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.
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 › - Q5.
Pandit Jasraj, the renowned Hindustani classical vocalist, was associated with which gharana?
A. Gwalior gharanaB. Mewati gharanaC. Agra gharanaD. Kirana gharanamediumAsked in SSCView solution › - Q6.
Gangubai Hangal, the renowned Hindustani vocalist, belonged to which gharana?
A. Kirana gharanaB. Patiala gharanaC. Agra gharanaD. Mewati gharanamediumAsked in SSCView solution › - Q7.
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 › - Q8.
Ustad Amjad Ali Khan, the sarod maestro, was born in 1945 in which city?
A. GwaliorB. RampurC. LucknowD. MaiharmediumAsked in SSCView solution › - Q9.
Tabla maestro Ustad Zakir Hussain belonged to which gharana?
A. Farrukhabad gharanaB. Lucknow gharanaC. Banaras gharanaD. Punjab gharanamediumAsked in SSCView solution › - Q10.
The renowned vocalist Ustad Amir Khan founded which gharana?
A. Agra gharanaB. Mewati gharanaC. Patiala gharanaD. Indore gharanamediumAsked in SSCView solution › - Q11.
Khagen Mahanta was a notable personality in the folk music of which state?
A. OdishaB. AssamC. West BengalD. ManipurmediumAsked in SSCView solution › - Q12.
Prabha Atre, the renowned Hindustani classical vocalist, is related to which gharana?
A. Indore gharanaB. Kirana gharanaC. Patiala gharanaD. Gwalior gharanamediumAsked in SSCView solution › - Q13.
Kishori Amonkar, the renowned vocalist of Hindustani music, was associated with which gharana?
A. Mewati gharanaB. Agra gharanaC. Jaipur-Atrauli gharanaD. Kirana gharanamediumAsked in SSCView solution › - Q14.
What was the earlier name of the music director A.R. Rahman?
A. Allah Rakha QureshiB. R.K. ShekharC. IlaiyaraajaD. A.S. Dileep KumarmediumAsked in SSCView solution › - Q15.
Who was the first Indian folk artist to walk the red carpet at the Cannes Film Festival?
A. Lakha KhanB. Teejan BaiC. Mame KhanD. Gulabo SaperamediumAsked in SSCView solution › - Q16.
Vishnu Narayan Bhatkhande, who wrote the first modern treatise on the subject, is related to which field?
A. Folk theatreB. Carnatic classical musicC. Bharatanatyam danceD. Hindustani classical musicmediumAsked in SSCView solution › - Q17.
Ustad Alla Rakha, the classical tabla player, was popularly known as:
A. AbbajiB. DadajiC. PanditjiD. BabajimediumAsked in SSCView solution › - Q18.
Ustad Hassu Khan was one of the founders of which gharana?
A. Kirana gharanaB. Mewati gharanaC. Patiala gharanaD. Gwalior gharanamediumAsked in SSCView solution › - Q19.
In which city was the singer Lata Mangeshkar born?
A. MumbaiB. IndoreC. KolhapurD. PunemediumAsked in SSCView solution › - Q20.
Papanasam Sivan, often called the 'Tamil Tyagaraja', was related to which form of music?
A. Sufi musicB. Hindustani musicC. Rabindra SangeetD. Carnatic musicmediumAsked in SSCView solution ›