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RBSE SS Tabla study materials
RBSE SS Tabla study resources

RBSE SS Tabla practice questions

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Question 1Origin, history and evolution of the tabla; instrument structure and maintenance

On the pudi (head) of a tabla, which part is the black paste patch pasted at the centre?

  1. Chanti
  2. Gajra
  3. Maidan
  4. Syahi Correct answer.

Explanation

The pudi carries a black paste patch, the syahi, pasted at its centre; it adds mass and damps the middle of the skin so the head gives a clear, pitched tone. The bare ring around it is the maidan, while the thickened outer edge of the skin is the chanti.

Question 2Origin, history and evolution of the tabla; instrument structure and maintenance

The shell of the dayan (right-hand drum) is traditionally hollowed out of a single block of which timber?

  1. Bamboo
  2. Sheesham Correct answer.
  3. Teak
  4. Sandalwood

Explanation

Dayan shells are turned from one solid block of sheesham, also called Indian rosewood, and occasionally from khair; the dense, well-seasoned wood gives the bright, ringing tone the right-hand drum requires. Bamboo, teak and sandalwood are not traditional shell materials for the dayan.

Question 3Origin, history and evolution of the tabla; instrument structure and maintenance

The tabla is generally regarded as having developed from which older barrel drum of North Indian classical music?

  1. Nagara
  2. Dholak
  3. Pakhawaj Correct answer.
  4. Mridangam

Explanation

North Indian theory treats the tabla as a descendant of the pakhawaj, the barrel drum that accompanied dhrupad, and the two instruments share many bols and much repertoire. The dholak and nagara belong to folk and ceremonial traditions, while the mridangam is the South Indian drum.

Question 4Origin, history and evolution of the tabla; instrument structure and maintenance

Popular tradition credits the creation of the tabla by dividing the pakhawaj to which thirteenth-century poet-musician of the Delhi Sultanate?

  1. Amir Khusrau Correct answer.
  2. Baiju Bawra
  3. Tansen
  4. Sadarang

Explanation

A widely repeated tradition names Amir Khusrau, the thirteenth-century poet, courtier and musician, as the inventor who split the pakhawaj into two drums. The story is legend rather than documented fact, but it remains the standard account in textbooks and oral teaching.

Question 5Origin, history and evolution of the tabla; instrument structure and maintenance

Sidhar Khan Dhadi is traditionally named as the founder of which tabla gharana?

  1. Benares
  2. Lucknow
  3. Delhi Correct answer.
  4. Ajrada

Explanation

Sidhar Khan Dhadi is credited with founding the Delhi gharana, generally treated as the oldest tabla school, whose lineage runs through Kale Khan and Niazu Khan. Lucknow, Benares and Ajrada trace themselves to other founding masters and have their own stylistic signatures.

Question 6Origin, history and evolution of the tabla; instrument structure and maintenance

Which of the following is counted among the six traditional tabla gharanas?

  1. Farukhabad Correct answer.
  2. Kirana
  3. Gwalior
  4. Agra

Explanation

The six traditional tabla gharanas are Delhi, Lucknow, Farukhabad, Benares, Ajrada and Punjab. Gwalior, Kirana and Agra are vocal gharanas of Hindustani music and are not tabla schools.

Question 7Origin, history and evolution of the tabla; instrument structure and maintenance

The bayan (left-hand drum) of a classical tabla pair is most commonly built from which material?

  1. Seasoned teak
  2. Clay, copper or brass Correct answer.
  3. Bamboo
  4. A single block of sheesham

Explanation

The bayan is a kettle-shaped drum of clay, copper or brass, and its metal or earthen body gives the deep, booming bass of strokes such as ghe. Wood is the material of the dayan shell, so a wooden bayan is the exception rather than the rule.

Question 8Origin, history and evolution of the tabla; instrument structure and maintenance

A player always packs the tabla in a closed case with a moisture absorber after practice. The main acoustic reason for keeping the pudi away from damp is that moisture does which of the following?

  1. It permanently stretches the wooden pegs so they cannot be turned
  2. It changes only the colour of the chanti and has no audible effect
  3. It softens the syahi and slackens the skin, spoiling tone and tuning Correct answer.
  4. It hardens the syahi and raises the pitch beyond correction

Explanation

Damp is the chief enemy of a tabla head: it softens the syahi paste and slackens the goat skin, so the drum loses pitch, attack and clarity. Storing the instrument dry, in a closed case with a moisture absorber, keeps the tension and the applied paste stable between practice sessions.

Question 9Origin, history and evolution of the tabla; instrument structure and maintenance

The small wooden blocks threaded on the leather lacing of a tabla serve which purpose?

  1. Slid and tapped with a hammer, they set the tension of the skin Correct answer.
  2. They mark the eight fixed stroke positions on the chanti
  3. They carry the syahi and hold it at the centre of the pudi
  4. They clamp the dayan and bayan together during performance

Explanation

The pudi is laced to the shell by leather thongs, and the wooden gatta threaded on them are slid down and tapped with the tuning hammer to tighten the skin, or eased back to loosen it. Skilled tuning means evening out the tension all round the rim so the head sounds clean at the chosen pitch.

Question 10Origin, history and evolution of the tabla; instrument structure and maintenance

Most modern writers place the rise of the tabla in the eighteenth century rather than in Amir Khusrau's thirteenth century mainly because of which consideration?

  1. The tabla is known to have been invented in the nineteenth century along with khayal
  2. Khusrau's own writings name a two-drum set, but call it a pakhawaj
  3. The pakhawaj itself is not attested in any source before the sixteenth century
  4. Firm evidence of lineages, paintings and treatises appears only in the early eighteenth century Correct answer.

Explanation

The Khusrau attribution rests on later tradition, whereas the earliest firm evidence, namely named gharana lineages, miniature paintings and drum treatises describing the tabla, belongs to the early eighteenth century. Historians therefore date the instrument's emergence to that period and treat the older story as legend.

Question 11Origin, history and evolution of the tabla; instrument structure and maintenance

On the head (pudi) of the dayan, what is the narrow outer ring of skin that is struck to produce bright, ringing strokes such as 'na'?

  1. Gajra
  2. Maidan
  3. Syahi
  4. Chanti (also called kinar) Correct answer.

Explanation

The dayan's pudi is divided into three concentric zones: the chanti or kinar at the outer rim, the flexible maidan in between, and the syahi at the centre. The chanti yields the bright, open strokes such as na and ta, while the syahi gives closed, pitched sounds.

Question 12Origin, history and evolution of the tabla; instrument structure and maintenance

The network of leather thongs running down the outside of a tabla shell, which holds the pudi in tension, is known as the:

  1. Gajra
  2. Pudi
  3. Tasma (baddhi) Correct answer.
  4. Gatta

Explanation

The tasma, also called baddhi, is the lacing of leather thongs that runs from the head down the shell and back up. Sliding the small wooden gatta blocks along it changes the tension and therefore the pitch of the head.

Question 13Origin, history and evolution of the tabla; instrument structure and maintenance

In the traditional Indian fourfold classification of instruments, the tabla belongs to the avanaddha class, which means instruments that are:

  1. Covered with skin and struck Correct answer.
  2. Made of solid material and struck together
  3. Blown with the breath
  4. Plucked with the fingers

Explanation

Indian tradition, following the Natyashastra, divides instruments into tata (stringed), sushira (blown), avanaddha (skin-covered, struck) and ghana (solid). The tabla, being a skin-headed drum, is classed as avanaddha.

Question 14Origin, history and evolution of the tabla; instrument structure and maintenance

A player strikes the bayan and presses the heel of the hand into the head to make the pitch slide downwards. This is possible mainly because the bayan's syahi is:

  1. Fixed to the underside of the skin
  2. Large and set off-centre on the head Correct answer.
  3. Made of a rigid, non-porous material
  4. Small and centred, as on the dayan

Explanation

The bayan carries a much larger syahi than the dayan, and it is applied off-centre, leaving a wide area of plain flexible skin exposed. Pressing into that area while striking changes the skin's tension, lowering the pitch and producing the characteristic glissando of the bayan.

Question 15Origin, history and evolution of the tabla; instrument structure and maintenance

The Delhi gharana is described as playing 'band baj', while the Punjab gharana is associated with 'khula baj'. This contrast chiefly concerns:

  1. Whether compositions are written down or learnt by ear
  2. Whether the bayan is used at all in the style
  3. How close the hands stay to the head and how open or resonant the strokes are Correct answer.
  4. Whether the player performs seated or standing

Explanation

Band baj, the 'closed' style, keeps the hands low and close to the head and yields a dense, controlled sound, a hallmark of the Delhi gharana. Khula baj, the 'open' style of the Punjab gharana, uses higher lifts and more resonant, ringing strokes.

Question 16Origin, history and evolution of the tabla; instrument structure and maintenance

The word 'tabla' is most widely traced to which linguistic source?

  1. Hindi 'tabla', meaning a pair of clay pots
  2. Persian and Arabic 'tabl', meaning a drum Correct answer.
  3. Turkish 'davul', meaning a large frame drum
  4. Sanskrit 'tala', meaning a rhythmic cycle

Explanation

Most writers trace tabla to the Arabic tabl, meaning drum, which entered North India through Persian usage. The Sanskrit tala refers to a metrical cycle or clap and is not the accepted origin of the instrument's name.

Question 17Origin, history and evolution of the tabla; instrument structure and maintenance

What is the gajra of a tabla pudi?

  1. The cloth cover in which the drum is stored
  2. The wooden tuning blocks on the lacing
  3. The braided leather ring stitched around the edge of the head Correct answer.
  4. The central black tuning patch

Explanation

The gajra is the braided, stitched leather ring that grips the edge of the goat-skin head and connects it to the lacing. It reinforces the rim so that the skin does not tear where the pull of the tasma is greatest.

Question 18Origin, history and evolution of the tabla; instrument structure and maintenance

Before playing, a musician rests the metal bayan on a thick padded ring (gaddi). The main practical purpose of this ring is to:

  1. Steady the round shell and let it vibrate freely Correct answer.
  2. Raise the pitch of the bayan by a fixed interval
  3. Prevent the bass sound from carrying outside the room
  4. Keep the syahi from drying out between sessions

Explanation

A round metal shell would roll and wobble on a bare floor, and direct contact with the floor would damp its low resonance. The padded ring holds the drum steady, lets the shell ring, and protects both the drum and the flooring.

Question 19Origin, history and evolution of the tabla; instrument structure and maintenance

Writers who reject the popular Amir Khusrau story and date the tabla to the eighteenth century rely most strongly on which kind of evidence?

  1. The excavation of tabla drums from a sixteenth-century tomb
  2. A description of the tabla in the Natyashastra
  3. A single Mughal court order that banned the pakhawaj
  4. The absence of any pre-eighteenth-century text or painting that clearly names or shows the paired tabla Correct answer.

Explanation

The Khusrau story is a later tradition with no contemporary documentation behind it. Historians who place the tabla's emergence in the eighteenth century emphasise the silence of earlier treatises, court chronicles and paintings regarding a paired drum called tabla.

Question 20Origin, history and evolution of the tabla; instrument structure and maintenance

In tabla terminology, 'purbi baaj' refers to:

  1. A tuning method using wooden pegs instead of lacing
  2. Soft, closed strokes played only on the bayan
  3. The practice of playing only with the left hand
  4. Open, resonant compositions from eastern centres such as Lucknow and Banaras Correct answer.

Explanation

Purbi baaj means the 'eastern style': the open, ringing, pakhawaj-derived repertoire cultivated at centres such as Lucknow, Farrukhabad and Banaras. It is contrasted with the more closed, intricate playing associated with Delhi.

Question 21Origin, history and evolution of the tabla; instrument structure and maintenance

On the pudi of the dayan, what is the plain, flexible area of skin lying between the black syahi and the outer rim called?

  1. Gajra
  2. Chanti
  3. Tasma
  4. Maidan Correct answer.

Explanation

The dayan's head is described by zones: the black syahi at the centre, the maidan of plain skin around it, and the kinar or chanti at the edge. Open, ringing strokes such as na and tin are placed on the maidan, while strokes nearer the rim give a different colour.

Question 22Origin, history and evolution of the tabla; instrument structure and maintenance

In the common Hindi-Urdu naming of the tabla pair, what does 'bayan' mean?

  1. Deep
  2. Skin
  3. Left Correct answer.
  4. Right

Explanation

'Bayan' comes from baya, meaning left, and names the left-hand bass drum of the pair; its partner the dayan is the right-hand drum. The two drums are therefore named by the hands that play them rather than by size or material.

Question 23Origin, history and evolution of the tabla; instrument structure and maintenance

Writers who explain the tabla's rise in the eighteenth century usually connect it with the growing dominance of which vocal genre, which displaced the weighty dhrupad as the principal courtly form?

  1. Bhajan
  2. Dhrupad
  3. Khayal Correct answer.
  4. Tarana

Explanation

The tabla is generally linked to the shift from the older, weighty dhrupad, accompanied by the pakhawaj, to the more ornate khayal. Khayal's flexible phrasing and lighter texture suited a small pair of finely tuned drums that could follow a soloist closely.

Question 24Origin, history and evolution of the tabla; instrument structure and maintenance

Before playing, a player often presses a little moist wheat dough (atta) onto the syahi of the bayan and leaves it there. What is the usual purpose?

  1. To soften the syahi and deepen the bass Correct answer.
  2. To raise the bayan to a definite pitch
  3. To make the kinar ring more brightly
  4. To protect the lacing from moisture

Explanation

Dough pressed on the bayan's syahi softens the paste and adds a little mass, so the bass becomes rounder and deeper. The dough is left on and refreshed from time to time, and it is removed or reduced when the tone has become too dull.

Question 25Origin, history and evolution of the tabla; instrument structure and maintenance

How is the pudi held on a traditional wooden dayan?

  1. It is clamped between metal hoops turned by rods
  2. It is nailed to the shell with small brass tacks
  3. It is glued directly around the shell's rim
  4. It is wrapped over a rim hoop and held by the lacing Correct answer.

Explanation

The skin is wrapped or sewn around a leather hoop at the rim and drawn down by the continuous lacing against a lower ring, so the thongs, not glue, hold the head in tension. This is why a tabla can be re-headed, re-tuned and adjusted as the skin settles.

Question 26Origin, history and evolution of the tabla; instrument structure and maintenance

The syahi of the dayan is built up in several thin coats, each dried and burnished before the next is added. What is the main reason for applying it in layers?

  1. To make the paste easy to peel off later
  2. To give the head a glossy decorative finish
  3. To build the mass evenly without cracking Correct answer.
  4. To reduce the amount of paste needed

Explanation

A single thick layer of syahi dries unevenly and tends to crack, which spoils both the tone and the tuning. Successive thin coats keep the mass balanced across the head, so the pitch stays stable and the strokes sound clean.

Question 27Origin, history and evolution of the tabla; instrument structure and maintenance

Why is the dayan tuned to the tonic of the raga while the bayan is normally left without a definite pitch?

  1. The bayan is tuned a fifth above the dayan's Sa in every gharana
  2. Only the dayan is played in fast passages, so the bayan's pitch does not matter
  3. The bayan's metal shell makes tuning impossible
  4. The dayan has a clear pitch that must match the raga's Sa, while the bayan gives a low, bendable bass Correct answer.

Explanation

The dayan's small head carries a thick syahi and high tension, so it yields a clear pitch that the player sets to the raga's Sa. The bayan's larger, slacker head is left indefinite on purpose, allowing heel pressure to bend and deepen its bass.

Question 28Origin, history and evolution of the tabla; instrument structure and maintenance

Why has the metal-shelled bayan largely replaced older wooden and clay ones in modern concert practice?

  1. Metal keeps its shape and tuning under the lacing and projects a strong bass Correct answer.
  2. Metal gives the bayan a definite pitch that can be matched to the tanpura's Sa
  3. Metal is cheaper and quicker to make than a turned wooden shell
  4. Metal shells need neither lacing nor tuning and stay in pitch for years

Explanation

A metal shell resists humidity and holds its round form under the heavy pull of the lacing, so the tuning stays stable, and it produces a powerful, dark bass that carries in a large hall. Wooden and clay shells are more prone to warping, cracking and damping the sound.

Question 29Gharanas of tabla (Delhi, Ajrada, Lucknow, Farrukhabad, Banaras, Punjab) and their characteristic styles

Which tabla gharana is traditionally credited to Pandit Ram Sahai?

  1. Farrukhabad
  2. Ajrada
  3. Banaras Correct answer.
  4. Delhi

Explanation

Pandit Ram Sahai is traditionally regarded as the founder of the Banaras gharana. The gharana became known for an open, resonant baaj and a strong association with laggi and light-classical accompaniment.

Question 30Gharanas of tabla (Delhi, Ajrada, Lucknow, Farrukhabad, Banaras, Punjab) and their characteristic styles

Ustad Sidhar Khan Dhadi is traditionally associated with which tabla gharana?

  1. Banaras
  2. Punjab
  3. Delhi Correct answer.
  4. Lucknow

Explanation

The Delhi gharana traces its early lineage to Ustad Sidhar Khan Dhadi, who is credited with shaping a substantial part of the tabla repertoire. Delhi's baaj is often described as controlled and composition-oriented.

Question 31Gharanas of tabla (Delhi, Ajrada, Lucknow, Farrukhabad, Banaras, Punjab) and their characteristic styles

Ustad Alla Rakha is most closely associated with which tabla gharana?

  1. Farrukhabad
  2. Lucknow
  3. Punjab Correct answer.
  4. Ajrada

Explanation

Ustad Alla Rakha was a leading exponent of the Punjab gharana. His playing popularised the gharana's open, resonant style and its characteristic tirakita patterns.

Question 32Gharanas of tabla (Delhi, Ajrada, Lucknow, Farrukhabad, Banaras, Punjab) and their characteristic styles

A tabla player builds a solo around gheesa glissandi, girna, and vigorous sawal-jawab with strong na and dha strokes. This approach is most characteristic of which gharana?

  1. Delhi
  2. Ajrada Correct answer.
  3. Lucknow
  4. Banaras

Explanation

The Ajrada baaj is closely identified with gheesa, girna, and a powerful, vigorous treatment of sawal-jawab. These features distinguish it from the more restrained Delhi approach and the Kathak-oriented Lucknow style.

Question 33Gharanas of tabla (Delhi, Ajrada, Lucknow, Farrukhabad, Banaras, Punjab) and their characteristic styles

The Lucknow gharana is particularly noted for its historical role in accompanying which dance form?

  1. Kathak Correct answer.
  2. Bharatanatyam
  3. Manipuri
  4. Odissi

Explanation

The Lucknow gharana developed in a Kathak-rich environment and became known for bol-banao, nazakat, and sawal-jawab suited to Kathak accompaniment. Its tabla idiom is often described as delicate and closely attuned to dance.

Question 34Gharanas of tabla (Delhi, Ajrada, Lucknow, Farrukhabad, Banaras, Punjab) and their characteristic styles

Which gharana is known for khula baaj, laggi-ladi, and exponents such as Pandit Kishan Maharaj and Pandit Samta Prasad?

  1. Farrukhabad
  2. Banaras Correct answer.
  3. Delhi
  4. Ajrada

Explanation

The Banaras gharana, founded by Ram Sahai, is famous for its open khula baaj, laggi-ladi, and thumri accompaniment. Kishan Maharaj and Samta Prasad are among its most celebrated exponents.

Question 35Gharanas of tabla (Delhi, Ajrada, Lucknow, Farrukhabad, Banaras, Punjab) and their characteristic styles

Which gharana is traditionally associated with Ustad Munir Khan and Ustad Amir Hussain Khan and is known for a rich repertoire of chakradar and paran compositions?

  1. Lucknow
  2. Farrukhabad Correct answer.
  3. Punjab
  4. Delhi

Explanation

The Farrukhabad gharana is associated with Ustad Munir Khan and Ustad Amir Hussain Khan. It is noted for chakradar, paran, and kamali-type compositions within a broad and influential repertoire.

Question 36Gharanas of tabla (Delhi, Ajrada, Lucknow, Farrukhabad, Banaras, Punjab) and their characteristic styles

Which description best fits the Delhi gharana's characteristic baaj?

  1. A baaj dominated by tirakita and open resonant strokes
  2. A baaj centred on laggi and dholak ki chaal for thumri
  3. A controlled, composition-oriented baaj with clear bols and relatively little gheesa Correct answer.
  4. A vigorous baaj built around gheesa and girna

Explanation

Delhi's baaj is generally described as restrained, balanced, and composition-oriented, with clear bol pronunciation and relatively little reliance on gheesa. This contrasts with the gheesa-heavy Ajrada style and the open Banaras or Punjab approaches.

Question 37Gharanas of tabla (Delhi, Ajrada, Lucknow, Farrukhabad, Banaras, Punjab) and their characteristic styles

Modu Khan and Bakshu Khan, early figures in the Lucknow gharana, are traditionally said to have trained under which Delhi gharana exponent?

  1. Ram Sahai
  2. Kader Baksh Khan
  3. Sidhar Khan Dhadi Correct answer.
  4. Kallu Khan

Explanation

The Lucknow gharana is traditionally traced to Modu Khan and Bakshu Khan, who are said to have been disciples of Delhi's Sidhar Khan Dhadi. Their style was later nurtured in the Lucknow court and became closely tied to Kathak accompaniment.

Question 38Gharanas of tabla (Delhi, Ajrada, Lucknow, Farrukhabad, Banaras, Punjab) and their characteristic styles

In tabla gharana discourse, which statement best captures the distinction between khula baaj and band baaj?

  1. Khula baaj uses open, resonant strokes and is associated with Banaras and Punjab, while band baaj is more restrained and associated with Delhi. Correct answer.
  2. Khula baaj refers to the tuning of the bayan, while band baaj refers to the tuning of the dayan.
  3. Khula baaj is a closed-hand style centred on Delhi, while band baaj is an open style centred on Banaras.
  4. Khula baaj is a notation system for parans, while band baaj is a notation system for laggi.

Explanation

In gharana terminology, khula baaj means an open, resonant style linked especially with Banaras and Punjab. Band baaj means a more restrained, controlled approach, often associated with Delhi.

Question 39Gharanas of tabla (Delhi, Ajrada, Lucknow, Farrukhabad, Banaras, Punjab) and their characteristic styles

Which tabla gharana is conventionally treated as the oldest of the six major gharanas and is the source from which several others are traced?

  1. Banaras
  2. Delhi Correct answer.
  3. Lucknow
  4. Ajrada

Explanation

Delhi is conventionally treated as the oldest major tabla gharana in genealogical accounts. Its baaj is associated with a subtle, closed style, and later gharanas such as Lucknow and Ajrada are traditionally traced to Delhi-trained musicians.

Question 40Gharanas of tabla (Delhi, Ajrada, Lucknow, Farrukhabad, Banaras, Punjab) and their characteristic styles

Ustad Masit Khan is a prominent exponent associated with which tabla gharana?

  1. Banaras
  2. Farrukhabad Correct answer.
  3. Ajrada
  4. Lucknow

Explanation

Ustad Masit Khan is traditionally placed in the Farrukhabad gharana, which is known for a rich repertoire of peshkara and qaida. Farrukhabad also produced exponents such as Munir Khan and Amir Hussain Khan.

Question 41Gharanas of tabla (Delhi, Ajrada, Lucknow, Farrukhabad, Banaras, Punjab) and their characteristic styles

Ustad Kader Baksh is traditionally associated with which tabla gharana?

  1. Delhi
  2. Lucknow
  3. Banaras
  4. Punjab Correct answer.

Explanation

Ustad Kader Baksh is traditionally associated with the Punjab gharana, whose style is known for powerful gheesa and sawal-jawab. Later Punjab exponents include Alla Rakha and Zakir Hussain.

Question 42Gharanas of tabla (Delhi, Ajrada, Lucknow, Farrukhabad, Banaras, Punjab) and their characteristic styles

Which description best fits the Ajrada gharana's characteristic baaj?

  1. An open khula baaj dominated by laggi and ladi for Kathak accompaniment.
  2. A gheesa-based baaj built mainly on glissandi and girna.
  3. A light baaj centered on thumri and qawwali accompaniment.
  4. A closed band baaj with crisp peshkara and controlled, forceful strokes. Correct answer.

Explanation

Ajrada is usually described as a band baaj gharana: the hands stay relatively closed, the strokes are controlled and forceful, and peshkara is a central test of technique. Its style is distinct from the open khula baaj associated with Lucknow and Banaras.

Question 43Gharanas of tabla (Delhi, Ajrada, Lucknow, Farrukhabad, Banaras, Punjab) and their characteristic styles

Ustad Inam Ali Khan was a leading exponent of which tabla gharana?

  1. Ajrada
  2. Lucknow
  3. Delhi Correct answer.
  4. Punjab

Explanation

Ustad Inam Ali Khan is associated with the Delhi gharana, whose baaj is often described as subtle and closed. Delhi is also traditionally regarded as the oldest of the major tabla gharanas.

Question 44Gharanas of tabla (Delhi, Ajrada, Lucknow, Farrukhabad, Banaras, Punjab) and their characteristic styles

Which gharana is particularly noted in tabla discourse for chakradar tukra compositions?

  1. Farrukhabad
  2. Delhi
  3. Banaras Correct answer.
  4. Ajrada

Explanation

The Banaras gharana is often cited for chakradar tukras and for a vigorous khula baaj. Its exponents, including Ram Sahai, Kishan Maharaj, and Samta Prasad, are associated with a strong tukra tradition.

Question 45Gharanas of tabla (Delhi, Ajrada, Lucknow, Farrukhabad, Banaras, Punjab) and their characteristic styles

Ustad Karamatullah Khan is associated with which tabla gharana?

  1. Lucknow
  2. Farrukhabad Correct answer.
  3. Banaras
  4. Ajrada

Explanation

Ustad Karamatullah Khan is traditionally linked with the Farrukhabad gharana, which has a strong peshkara and qaida tradition. Farrukhabad is also associated with Masit Khan and Amir Hussain Khan.

Question 46Gharanas of tabla (Delhi, Ajrada, Lucknow, Farrukhabad, Banaras, Punjab) and their characteristic styles

Ustad Afaq Hussain Khan is a prominent exponent of which tabla gharana?

  1. Farrukhabad
  2. Punjab
  3. Lucknow Correct answer.
  4. Ajrada

Explanation

Ustad Afaq Hussain Khan is associated with the Lucknow gharana, which is known for khula baaj, laggi-ladi, and Kathak accompaniment. Lucknow's lineage is traditionally traced through Modu Khan and Bakshu Khan.

Question 47Gharanas of tabla (Delhi, Ajrada, Lucknow, Farrukhabad, Banaras, Punjab) and their characteristic styles

Miru Khan and Kallu Khan are traditionally credited with founding which gharana, and from which older gharana is that lineage traced?

  1. Ajrada, traced to the Delhi gharana Correct answer.
  2. Lucknow, traced to the Punjab gharana
  3. Farrukhabad, traced to the Banaras gharana
  4. Banaras, traced to the Ajrada gharana

Explanation

Ajrada gharana is traditionally credited to Miru Khan and Kallu Khan, whose lineage is traced back to the Delhi gharana. This explains why Ajrada shares Delhi's band baaj orientation while developing its own forceful peshkara style.

Question 48Gharanas of tabla (Delhi, Ajrada, Lucknow, Farrukhabad, Banaras, Punjab) and their characteristic styles

Ustad Haji Vilayat Ali Khan is traditionally associated with the founding of which tabla gharana?

  1. Lucknow
  2. Punjab
  3. Farrukhabad Correct answer.
  4. Ajrada

Explanation

Ustad Haji Vilayat Ali Khan is traditionally associated with the founding of the Farrukhabad gharana. Farrukhabad developed a rich peshkara and qaida repertoire and is linked with exponents such as Masit Khan, Munir Khan, and Amir Hussain Khan.

Question 49Gharanas of tabla (Delhi, Ajrada, Lucknow, Farrukhabad, Banaras, Punjab) and their characteristic styles

Which tabla gharana is especially associated with the ladi tradition, including badi ladi and chhoti ladi?

  1. Delhi
  2. Punjab
  3. Ajrada Correct answer.
  4. Lucknow

Explanation

Ladi compositions are chain-like strings of bols, and the Ajrada gharana is particularly identified with badi ladi and chhoti ladi. Ajrada players use these chains within a controlled, band baaj rather than as open-ended display.

Question 50Gharanas of tabla (Delhi, Ajrada, Lucknow, Farrukhabad, Banaras, Punjab) and their characteristic styles

In tabla discourse, the term 'Purab baaj' most directly points to the style of which gharana?

  1. Delhi
  2. Banaras Correct answer.
  3. Farrukhabad
  4. Punjab

Explanation

Purab means eastern, and the term Purab baaj is used for the open, resonant style associated with Banaras. It contrasts with the more closed, band approach often linked to Delhi.