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.
- Q61.
Pandit Nikhil Ghosh, founder of Sangit Mahabharati in Mumbai, was a famous:
A. Sarangi playerB. Tabla playerC. Flute playerD. Sitar playermediumAsked in SSCView solution › - Q62.
Ustad Hafiz Ali Khan of the Bangash gharana was a famous player of which instrument?
A. SarangiB. SitarC. SarodD. ShehnaimediumAsked in SSCView solution › - Q63.
Pandit Swapan Chaudhuri is associated with which instrument?
A. TablaB. SantoorC. SitarD. SarodmediumAsked in SSCView solution › - Q64.
Bombay Jayashri, who received the Padma Shri in 2021, is a:
A. Carnatic vocalistB. Hindustani tabla playerC. Kathak dancerD. Sitar playermediumAsked in SSCView solution › - Q65.
The shehnai is also known as:
A. Rudra veenaB. Ghana vadyaC. Mangal vadyaD. Tata vadyamediumAsked in SSCView solution › - Q66.
Which bowed string instrument is played in a vertical position and is said to have 'a hundred colours'?
A. SarodB. SitarC. SantoorD. SarangimediumAsked in SSCView solution › - Q67.
The kamaicha, a bowed string instrument, is played mainly by the Manganiar musicians of which region?
A. Bundelkhand in Uttar PradeshB. Kutch in GujaratC. Malwa in Madhya PradeshD. Western RajasthanmediumAsked in SSCView solution › - Q68.
The 'pena', a traditional bowed string instrument, is associated with which state?
A. ManipurB. PunjabC. KeralaD. RajasthanmediumAsked in SSCView solution › - Q69.
The 'khuang' is a traditional drum of which state?
A. TripuraB. MizoramC. ManipurD. SikkimmediumAsked in SSCView solution › - Q70.
In the Natya Shastra, Bharata Muni classified musical instruments into how many groups?
A. SevenB. FourC. ThreeD. FivemediumAsked in RailwayView solution › - Q71.
Which style of Hindustani singing is traditionally performed by men with the tanpura and pakhawaj?
A. GhazalB. TappaC. ThumriD. DhrupadmediumAsked in RailwayView solution › - Q72.
The kanjira, a South Indian frame drum, is made with a circular frame of:
A. BambooB. ClayC. MetalD. WoodmediumAsked in RailwayView solution › - Q73.
Who popularised the guitar as an instrument in Hindustani classical music?
A. Pandit Ravi ShankarB. U. SrinivasC. Pandit Shivkumar SharmaD. Pandit Brij Bhushan KabramediumAsked in RailwayView solution › - Q74.
How many beats (matras) are there in Dadra taal of Hindustani classical music?
A. 6B. 8C. 7D. 16mediumAsked in RailwayView solution › - Q75.
The Mohan veena, a modified Hawaiian guitar also called the Hindustani slide guitar, was created and popularised by:
A. Vishwa Mohan BhattB. Shivkumar SharmaC. Brij Bhushan KabraD. U. SrinivasmediumAsked in RailwayView solution › - Q76.
Palghat Mani Iyer is associated with which musical instrument?
A. VeenaB. NadaswaramC. MridangamD. ViolinmediumAsked in PoliceView solution › - Q77.
Murad Ali is a well-known player of which instrument?
A. SitarB. SarodC. SantoorD. SarangimediumAsked in PoliceView solution › - Q78.
Pandit S. Ballesh is a well-known player of which instrument?
A. FluteB. SarangiC. ShehnaiD. TablamediumAsked in PoliceView solution › - Q79.
Pandit Shivnath Mishra of the Banaras gharana is associated with which instrument?
A. SitarB. ShehnaiC. SarangiD. TablamediumAsked in PoliceView solution › - Q80.
Karaikudi R. Mani was a renowned player of which instrument?
A. NadaswaramB. GhatamC. MridangamD. ViolinmediumAsked in PoliceView solution ›