Ney

About the Sound and Character

The sound of the ney is piercingly sorrowful, husky, and filled with air and “breath”. It is capable of expressing profound longing and ecstatic joy. The overtone structure of the ney is so complex that its sound is often compared to human weeping.

Structure and Features

It is an entirely hollow reed tube (typically having exactly nine segments) with 6 holes on the front and 1 on the back. Sound is produced using a complex technique: in the Turkish tradition, the musician presses a special mouthpiece (bashpare) against their teeth while directing the airstream at a specific angle.

Genres

• Sufi ceremonial music (dhikr, sema)
• Classical Turkish, Arabic, and Persian music
• Ambient and meditative world music