Music & Musical Instruments Questions with Solutions
This topic covers Indian classical music, its two main traditions (Hindustani and Carnatic), gharanas, ragas and talas, folk music styles, and the musical instruments of India along with the artists who are famous for playing them. It also includes the four classes of instruments: string (tata), wind (sushira), percussion (avanaddha) and solid (ghana). Exam questions usually pair an instrument with its maestro, such as the sitar with Pandit Ravi Shankar, the shehnai with Ustad Bismillah Khan or the santoor with Pandit Shivkumar Sharma. Other common questions ask about the origin of a gharana, the instrument a folk style uses, or the class an instrument belongs to. Making a two-column list of instruments and artists is the quickest way to revise. Practise the music and musical instruments questions below, written in the style of the general awareness sections of exams such as SSC, banking, railways, CUET GAT, MAH CET and CLAT. Each question comes with a detailed explanation that adds related facts, so every question helps you revise more than one point.
- Q1.
In which year was the Buddhist chanting of Ladakh inscribed on UNESCO's list of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity?
A. 2016B. 2008C. 2012D. 2010mediumAsked in SSCView solution › - Q2.
In which year was the Tradition of Vedic Chanting inscribed on UNESCO's Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity?
A. 2012B. 2014C. 2008D. 2010mediumAsked in SSCView solution › - Q3.
Which is the main percussion instrument used in the performance of Mohiniyattam?
A. PungB. EdakkaC. TablaD. ChendamediumAsked in SSCView solution › - Q4.
Who is known as the 'Father of Carnatic Music'?
A. Muthuswami DikshitarB. Syama SastriC. TyagarajaD. Purandara DasaeasyAsked in SSCView solution › - Q5.
Before joining Akbar's court, Tansen served as a court musician to which ruler?
A. Raja Todar MalB. Raja Ramchandra of RewaC. Rana Sanga of MewarD. Raja Man Singh Tomar of GwaliormediumAsked in SSCView solution › - Q6.
The Wadali Brothers, Puranchand Wadali and Pyarelal Wadali, are famous singers of which genre?
A. DhrupadB. Carnatic musicC. Rabindra SangeetD. Sufi musiceasyAsked in SSCView solution › - Q7.
Pandit Jasraj, the renowned Hindustani classical vocalist, was associated with which gharana?
A. Gwalior gharanaB. Mewati gharanaC. Agra gharanaD. Kirana gharanamediumAsked in SSCView solution › - Q8.
Gangubai Hangal, the renowned Hindustani vocalist, belonged to which gharana?
A. Kirana gharanaB. Patiala gharanaC. Agra gharanaD. Mewati gharanamediumAsked in SSCView solution › - Q9.
Who is credited with composing talas such as Trimukhi, Panchamukhi, Saptamukhi and Navamukhi?
A. TyagarajaB. Lalgudi JayaramanC. M. BalamuralikrishnaD. M.S. SubbulakshmihardAsked in SSCView solution › - Q10.
Which of the following was a maestro of Hindustani classical music?
A. Semmangudi Srinivasa IyerB. M.S. SubbulakshmiC. TyagarajaD. Bade Ghulam Ali KhaneasyAsked in SSCView solution › - Q11.
Which music director is known as the 'Mozart of Madras'?
A. IlaiyaraajaB. A.R. RahmanC. M.S. ViswanathanD. R.D. BurmaneasyAsked in SSCView solution › - Q12.
The singer Begum Akhtar was popularly called:
A. Nightingale of IndiaB. Mallika-e-GhazalC. Queen of ThumriD. Melody QueeneasyAsked in SSCView solution › - Q13.
The music of the famous patriotic song 'Aye Mere Watan Ke Logon', sung by Lata Mangeshkar, was composed by:
A. NaushadB. C. RamchandraC. Shankar-JaikishanD. S.D. BurmanmediumAsked in SSCView solution › - Q14.
Asghari Bai is primarily remembered for her contribution to which genre of music?
A. DhrupadB. ThumriC. QawwaliD. GhazalhardAsked in SSCView solution › - Q15.
Shubha Mudgal is famous for which form of music?
A. Hindustani classical musicB. Carnatic classical musicC. Rabindra SangeetD. Baul musiceasyAsked in SSCView solution › - Q16.
Ustad Amjad Ali Khan, the sarod maestro, was born in 1945 in which city?
A. GwaliorB. RampurC. LucknowD. MaiharmediumAsked in SSCView solution › - Q17.
Tabla maestro Ustad Zakir Hussain belonged to which gharana?
A. Farrukhabad gharanaB. Lucknow gharanaC. Banaras gharanaD. Punjab gharanamediumAsked in SSCView solution › - Q18.
The renowned vocalist Ustad Amir Khan founded which gharana?
A. Agra gharanaB. Mewati gharanaC. Patiala gharanaD. Indore gharanamediumAsked in SSCView solution › - Q19.
The Bhendi Bazaar gharana of Hindustani music was founded by which three brothers?
A. Bade Fateh Ali Khan, Ali Baksh Khan and Kale KhanB. Chhajju Khan, Nazir Khan and Khadim Hussain KhanC. Hassu Khan, Haddu Khan and Nathu KhanD. Abdul Karim Khan, Abdul Wahid Khan and Rehmat KhanhardAsked in SSCView solution › - Q20.
Khagen Mahanta was a notable personality in the folk music of which state?
A. OdishaB. AssamC. West BengalD. ManipurmediumAsked in SSCView solution ›