Nay

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The Ney or Nay flute is a development of the Kawala flute adapted for Arabic music. The Ney flute has 7 holes, one of which is on the back. Its tuning is adjusted for Arabic Eastern music, which uses quarter tones. The sound is produced by holding the flute at an angle beneath the lips against the edge of the mouthpiece, requiring practice in embouchure and breath control to produce a satisfactory sound. It is possible to reach 3 octaves easily and up to 4 octaves with skill.

Once the embouchure is mastered, it becomes an extension of the voice! It is one of the oldest, simplest, and most powerful flutes in existence. The Ney flute was played by the Egyptians thousands of years ago, with its use documented in tomb paintings dating back to around 2700 B.C. There are basically three styles of Ney flutes: Egyptian (Arabic) Ney, Persian Ney, and Turkish Ney.

Tunings

We produce the Ney/Nay-style flute in 5 tunings, with the Bolahenk: E ney being the shortest flute and ideal for beginners. Next, we have Sipürde: D, Yldiz: C, Kiz: B, and Mansur: A, with the Mansur A Ney being the longest flute and having the lowest tone, requiring considerable practice.

The hole pattern of the ney flute reproduces the scale adapted for Arabic music, which uses quarter tones. It has 7 holes: 6 on the front and 1 on the back for the thumb.

Because it is an edge-blown flute, it requires embouchure practice to produce a high-quality sound and is not an easy flute to play on the first attempt. With practice, it is possible to produce 3 registers on ney flutes and up to 4 registers on the longer flutes. However, the larger flutes are more difficult when producing low sounds on some notes in the first register.

The Ney flute requires playing practice and time to adapt to each individual flute.

BAMBU

Traditionally, ney or nay flutes are made from giant cane (Arundo Donax), a lightweight species of cane abundant in the Mediterranean.

We make our flutes from a sturdy bamboo: Phyllostachys aurea. The bamboo selected for these flutes has high acoustic quality, medium thickness, and multiple internodes. The bamboo is shade-dried for 6 months, treated, and sealed to withstand the weather and variations in humidity and temperature. It also provides protection against fungi.

The mouthpiece of the Arabic-Style Ney flutes is made directly from the bamboo.

FINISHES

All flutes receive a non-toxic varnish (Indian shellac), two nickel-silver rings, and colored protective cords, which can be selected on the flute’s page.

Choose a tuning, and on the flute’s page you can choose the cord colors.

We do not produce in bulk; we create the flute for YOU, with complete attention to sound quality.