1. The Madras Music Season is an annual feature of December in Chennai, with around 1,500 live performances of Carnatic music over a span of 90 days. One of the largest cultural festivals in the world, it gives Carnatic music fans the chance to watch performances by renowned artists and also follow promising upcoming artists. It began in 1927, when the Indian National Congress held the All India Music Conference in Madras. It was decided that an organisation be formed to help the cause of music. Hence the MMA, which went on to start the music season was formed. What does ‘MMA’ stand for?
2. The Qawwali is a form of Sufi devotional music which originated in India and is instantly recognisable by the sound and style. Two instruments are used to back the singer. One is the tabla. The other instrument used to be the sarangi, but this wasn’t practical as the sarangi had to be tuned between songs, which took up a lot of time. What instrument, which is an Indianised version of a reed organ, replaced the sarangi and is now a part of the signature sound of the Qawwali?
3. This is a multi-stringed instrument that has evolved into many different regional designs. One version of it is named after the Hindu goddess of music and arts as she is portrayed with one of these instruments in her lap. To play, the musician plucks the melody strings downward with a plectrum worn on the first and second fingers, while the drone strings are strummed with the little finger of the playing hand. What instrument is this, which has been mentioned even in the Upanishads?
4. This Indian stringed instrument is unique as it does not play a melody. It only provides a continuous harmonic drone. There is no instrument in western music analogous to this. Its name comes from Sanskrit for ‘complete musical phrase.’ They come in different sizes and pitches: larger ‘males’, smaller ‘females’ for vocalists, and a smaller version used for accompanying the sitar. What is this instrument?
5. Flutes are one of the most ancient instruments to have developed. There are two types of flutes. One in which the musician blows directly across the edge of a mouthpiece, the other is the transverse or side-blown flute where the musician blows in to a hole on the side of the tube. One of the most ancient transverse flutes is this Indian flute made from a single shaft of bamboo with either six or eight holes. The longer it is the lower its pitch. There are carvings in Java and Bali dating back in time. What is this flute called? (See pic)
6. The ______ or as it is known in English a ‘jaw harp’ is a plucked instrument. It consists of a flexible metal reed attached to a frame which is placed in the performer’s mouth and plucked with the finger to produce a note. By constricting the space in the mouth it can produce sounds in different phases. It has to be played with a little care as one is liable to cut one’s tongue if not played correctly. What is this delightful sounding instrument?
7. This instrument is from the percussion family. The concert version is made of beryllium copper and bent into a particular shape. It has been the subject of many jokes as it doesn’t seem to need any specialist skills to play it. However, it does need a good sense of timing to play and has even a solo section in a concerto by Franz Liszt. What is this instrument which gets its name from its shape?
8. This traditional classical wind instrument used in South India is considered very auspicious and is a key musical instrument played in almost all Hindu weddings. Since there are seven holes played with seven fingers, this was also referred to as ‘Ezhil’ in ancient Tamil texts. This instrument is one of the loudest non-brass acoustic instruments in the world, hence it is usually played in only large open venues. What is this instrument?
9. This instrument’s name is actually an abbreviation of its proper name ‘violon_____’. This literally means ‘little big viola’ because the instrument is a small ‘violone’, which itself is a type of large ‘viola’. Because it was part of another word, the name used to be written with an apostrophe at the beginning. It has a lovely, low pitched tone that stands out during solos and provides a backbone for ensembles. The instrument was the pre-cursor to the quizmaster’s instrument of choice — the bass guitar. Which beautiful instrument is this?
10. An aerophone is a musical instrument into which you blow to create a sound. This is considered to be the oldest aerophone in the world and was developed by the indigenous Australians. The native users call it the ‘mandapui’. We know it by a name that is onomatopoetic, meaning the name sounds like the sound the instrument makes. Originally made from Eucalyptus wood, nowadays other hard-woods and fiberglass is used. The QM even knows of one made one with PVC pipes. What is this interesting sounding instrument?
Answers
1. Madras Music Academy
2. Harmonium
3. Veena
4. Tanpura/ Tambura
5. Bansuri
6. Morsing/ Morchang
7. Triangle
8. Nadaswaram
9. Cello
10. Didgeridoo
A molecular biologist from Madurai, Berty Ashley enjoys trivia and music, and is working on a rock ballad called ‘Coffee is a Drink, Kaapi is an Emotion’. @bertyashley
