How To Make A Ney Flute

Ney is one of the most valuable instruments in our culture and history. There are different types of ney flute. So, what is ney flute and how to make a ney flute?

Ney is a wind instrument. It was a type of instrument used in Sagu ceremonies. Ney flute was played in many rituals about pain, virtue, and death. Because of this, it has become a significant spiritual value. There are various types of ney instruments. These types have different sizes and are arranged with kinds of notes. So, how to make a ney flute? You can continue reading our article to learn about the make ney.

What Is A Ney  

Ney flute is one of the influential instruments in Classical Turkish Music and Islamic Music. Although the ney instrument has been used in music for years, it got its name from the Ottoman Empire during the formation of Islamic music. The most popular type of ney flute is the Persian ney, which has five holes and a hole in the back.

Turkish ney flutes typically have six holes in the front and a thumb hole in the back. Ney flute is made of reed. The reed is cut and bent by the ney maker in certain months of the year. One of the most popular places for reed in Turkey is Hatay, near the Asi river. The headpiece, called Başpare, is the part that separates the ney flutes made in the Middle East and the ney flutes made in Turkey, especially in Anatolia. The headboard is usually made of buffalo horns and is placed on the head of the ney flute. 

How To Make Ney Step By Step

Ney flute is made from a kind called pike. The Latin name that pike is "Arundo donax". It grows in the southeast, Mediterranean and Aegean regions of Turkey. In addition, ney reeds are gathered from Egypt (around the Nile), Syria (around the Orontes), and Northern Cyprus. The ney, which is in various sizes according to its chords, consists of nine knuckles. It has seven holes, six of which are at the top and one at the bottom. These holes are drilled with a burner.

A critical part that facilitates blowing, which has been added to the ney in the last centuries, is the baspare. A baspare is made from buffalo horn, ivory, some hardwoods such as boxwood, and a type of hard plastic called Delrin, which has become popular recently. Although materials such as regular plastic and PVC are used in the baspare of lower quality neys, four materials are recommended for a professional.

The features to look for in a professional quality ney are as follows:

• The reed is yellow in color and densely fibrous.
• Not too thick or thin
• Proportional reduction in knuckle widths and lengths

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