Q1. What type of musical instrument is the shehnai classified as?
A. Stringed instrument
B. Percussion instrument
C. Double-reed woodwind instrument
D. Single-reed brass instrument
Answer: C. Double-reed woodwind instrument
Q2. The shehnai is primarily associated with which region of India?
A. South India
B. North India
C. East India
D. West India
Answer: B. North India
Q3. What material is the body of a traditional shehnai typically made from?
A. Metal
B. Bamboo
C. Wood
D. Plastic
Answer: C. Wood
Q4. How many finger holes does a standard shehnai usually have?
A. 4 to 5
B. 6 to 9
C. 10 to 12
D. 13 to 15
Answer: B. 6 to 9
Q5. The lower end of the shehnai features a flared bell made of what material?
A. Metal or wood
B. Wood only
C. Bamboo
D. Ivory
Answer: A. Metal or wood
Q6. What is the approximate length range of a shehnai?
A. 5–10 inches
B. 12–20 inches
C. 25–30 inches
D. 35–40 inches
Answer: B. 12–20 inches
Q7. The shehnai employs which type of reed system?
A. Single reed
B. Triple reed
C. No reed
D. Quadruple reed
Answer: D. Quadruple reed
Q8. Which South Indian instrument is considered the counterpart to the shehnai?
A. Veena
B. Tabla
C. Nadaswaram
D. Sitar
Answer: C. Nadaswaram
Q9. The nadaswaram differs from the shehnai mainly by being:
A. Shorter and softer
B. Longer and louder
C. Made of metal only
D. Single-reeded
Answer: B. Longer and louder
Q10. On which occasions is the shehnai traditionally played?
A. Auspicious events like weddings and temple rituals
B. Funerals only
C. Only in concerts
D. Political rallies
Answer: A. Auspicious events like weddings and temple rituals
Q11. The shehnai’s sound is often believed to:
A. Bring bad luck
B. Create auspiciousness and good fortune
C. Ward off evil spirits only
D. Induce sleep
Answer: B. Create auspiciousness and good fortune
Q12. Who is credited with elevating the shehnai to a classical concert instrument?
A. Ravi Shankar
B. Hariprasad Chaurasia
C. Ustad Bismillah Khan
D. Zakir Hussain
Answer: C. Ustad Bismillah Khan
Q13. Ustad Bismillah Khan was born in which year?
A. 1906
B. 1916
C. 1926
D. 1936
Answer: B. 1916
Q14. Where did Ustad Bismillah Khan move at a young age to learn shehnai?
A. Delhi
B. Mumbai
C. Varanasi
D. Kolkata
Answer: C. Varanasi
Q15. Ustad Bismillah Khan learned shehnai primarily from whom?
A. His father
B. His maternal uncle, Ali Bux
C. A royal court musician
D. Self-taught
Answer: B. His maternal uncle, Ali Bux
Q16. Which highest civilian award did Ustad Bismillah Khan receive in 2001?
A. Padma Vibhushan
B. Padma Bhushan
C. Padma Shri
D. Bharat Ratna
Answer: D. Bharat Ratna
Q17. Ustad Bismillah Khan performed shehnai at which historic event in 1947?
A. India’s Independence celebration at Red Fort
B. Republic Day
C. Gandhi’s funeral
D. Partition ceremony
Answer: A. India’s Independence celebration at Red Fort
Q18. Which famous film featured Ustad Bismillah Khan’s shehnai music prominently?
A. Mughal-e-Azam
B. Lagaan
C. Goonj Uthi Shehnai
D. Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge
Answer: C. Goonj Uthi Shehnai
Q19. Playing the shehnai requires mastery of which technique?
A. Plucking strings
B. Circular breathing for continuous sound
C. Striking with mallets
D. Bowing
Answer: B. Circular breathing for continuous sound
Q20. The shehnai produces microtonal shifts essential to Indian classical music through:
A. Mechanical keys
B. Foot pedals
C. Electronic amplification
D. Precise embouchure and fingering
Answer: D. Precise embouchure and fingering
Q21. What is the typical range of the shehnai?
A. One octave
B. Three octaves
C. Two octaves
D. Four octaves
Answer: C. Two octaves
Q22. Ali Ahmed Hussain Khan was a renowned shehnai player associated with which city?
A. Lucknow
B. Kolkata
C. Hyderabad
D. Jaipur
Answer: B. Kolkata
Q23. The shehnai is often accompanied by which percussion instrument in performances?
A. Tabla or dukkar
B. Mridangam
C. Ghatam
D. Kanjira
Answer: A. Tabla or dukkar
Q24. In ensembles, a drone is sometimes provided by a modified shehnai called:
A. Mini shehnai
B. Tar shehnai
C. Sur shehnai
D. Bass shehnai
Answer: C. Sur shehnai
Q25. The shehnai’s origin is sometimes linked to an improvement over which instrument?
A. Bansuri
B. Pungi
C. Sitar
D. Sarod
Answer: B. Pungi
