Shop Turkish and Arabic Neys from today’s best makers, from easy PVC starters to concert reed instruments by Master Huseyin, Ahmad Abdel Ghani and Rifat Varol. Every Ney is perfectly tuned and checked before it ships. Three things decide your Ney: Turkish or Arabic, reed or PVC, and the key. Most players start with an Arabic Ney in D. Read more…
$199.00Original price was: $199.00.$159.00Current price is: $159.00.
The mystic world of Arabic & Turkish neys
The Ney is a reed flute from the Middle East, people play it for thousands of years, and the way you play it today is basically the way they played it then. Ney is a compact instrument, that's easy to carry anywhere, so you can really simply pull it out of your bag, and connect to this ancient tradition. We work directly with the makers for many years now, so on this page I want to explain what we carry, what the difference is between Turkish and Arabic Neys, and help you choose the right one. If you want to read more, we have a full guide about the Ney flute on our blog, and also a post with 5 interesting facts about the Arabic Ney.
Single Neys in our shop go from $29 to $299. Plastic is $29 to $34, a reed Ney from our workshop is $84, and the master made Neys go from $99 up to $299 for the Prestige. Most players go home with a Ney at $99, that is where you get real Hatay reed from a master maker.
Turkish Ney
The Turkish Ney sounds like whispering. The tone is soft and full of air, and it comes with a başpare, a mouthpiece cap on top, usually from derlin or buffalo horn, that you rest against your lips at an angle.
This is also the Ney of Sufi music. People sometimes ask us if Sufi players prefer the Turkish Ney, and the answer is simpler than that, Sufi music is Turkish music, the Mevlevi order and the whirling dervishes come from Turkey, so the Ney you hear in a Sufi ceremony is a Turkish Ney by definition.
One small technical detail, in Turkish playing the comma of the bayat, the second note, sits slightly sharper than in Arabic playing.
Arabic Ney
The Arabic Ney has no başpare, you play directly on the bare edge of the reed. The sound is more open and direct, and this is the Ney of Arabic classical music. Here the comma of the bayat sits slightly flatter than on the Turkish Ney.
I also want to mention the Kawala here, because people mix them up. The Kawala is a cousin of the Ney, not a third type of Ney. It has six holes and no back hole, the intonation comes much more from the breath, and honestly it is harder to play than the Ney. It sounds like a human cry. We carry a Kawala from our own workshop and a concert Kawala by Master Fatih.
Turkish Ney vs Arabic Ney: Quick Comparison
Turkish Ney
Arabic Ney
Mouthpiece
Başpare (derlin, horn, or horn and wood)
None, played on the bare reed edge
Sound
Soft, like whispering
More open and direct
Tradition
Turkish classical music and Sufi music (Sufi music is Turkish, so the dervish Ney is the Turkish Ney)
Arabic classical and folk music
Comma of the bayat
Slightly sharper
Slightly flatter
Good first key
Kiz (B)
D (Dokah)
If you ask us which one to choose, it is not important, it is about style. Both sell exactly the same in our shop, so let the music you love decide.
Choosing Your Key
Every Ney comes in one key, and you choose the key on the product page of the Ney itself. For a first Turkish Ney we recommend the Kiz Ney in B, and for a first Arabic Ney the D, called Dokah. If you have short fingers, small hands, or a compact build, take the D (Re) also on the Turkish side. The most comfortable Ney to hold is the E, the Bolahenk. The rule is simple, the longer the tube, the bigger the stretch between the holes.
Turkish name
Key
Notes
Bolahenk
E / Mi
The shortest and highest, the most comfortable reach
Sipurde
D / Re
Warm, popular for classical Arabic music
Yildiz
C / Do
Balanced mid-range
Kiz
B / Si
All-rounder, great first Turkish Ney
Mansur
A / La
The deepest most players can actually handle
Sah Ney
Longer still, too long for 95% of players. A concert instrument.
Key
Also called
Notes
D / Re
Dokah
The classic starting key, most versatile
C / Do
Longer, warm and deep
E / Mi
Busalik
Brighter, shorter reach
G / Sol
Higher, compact, a bit hard
A / La
Higher, compact, very hard (very small)
Reed or PVC
Our PVC Neys are a really good way to start. It is actually easier to play on PVC, because the tube is cleaner inside, so the first sounds come sooner. They are tuned to 440Hz and they ship from stock. A reed Ney is the real sound of the instrument, warmer and richer, and every reed Ney we sell is made to order in the key you choose. Many players start on PVC, fall in love with the instrument, and order a reed Ney later, and the PVC stays in the bag as the travel flute.
What Makes a Quality Ney
It starts with the reed. The good reed comes from Hatay, and it has to dry at least one year before anyone touches it. The walls need to be thick enough, a professional Kiz Ney should have an outer diameter of at least 27mm, thinner than that and the sound stays small. Every Ney is custom tuned with a tuner before it leaves. Look also for the parazvane, that is the metal ring on the ends that guards the reed against cracks.
About the başpare, derlin suits most players, buffalo horn is the more ancient material and the sound is slightly more cutting, and the mixed horn and wood başpare has its own appeal. If you want to upgrade later, we sell Master Huseyin's horn başpare separately.
And the maker matters. Our own reed and PVC Neys are made by our own maker in our workshops. Master Huseyin works in Adana more than 20 years, he harvests the reeds himself, and some of the best players in the world play his Neys. Ahmad Abd El Ghani from Acre is a famous musician himself, and there are many secrets in how he carves the mouthpiece, his Neys have no başpare at all. The Prestige comes from Ney Sema, Turkey's best Ney maker, thick hand picked Hatay reed, a buffalo horn and wood başpare, classic Ottoman calligraphy on the body, and a luxurious parazvane with fine wires on the knots.
Caring for Your Ney
Keep it away from sudden changes of humidity and temperature, that is the main thing. Never close it damp in a sealed case. Keep it at room temperature, away from heaters, radiators and direct sun, and handle the ends gently, that is where cracks start.
How Every Ney Reaches You
Reed Neys are made to order in the key you pick on the product page. Before shipping we tune it with a tuner, oil it with hazelnut oil, and pack it well. Master Huseyin's Neys come in a hard case. PVC Neys ship from stock. Everything ships free, worldwide.
The beginning is hard, and it is honest to say it. The angle takes time to find, the embouchure matters, and the heat of the breath must be exact. It cannot really be taught, it is trial and error. Give it at least two weeks of trying to blow it before the first sound comes. Do not give up.
Correct angle for playing the Turkish ney
It is not important, it is about style, both sell exactly the same in our shop. If you love Sufi music, that music is Turkish, so your Ney is the Turkish Ney. If you love Arabic classical music, take the Arabic.
Kiz (B) for Turkish, D (Dokah) for Arabic. If you have small hands or short fingers, take a D (Re) on the Turkish side too. The longer the tube, the bigger the stretch between the holes. You pick the key on the product page.
Both work. It is actually easier to play on PVC, because the tube is cleaner inside, and it ships from stock. Reed is the real sound, made to order in your key. If the budget allows, go reed, and if not, the PVC will teach you everything and stay useful later as a travel flute.
A cousin of the Ney, not a third type. Six holes, no back hole, the intonation comes more from the breath, so it is harder than the Ney. It sounds like a human cry.
A Short History
The Ney is one of the oldest instruments in the world that people still play, and it barely changed in all this time. It became the sound of Sufi music and it stayed the sound of Sufi music until today. When you play a Ney you are playing more or less the same instrument that players held thousands of years ago, and I think that is a big part of the charm.
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