Std 9 English
Unit- 3 Mohan and His Veena
Questions answers
A. Read the paragraphs and answer the questions.
(1) Mohan was born into a family of musicians. Music was in his blood. He grew up with musicians. Like his father and other family members, he was initially trained in vocal music and then he tried his hand at the violin. When he was about ten, he started liking the sitar. He was also trained in it and played it for about three years.
1. How can you say that music was in Mohan's blood?
Ans. Music was in Mohan's blood because he was born into a family of musicians and he grew up with musicians.
2. What was Mohan initially trained in? Ans. Mohan was initially trained in vocal music.
3. Which instruments did Mohan play? Ans. Mohan played the violin and the sitar.
4. Which instrument did Mohan play
for three years?
Ans. Mohan played the sitar for three years.
(2) A German lady came to stay with Mohan's. family to learn music from his father. It was then that the guitar entered in his life. He began his experiments with that beautiful instrument. "No other instrument now in my life. I want to play the guitar only," said Mohan to himself. Guitar took all his time..
1) When was Mohan attracted to guitar? Ans. Mohan was attracted to the guitar
when a German lady came to stay with his family to learn music from his father.
(3) "Guitar...! Whole day guitar...! Ours is a family where sitar, vocals and classical
violin are practised. The guitar does not have the effect which our instruments do and moreover, it's not from India," said one of the family members. "Do you know your father does not approve of your love for the guitar?" said his aunty.
1. What did Mohan's aunty say?
Ans. Mohan's aunty said that his father did not approve of his love for guitar.
2. What did a family member say about the guitar?
Ans. A family member said that the guitar did not have the effect which Indian instruments have and it was not from India.
3. What was practised in Mohan's
family?
Ans. Sitar, vocals and classical violin were practised in Mohan's family.
(4) But his mother came to his help. "Let him follow his heart's desire," she declared. Then his father started supporting him. He was overjoyed and decided to modify this western instrument. He tried to make it suitable for playing pure Indian classical music. He spent two more years with the guitar only.
1. What did Mohan's mother do?
Ans. Mohan's mother came to his help and declared that he should follow his heart's desire.
2. Why was Mohan overjoyed?
Ans. Mohan was overjoyed because his father started supporting him.
3. What did Mohan decide to do?
Ans. Mohan decided to modify the guitar.
4. What did Mohan try to do with the guitar?
Ans. Mohan tried to make the guitar suitable for playing pure Indian classical music.
(5) One evening there was a gathering of close family friends. In this small gathering Mohan's brother, sister and nephews (who were also performing artists) played music on their classical instruments. There was great appreciation. Mohan, too, expressed his wish to perform. He played on the guitar.
1. What did Mohan's brother, sister and nephews do at the gathering?
Ans. Mohan's brother, sister and nephews played music on their classical instruments.
2. What did Mohan wish?
Ans, Mohan wished to perform on the guitar.
(6) After his performance, a relative said, "You need to work very hard with the new instrument." One of the relatives said, "If it were the sitar, you would have been in competition with your brother and sister. You have already spent two years on it, but still this instrument needs more."
1. What did a relative tell Mohan?
Ans. A relative told Mohan that he needed to work very hard with the instrument.
2. What did the other relative tell Mohan?
Ans. The other relative told Mohan that if it were the sitar, he would have been in competition with his brother and sister.
(7) After his performance, someone said, "The sitar's sound is like a flowing stream. Your instrument doesn't have that depth." Yet another said, "Your brother plays the violin; his sur and tal are so beautiful.
What are you doing with this instrument?"
1. What did someone say about the sitar's sound?
Ans. Someone said that the sitar's sound
is like a flowing stream.
2. What did someone say about Mohan's brother?
Ans. Someone said that Mohan's brother played the violin and his sur and tal were very beautiful.
(8) Mohan was depressed and cried for the whole night. He had already given two years of his life to this instrument!
"But from the heart, I am made for guitar. There is no instrument for me but the guitar," he thought.
"This instrument will become my face to the world. I am sure, I am going to make it big, very big." He was determined.
1. How did Mohan react to the criticism of his relatives?
Ans. Mohan was depressed and he cried for the whole night.
2. What did Mohan decide?
Ans. Mohan decided that the guitar would become his face to the world and that he would make it big one day.
(9) This incident took place when Mohan was only 16 years of age. It was the turning point in his life. Mohan doubled his riyaaz and practised for about ten hours a day. He also studied other aspects of the guitar. He decided to incorporate the specialty, technique and sound of every instrument into the guitar. He wanted to invent something which gave the sound and tune of the western guitar but could be played like the Indian Veena.
1. What did Mohan do after the
incident?
Ans. After the incident, Mohan doubled his riyaaz and practised the guitar for about ten hours a day.
2. What did Mohan decide?
Ans. Mohan decided to incorporate the specialty, technique and sound of every instrument into the guitar.
3. What did Mohan want to invent?
Ans. Mohan wanted to invent something which gave the sound and tune of the western guitar but could be played like the Indian Veena.
4. What did Mohan study?
Ans. Mohan studied the other aspects of the guitar.
(10) "Not only the sound that my instrument produces is important, but it must also express my vision - what I want to say through the instrument," he said to himself and finally, with untiring efforts and understanding of the ragas, he created the wonderful Mohan Veena. Today, the world knows Mohan as Pandit Vishwa Mohan Bhatt, winner of a Grammy Award.
"I just followed my heart's passion and here I am," said Mohan at the award ceremony in 1993.
1. What was important for Mohan?
Ans. It was important for Mohan that his instrument should not only produce good sound but also express his vision.
2. Which award has Pandit Vishwa Mohan Bhatt won?
Ans. Pandit Vishwa Mohan Bhatt has won the Grammy Award.
3. How did Pandit Vishwa Mohan Bhatt
create the Mohan Veena?
Ans. Pandit Vishwa Mohan Bhatt created the Mohan Veena after untiring efforts and understanding of the ragas.
4. What did Pandit Vishwa Mohan Bhatt say on winning the Grammy Award?
Ans. On winning the Grammy Award, Pandit Vishwa Mohan Bhatt said that he was successful because he just followed his heart's passion.
Prepared by - Devkaran Boliya
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