Carnatic Music Quiz

1.	There are two types of musical systems - Harmonic and Melodic. Which type of system is Carnatic music? Click for Answer
2.	How many basic notes are there in the Harmonic systems and how many basic notes are there n the Melodic system? Click for Answer#
3	What is the fundamental difference in the frequency of notes between a harmonic and a Melodic system? Click for Answer
4	What is an octave? Click for Answer
5	In total, how many full and half-notes are there in Carnatic music? Click for Answer
6	Which type of notation does Indian music use - Staff notation or script notation? Click for Answer
7	What is the difference between a swara and a note? Click for Answer
8	What is a raga? Give at least two characteristics of a raga. Click for Answer
9.	Why two ragas with the same basic notes (e.g. Kalyani or Sankarabharanam) do not sound similar? Click for Answer
10.	What are the two types of ragas? Click for Answer
11.	What is the fundamental difference between the two types of ragas? Click for Answer
12.	What is a varja ragam? Click for Answer
13.	What is a vakra ragam? Click for Answer
14.	At least give me two examples of Ghana ragas? Click for Answer
15.	How is a thala different from rhythm? Click for Answer
16.	In a Sulapdi Saptha scheme of thalas, how many thalas are available? Click for Answer
17.	What is a jati? How would you differentiate thisra jati from Kanta jati? Click for Answer
18.	Thalas are named in two parts - first part representing the jati and the second the name of the thala. If you know the jati and thala, you should be able to compute the aksharas for the thala. For example: if the thala is Kanta Jati Triputa, how many units or aksharas or does it have. Click for Answer
19.	What is Venkatamukhi's greatest contribution to music theory? Click for Answer
20.	According to the Melakarta scheme, how many parent or Janaka ragas are there? Click for Answer
21	Why are Janaka ragas divided into two groups? What differentiates the two groups? Click for Answer
22	What is one principle requirement of Janaka ragas? Click for Answer
23	What does sampoornam mean when applied to Melakarta ragas? Click for Answer
24	What do we mean by Katapayadi scheme? What is this scheme used for?Click for Answers
25	Can a Janya raga or a child raga be born from a raga that is not listed as one of the ragas in the Melakarta scheme? Why or why not? Click for Answer
26	What are musical forms? Why do we need them? Give at least two different musical forms in Carnatic music.Click for Answer
27	What is the difference between abhyasa ganam and Sabha ganam?Click for Answer
28	What is the difference in characteristic between a varnam and a Geetham? Click for Answer
29	What are the two types of varnams?Click for Answer
30	What is the difference between a thana varnam and a pada varnam?Click for Answer
31	Provide a characteristic that is common and a characteristic that is different between a kirtana and a kriti.Click for Answer
32	What are maguda swarams in a ragamalikai?Click for Answer
33	What differentiates a thillana from a regular kriti?Click for Answer
34	Give an example of a musical form that focused on bhakthi and devotion?Click for Answer
35	Identify one composer from each of the following periods - pre-triniti, triniti, and post-triniti.Click for Answer
36	Who wrote the Thevara Padhikams and what type of musical form does it belong to?Click for Answer
37	Can you cite one or two reasons why South Indian classical music was called Carnatic music?Click for Answer
38	How many systems of Indian music existed before the 10th century?Click for Quiz
39	There were three composers from the seventh century who were pioneers of the bhakthi movement. Can you cite two of those three composers?Click for Answer
40	How many Azhvars were there?Click for Answer
41	Who was responsible for compiling the 4,000 Divya Prabhandam?Click for Answer
42	In what language was 4,000 Divya Prabhandam written?Click for Answer
43	Can you name the only female Azhvars among the Azhvars? Click for Answer
44	Who composed the ThiruvAchakam and TiruvempAvai? Click for Answer
45	What is the Tamil equivalent of Raga?Click for Answer
46	What was the contribution of Jayadeva; name the set of his famous compositions?Click for Answer
47	Who wrote the Geetha Govindam?Click for Answer
48	What is the primary theme of the Geetha Govindam compositions? Click for Answer
49	Who wrote the Thiruppugazh? Click for Answer
50	What distinguishes Arunagirinathar's compositions (in terms of theme or messages) from some of the earlier composers? Click for Answer
51	Which pre-trinity composer is credited with providing the compositional structure into pallavi, anupallavi, and charanam?Click for Answer
52	Which composer, although born in a Saivite family of Advaitic followers, wrote most of his compositions about Vishnu and on the Vishishtadvaitic concept of prapatti? Click for Answer
53	What is madhura bhakthi?Click for Answer
54	List one or more great contributions of the Poet Annamacharya?Click for Answer
55	Name a composer who is called the father of padams (more than one composer is credited with this title)?Click for Answer
56	Who wrote the Kshetrayya Pancharathnams?Click for Answer
57	Who is the author of Krishna Leela Tharangini?Click for Answer
58	Who wrote the musical operas, Parijatha Abaharanam and Haribhakthi Sundarnavam?Click for Answer
59	Can you name a composer who was accused of misusing tax collections to build a temple for Sri Rama?Click for Answer
60	Name a great composer who was also a Minister of Education.Click for Answer
61	Which composer is called the Pitha Maha (Great Father) of Carnatic Music?Click for Answer
62	What is the greatest contribution of Sri Purandaradasa to Carnatic Music?Click for Answer
63	Can you name a popular varnam written by Pachimiriyam Adiyappa?Click for Answer
64	Who is the composer of Rama Nataka Keerthanaigal?Click for Answer
65	Which composer is popularly known as the Tanavarna margadarsi?Click for Answer
66	At least name one composer who took up Sanyasa (relinquished family life) at a young age.Click for Answer
67	Who is Venkata Kavi and what were some of his great accomplishments and contributions?Click for Answer
68	Who are the Trinities of Carnatic Music?Click for Answer
69	In which century did the Trinities live and compose music?Click for Answer
70	Can you name one or two composers who also lived during the period the Trinities lived?Click for Answer