UPHESC Assistant Professor Music Sitar 2025 PYQs

Concept: Western violin strings are tuned in fifths: G – D – A – E.

1. Taking D as Sa: G = mandra Ma, D = Sa, A = Pa, E = tar Re.
2. So the western tuning is mandra Ma, Sa, Pa, tar Re (each a fifth apart).
3. Indian (Carnatic) tuning is mandra Sa, mandra Pa, Sa, Pa.

Short trick: Fifths: Ma→Sa→Pa→Re.

Concept: Hori (Holi songs) is sung in Dhamar tala (classical Dhamar-Hori) and in Deepchandi/Jat in the semi-classical Hori.

1. Chautal, Sooltal, Teevra are Dhrupad talas.
2. Pashto and Rupak are used for light songs/ghazal and khayal.

Short trick: Hori–Dhamar (14), light Hori–Deepchandi (14).

Concept: Nautanki (UP folk theatre) is dominated by the Naqqara (nagara) pair, often with harmonium and dholak.

1. The loud nagara opens the show and punctuates the dialogues and dohas/chaubolas.
2. Ghatam is a Carnatic clay pot; Tasa/Damama are processional drums.

Short trick: Nautanki = Nagara-Naqqara.

Concept: Tappa – developed by Shori Mian from Punjabi camel-drivers' songs – is a Punjabi, shringar-oriented song: I is true.

1. Shori Mian built the style on the Vesara (Besara) giti, which is marked by speed (vega) – not on Bhinna giti. So II is false.
2. Bhinna giti uses vakra, subtle gamakas; Vesara = rapid notes, matching Tappa's zamzama/khatka.

Short trick: Tappa = fast = Vesara giti.

Concept: Match each folk form with its region/creator/season.

1. Bidesiya – folk drama made famous by Bhikhari (printed 'Bihari') Thakur → ii.
2. Raas – Braj region (Krishna leela) → i.
3. Kajari – Mirzapur (and Banaras) → iv.
4. Chaiti – sung in Chaitra, i.e. spring (Basant) → iii.

Short trick: Bidesiya–Thakur, Raas–Braj, Kajari–Mirzapur, Chaiti–Basant.

Concept: Tappa originated in Punjab (camel-drivers' songs refined by Shori Mian).

1. Languriya – Braj devotional folk song to Kaila Devi; Nautanki – UP folk theatre; Chaiti – eastern UP/Bihar.
2. So Tappa is the odd one.

Short trick: Tappa = Punjab.

Concept: Lavani is indeed Maharashtra's famous folk song-dance (I true).

1. Its main percussion is the Dholki (with tuntuni, manjira), not the Dhaunsa – II false.
2. Dhaunsa is a large kettle-drum used in processions/war, not in Lavani.

Short trick: Lavani = Dholki.

Concept: Primary data is collected first-hand by the researcher; secondary data is already recorded/compiled by others.

1. Interview – primary (first-hand).
2. A CD is a recording already produced and published by others – a secondary source for the music researcher.
3. A postal stamp is an original artefact/document examined directly, treated as primary evidence.

Short trick: Made by you = primary; already recorded by others = secondary.

Concept: Deduction (nigaman) moves from a general principle to specific conclusions.

1. Induction (aagaman) moves from specific observations to a general rule.
2. E.g., 'All sampoorna ragas have 7 notes; Yaman is sampoorna → Yaman has 7 notes' is deductive.

Short trick: De-duction = down from general; In-duction = into a general law.

Concept: In stratified random sampling the population is divided into strata and units are drawn randomly from each – every unit has a known chance, so it is probability sampling.

1. Probability: simple random, systematic, stratified, cluster.
2. Non-probability: quota, accidental/convenience, purposive, snowball.

Short trick: 'Random' in the name → probability.

Concept: A synopsis is a plan made before the research, so it cannot contain conclusions.

1. It includes title, introduction, review of literature, objectives, hypothesis, methodology, chapter scheme and bibliography.
2. Conclusions come only after data analysis, in the thesis.

Short trick: Synopsis = plan; conclusion = result.

Concept: Quantitative research starts with a theory/hypothesis and tests it with measurable data – a deductive approach.

1. Qualitative research builds theory from observations – inductive.
2. 'Quantitative' in option C just repeats the question; 'narrative' is a qualitative design.

Short trick: Quantitative = test hypothesis = deductive.

Concept: A hypothesis is a tentative statement to be tested – it guides research but does not collect data.

1. Interview, questionnaire/opinion form and observation are tools for gathering data.

Short trick: Hypothesis is tested BY data, it doesn't collect data.

Concept: Bhatkhande's thaat classification:

1. Bihag – Bilawal thaat → ii.
2. Multani – Todi thaat → iii.
3. Darbari Kanhada – Asavari thaat → iv.
4. Patdeep – Kafi thaat → i.

Short trick: Bihag-Bilawal, Multani-Todi, Darbari-Asavari, Patdeep-Kafi.

Concept: When Pa becomes the new Sa, every old note shifts by a fifth (old note − 7 semitones).

1. M' (tivra Ma) → shuddha Ni (mandra); Pa → Sa; Ga → shuddha Dha (mandra); Ma → komal Ni (mandra); Dha → shuddha Re.
2. New phrase: .Ni Sa .Dha .ni Re – both Nishads with Dha and Re.
3. 'Ni Sa Dha ni Re' is the characteristic pakad of Jaijaivanti, which uses both Ni (and both Ga).

Short trick: Pa as Sa: Ma'→Ni, Ma→ni; both Ni + 'Dha ni Re' = Jaijaivanti.

Concept: Order by prahar:

1. Bhairav – 1st prahar of day (dawn).
2. Asavari – 2nd prahar of day (late morning).
3. Bhimpalasi – 3rd prahar of day (afternoon).
4. Marubihag – 1st–2nd prahar of night.
5. Adana – 3rd prahar of night (late night).

Short trick: Dawn Bhairav → Asavari → Bhimpalasi → Marubihag → Adana.

Concept: Underlined = komal. Identify each phrase:

1. a. ni Dha Pa, Dha Ga Ma Ga – komal Ni with shuddha Ga → Khamaj (iii).
2. b. .Ni Sa Ma, Ma Pa ga Ma, Ma ga Re Sa – komal Ga, Ma-centred → Bhimpalasi (iv).
3. c. Ga Pa Dha ni Dha Pa, Ma Ga Ma Re – Alhaiya Bilawal's pakad (komal Ni only in descent) (i).
4. d. Ma Pa ga Ma Pa, Ni Sa' Dha Pa – komal Ga with shuddha Ni → Patdeep (ii).

Short trick: ni+Ga = Khamaj; ga+ni = Bhimpalasi; ga+Ni = Patdeep.

Concept: Avirbhav–tirobhav is possible between samprakriti ragas sharing the same swaras.

1. Bilaskhani Todi – Komal Rishabh Asavari (same Bhairavi-type swaras) → iii.
2. Marwa – Sohini (same swaras, Pa varjit) → iv.
3. Darbari – Adana (Kanhada family, same swaras) → i.
4. Jaunpuri – Asavari (Asavari thaat, close movement) → ii.

Short trick: Same-swara pairs: iii, iv, i, ii.

Concept: Sohini belongs to Marwa thaat – I true.

1. Both use Sa, komal Re, Ga, tivra Ma, Dha, Ni with Pa omitted (shadav-shadav) – same notes, so II true.
2. They differ in emphasis: Marwa – Re/Dha, uttarang–poorvang balance; Sohini – Ga/Dha and tar Sa, uttarang-pradhan.

Short trick: Marwa, Puriya, Sohini – same swaras, different chalan.

Concept: Bhairav is itself a ragang (Bhairav-ang) from which Ahir Bhairav, Nat Bhairav, Bairagi Bhairav etc. take their colour – I true.

1. Vadi–samvadi of Bhairav are komal Dha and komal Re, not Ga–Dha – II false.
2. Andolit komal Re and komal Dha are its identity.

Short trick: Bhairav: Dha–Re vadi-samvadi, both andolit.