The Middle Eastern ney, Japanese shakuhachi and Andean quena are all of fairly simple design. They are also hollow throughout. All three are quite challenging to play, with the ney being the most difficult. Arabic and Turkis neys and quena feature six finger holes and a thumb hole each. Persian (Iranian) neys have five finger holes, in addition to the thumb hole. Shakuhachis have four finger holes and a thumb hole. The Anasazi flute resembles all of these flutes put together. The mouthpiece end is beveled and the body of the flute includes six finger holes.
Paintings of court musicians playing ney flutes date back at least three thousand years. These paintings have been found in the tombs of Egyptian pharaohs. Neys are usually made from reeds (Arundo donax). The Arabic word "ney" itself means "reed."
This first video shows me playing a makeshift ney made from a tiki torch. I am not sure whether the way I shaped the mouthpiece end is typical of ethnic neys. Nor am I sure whether my playing method is accurate. Anyway, I was glad to get sounds from this particular flute. What you hear is my rendition of the Rolling Stones tune, "Paint it black."
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