek
It Don't Mean a Thing
A-Tisket A-Tasket
How High the Moon
Mack the Knife (live)
Blue Skies
Ella Fitzgerald Trivia: Scat, Grammys and the Song Book
The improvised Berlin classic, the thirteen Grammys, and the composers she gave whole albums.
How Well Do You Know Ella Fitzgerald
The standards are easy points; the scat breaks and who-wrote-it rounds decide the game.
The Song Book standards
Ella recorded whole albums devoted to single writers, the famous Song Book series. Cole Porter, Duke Ellington, Irving Berlin and the Gershwins each got one, so a quiz often asks who wrote the standard, not just its name.
Scat singing and the live showstoppers
Her scat turned songs into solos. 'How High the Moon' and her 1960 Berlin 'Mack the Knife', where she forgot the words and invented new ones, are where casual fans lose the melody line.
The duets with Louis Armstrong
The albums 'Ella and Louis' and 'Porgy and Bess' paired her with Louis Armstrong. 'Summertime', 'Cheek to Cheek' and 'They Can't Take That Away from Me' turn up as duets, so the second voice is a clue.
From the Apollo and Chick Webb
Before the standards she was a swing-band singer. Her 1938 breakthrough 'A-Tisket, A-Tasket' came with Chick Webb's orchestra, after she won amateur night at the Apollo in 1934. Early sides catch superfans out.
Ella Fitzgerald Quiz FAQ
How does the Ella Fitzgerald quiz work?
You hear a clip of an Ella Fitzgerald recording and name it, then answer trivia across her Song Book standards, her scat features, and her duets with Louis Armstrong.
Which Ella Fitzgerald songs are in the quiz?
Standards like 'Dream a Little Dream of Me', 'Summertime' and 'Cheek to Cheek', plus swing sides such as 'A-Tisket, A-Tasket' and live takes of 'Mack the Knife'.
Why is the Ella Fitzgerald quiz tricky?
Many rounds ask who wrote a standard rather than name it, and her scat passages hide the melody, so knowing the Song Book helps.
Which song did Ella famously improvise live?
Her 1960 Berlin performance of 'Mack the Knife', where she forgot the words and made up new lyrics on the spot, won a Grammy.
Who was Ella Fitzgerald?
Ella Fitzgerald, the First Lady of Song, was an American jazz singer famed for her clear tone and scat. She lived from 1917 to 1996 and won 13 Grammys.
Is the Ella Fitzgerald quiz free?
Yes. The Ella Fitzgerald quiz is free on Songtrivia, with no account and no Spotify required.
📚 Sources & methodology
Sources consulted
Wikipedia · AllMusic · Pitchfork · Billboard · Songtrivia editorial team.
Our methodology
Each topic is curated by a Quiz Master with category expertise. Selection crosses cultural impact, chart performance, recognition potential and era variety.