Author: Mauvin Sequeira

Q1. What is the primary origin of the conga drum?
A. West Africa, brought to Cuba via the slave trade
B. Spain, introduced during colonial rule
C. Brazil, from samba traditions
D. Mexico, from mariachi ensembles
Answer: A. West Africa, brought to Cuba via the slave trade

Q2. In Cuba, the conga drum is more traditionally known by what name?
A. Quinto
B. Bongo
C. Tumbadora
D. Atabaque
Answer: C. Tumbadora

Q3. Which material was traditionally used for early conga drum heads?
A. Synthetic plastic
B. Animal skin
C. Goat skin only
D. Wood
Answer: B. Animal skin

Q1. What is the primary origin of the banjo?
A. Europe
B. West Africa
C. Asia
D. Native American traditions
Answer: B. West Africa

Q2. Early banjos were typically constructed using which material for the body?
A. Metal
B. Solid wood
C. Gourd or calabash covered with animal skin
D. Plastic
Answer: C. Gourd or calabash covered with animal skin

Q3. Who is often credited with popularizing the five-string banjo in the 19th century, though not necessarily inventing the fifth string?
A. Joel Walker Sweeney
B. Earl Scruggs
C. Bela Fleck
D. Pete Seeger
Answer: A. Joel Walker Sweeney

Q1. What is the French horn primarily classified as?
A. A woodwind instrument
B. A brass instrument
C. A percussion instrument
D. A string instrument
Answer: B. A brass instrument

Q2. Why is the instrument commonly called the “French horn” in English-speaking countries?
A. It was invented in France
B. The name derives from French composers
C. It uses French valves exclusively
D. Early orchestral horns were popularized by French makers and hunting traditions
Answer: D. Early orchestral horns were popularized by French makers and hunting traditions

Q3. What is the most common type of French horn used in professional orchestras today?
A. Single horn in F
B. Natural horn
C. Double horn in F/Bb
D. Triple horn in F/Bb/high F
Answer: C. Double horn in F/Bb

Q1. Bells are classified as what type of musical instrument in the Hornbostel–Sachs system?
A. Aerophone
B. Chordophone
C. Idiophone
D. Membranophone
Answer: C. Idiophone

Q2. Which ancient civilization is credited with the earliest known use of tuned sequences of bells as polyphonic musical instruments?
A. Ancient Egypt
B. Ancient Greece
C. Ancient Mesopotamia
D. Ancient China
Answer: D. Ancient China

Q3. What is the name of the ancient Chinese set of tuned bronze bells, often consisting of 64 bells, used to play melodies and chords?
A. Carillon
B. Bianzhong
C. Zvon
D. Tubular bells
Answer: B. Bianzhong

Q1. What is the origin of bongo drums?
A. Africa
B. Eastern Cuba
C. Spain
D. United States
Answer: B. Eastern Cuba

Q2. In Spanish, what is the larger bongo drum called?
A. Macho
B. Boku
C. Hembra
D. Tumba
Answer: C. Hembra

Q3. What is the smaller bongo drum traditionally called?
A. Hembra
B. Macho
C. Quinto
D. Conga
Answer: B. Macho

Q1. Who is credited with patenting the instrument named “accordion” in 1829, coining the term?
A. Christian Friedrich Ludwig Buschmann
B. Cyrill Demian
C. Charles Wheatstone
D. Anton Zuleger
Answer: B. Cyrill Demian

Q2. What ancient Chinese instrument is considered the ancestor of the accordion due to its use of free reeds?
A. Erhu
B. Pipa
C. Sheng
D. Guzheng
Answer: C. Sheng

Q3. In what year was the piano accordion, featuring a piano-style keyboard, first introduced in Paris?
A. 1852
B. 1855
C. 1867
D. 1900
Answer: A. 1852

Q1. What is the primary material used in most modern professional cymbals?
A. Brass
B. Nickel silver
C. Bronze alloy
D. Steel
Answer: C. Bronze alloy

Q2. Which alloy, consisting of approximately 80% copper and 20% tin, is commonly known as bell bronze and used for high-end cast cymbals?
A. B8
B. B12
C. B15
D. B20
Answer: D. B20

Q3. The origins of cymbals can be traced back to around what time period?
A. 1000 CE
B. 3000 BCE
C. 500 CE
D. 1500 BCE
Answer: B. 3000 BCE

Q1. What is the primary way maracas produce sound?
A. By striking them against a surface
B. By shaking them, causing internal objects to collide with the shell
C. By blowing air through them
D. By plucking strings attached to them
Answer: B. By shaking them, causing internal objects to collide with the shell

Q2. In the Hornbostel-Sachs classification system, maracas are categorized as:
A. Membranophones
B. Chordophones
C. Aerophones
D. Shaken idiophones
Answer: D. Shaken idiophones

Q3. Traditionally, maracas are made from what primary material?
A. Plastic
B. Dried gourds or calabash
C. Metal tubes
D. Bamboo reeds
Answer: B. Dried gourds or calabash

Q1. What type of reed does the modern oboe use?
A. Single reed
B. Triple reed
C. Double reed
D. Quadruple reed
Answer: C. Double reed

Q2. In which century was the modern form of the oboe developed in France?
A. 16th century
B. 17th century
C. 18th century
D. 19th century
Answer: B. 17th century

Q3. What is the primary material used for professional oboes?
A. Grenadilla wood
B. Maple
C. Plastic
D. Metal
Answer: A. Grenadilla wood

Q1. Who is credited with patenting and naming the instrument “harmonium” in 1840?
A. Christian Gottlieb Kratzenstein
B. Alexandre Debain
C. Dwarkanath Ghose
D. Victor Mustel
Answer: B. Alexandre Debain

Q2. The harmonium produces sound through which mechanism?
A. Struck strings like a piano
B. Bowed strings like a violin
C. Air vibrating metal free reeds
D. Plucked reeds like a harp
Answer: C. Air vibrating metal free reeds

Q3. What adaptation made the harmonium suitable for Indian musicians sitting on the floor?
A. Foot pedals
B. Hand-pumped bellows
C. Electric pump
D. Larger keyboard
Answer: B. Hand-pumped bellows