Ney is an oblique rim-blown flute originally made of bamboo. This musical instrument, which is used in many fields, especially in religious vocalizations and hymns, has started to be exhibited in many music genres today. The major part of the Ney is the body. There are holes on the body where notes and voices are printed. Turkish Ney has an important role in the ensembles that play at the ceremonies of the Mevlevi order of Sufis established by Mevlana J. Rûmî. It also occupies an important place in Turkish art music. This wind instrument has a soft timbre and a soothing sound. The key ney produces changes according to its length, and neys are called under different names. For instance, the ney in D is called “süpürde”, the ney in B is “kız ney” etc. We have a wide range of ney types: plastic ney, professional ney, high-quality ney as well as ney sets of 13 pieces. Upon your order, we make tailor-made professional neys in the requested sizes.
All Turkish neys in our store are hand-made, constructed by masters who excelled their craft. Do not hesitate to visit us in Istanbul or check our catalog through our website. We believe you will find here the most convenient Turkish Ney at the best value.
Features to look for in a professional quality ney; The reed is yellow in color and densely fibrous, not very thick or thin, and proportionally decreasing in node widths and lengths. What is thick or thin affects the deepest sound it can lower and the highest it can output.
Parts of Ney
Ney instrument consists of 3 separate sections. Ney instruments are produced in various sizes according to their chords. It has nine nodes. There are seven holes, six on the top and one on the bottom. These holes are drilled with a clef. Recently, an add-on called Başpare has been added to the Ney instrument. This piece has a feature that facilitates blowing.
Reed: Reed is used to making Ney musical instruments. It grows in warm climates and wetlands. The reed that will be suitable is determined by the ney producer and is cut in the determined region at the determined times of the year. The most well-known reedy region in our country is shown as the shore of the Asi River in Hatay province. This plant, also called Kargi, can be found in regions with a Mediterranean climate. Generally, an aphid plant with a height of 6 meters tends to grow 5 cm per day in spring, if the surrounding water allows.
Başpare: It can also be produced from materials like ivory, your sister, boxwood, which are usually made of buffalo horn. Attaches to the blown top of the main ney instrument that makes the sound louder and cleaner.
Parazvane: The parazvaane produced in metals such as silver and copper is placed in the upper and lower cutting areas, which are the most sensitive parts of the Ney musical instrument. Thus, the damages that may occur by wearing the head parebib on the top are prevented, and the precautions against the cracks are taken at the bottom and precautions are provided.
Since ney is made of reed, which is a natural and sensitive material, its maintenance and protection are very important in terms of its longevity and efficiency. The instrument should be protected from impacts, sudden temperature changes, very cold and very hot environments. Before blowing the ney, attention should be paid to mouth cleaning. Another enemy of what is moisture. In addition to being protected from very humid environments, the ney should be kept in an open environment for a while at room temperature after blowing.
History of ney
Ney, whose origin is based on mythological ages, dates back to BC. It is known that the Sumerians, who lived in 3000 BC, and the Aztecs, a transoceanic civilization, used it. In addition, the sight of similar musical instruments on old Uyghur reliefs strengthens the view that pre-Islamic Turks used this instrument.
Today, ney is known as a Turkish instrument. In addition, it has become a symbol of Sufi music.
After playing the ney, you have to put it in a closed box without removing the moisture on it. After playing the ney, you should wait for a while in an open environment at room temperature. When this is not paid attention to and is played right after the meal, formations such as mold and bacterial plaque on the ney may cause its sound to be cut off. However, while doing this, you should not interfere with the narrow hole at the bottom of the soundbox.
Ney should not be left in an airtight closed box for a long time.
Sometimes molds can be found in the first knuckle of neys. In this case, the soundbox should not come into contact with a hard object, if it is washed with water, dried, and oiled again, the mold will disappear.
Ney Production Process
Ney had a difficult and labor-intensive process. The main material of the ney musical instrument is the reed. The cane plant has the feature of growing in hot and humid regions. Ney masters carefully select the reeds suitable for ney making. Shaping them is a job that requires attention and care. It is necessary to use a quality reed for the production of what gives a quality sound. The Asi River, located in the province of Hatay, has been a stopover point for ney making with the reeds on its side.
In ney making, holes are made on the reed with a tool called "burner". In order for a ney instrument to sound well, it must have nine knuckles. Having equal knuckle dimensions is critical for a good sound. If it is not equal, the desired sound may not be produced. These types of rods are very difficult to find. A quality ney cane is yellow in color. The fibers of these reeds have a tight structure. Its body should not be too thick, nor should it be too thin. The nodes should be proportional to each other.
You can have an idea by examining the Ney musical instruments on our site.