Music & Musical Instruments Questions with Solutions

173 questions50 easy103 medium20 hard

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.

  1. Q1.

    Who is credited with composing talas such as Trimukhi, Panchamukhi, Saptamukhi and Navamukhi?

    A. TyagarajaB. Lalgudi JayaramanC. M. BalamuralikrishnaD. M.S. Subbulakshmi
    hardAsked in SSCView solution ›
  2. Q2.

    Asghari Bai is primarily remembered for her contribution to which genre of music?

    A. DhrupadB. ThumriC. QawwaliD. Ghazal
    hardAsked in SSCView solution ›
  3. Q3.

    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 Khan
    hardAsked in SSCView solution ›
  4. Q4.

    'Shivaputra Siddharamayya Komkalimath' is the original name of which famous musician?

    A. Pandit Mallikarjun MansurB. Pandit Bhimsen JoshiC. Pandit Kumar GandharvaD. Pandit Jasraj
    hardAsked in SSCView solution ›
  5. Q5.

    Lata Mangeshkar recorded her first playback song for a film in which language?

    A. GujaratiB. MarathiC. BengaliD. Hindi
    hardAsked in SSCView solution ›
  6. Q6.

    Ustad Asad Ali Khan, a rudra veena player, was a master of which of the four schools (banis) of Dhrupad?

    A. DagarB. KhandarC. GauharD. Nauhar
    hardAsked in SSCView solution ›
  7. Q7.

    Janki Bai and Gauhar Jaan performed for Emperor George V at the Delhi Durbar in which year?

    A. 1903B. 1911C. 1877D. 1947
    hardAsked in SSCView solution ›
  8. Q8.

    Meer Qutub Baksh, a khayal singer, was given the title 'Tanras' by which ruler?

    A. Wajid Ali ShahB. Tipu SultanC. Bahadur Shah ZafarD. Akbar
    hardAsked in SSCView solution ›
  9. Q9.

    Ustad Ghulam Mustafa Khan and Ustad Rashid Khan belong to which gharana of Hindustani music?

    A. Kirana gharanaB. Rampur-Sahaswan gharanaC. Mewati gharanaD. Jaipur-Atrauli gharana
    hardAsked in SSCView solution ›
  10. Q10.

    Ramnad V. Raghavan was a famous player of which instrument?

    A. MridangamB. ViolinC. FluteD. Nadaswaram
    hardAsked in SSCView solution ›
  11. Q11.

    Totaram Sharma is a famous player of which percussion instrument?

    A. DholakB. TablaC. MridangamD. Pakhawaj
    hardAsked in SSC +1View solution ›
  12. Q12.

    Bageshwari Qamar is known as one of India's first women players of which instrument?

    A. SantoorB. SitarC. ShehnaiD. Tabla
    hardAsked in SSCView solution ›
  13. Q13.

    'Yoksi', a sword-like instrument used during the Ponung dance, belongs to which state?

    A. AssamB. MizoramC. NagalandD. Arunachal Pradesh
    hardAsked in SSCView solution ›
  14. Q14.

    The Bobbili veena (a Saraswati veena) used in Carnatic music is traditionally made from:

    A. BambooB. Teak woodC. Jackfruit woodD. Rosewood
    hardAsked in SSCView solution ›
  15. Q15.

    Pudukkottai Dakshinamurthy Pillai was a famous player of which instrument?

    A. VeenaB. KanjiraC. NadaswaramD. Flute
    hardAsked in PoliceView solution ›
  16. Q16.

    The 'bhungal', a long trumpet-like instrument used in Bhavai performances, is played in which state?

    A. PunjabB. AssamC. RajasthanD. Kerala
    hardAsked in PoliceView solution ›
  17. Q17.

    A mouth instrument made from a single piece of bamboo with a split at one end, played during Bihu, is called the:

    A. GogonaB. PepaC. TokaD. Xutuli
    hardAsked in DefenceView solution ›
  18. Q18.

    Bhikhudan Govindbhai Gadhvi is a proponent of which folk tradition?

    A. JagarB. LavaniC. DayroD. Pandavani
    hardAsked in SSCView solution ›
  19. Q19.

    The Prayag Sangeet Samiti at Prayagraj was established in:

    A. 1926B. 1947C. 1901D. 1952
    hardAsked in RailwayView solution ›
  20. Q20.

    'Khuded' folk songs belong to which state?

    A. BiharB. UttarakhandC. SikkimD. Himachal Pradesh
    hardAsked in DefenceView solution ›