SİNAN SÖYLER NEY WORKSHOP
WHAT CARE
Ney Care and Possible Problems
Ney is made from a kind of knotty reed called "kargı". The Latin name of this cane as a species is Arundo Donax. It grows in the Southeast, Mediterranean and Aegean regions of Turkey. In addition, ney reeds are collected from Egypt (around the Nile), Syria (around the Orontes) and Cyprus (from the south and north).
The ney, which is in various sizes according to its chords, consists of nine knuckles. There are 7 holes in Turkish and Arabic neys, six at the top and one at the bottom. Iranian neys have only 6 holes. The spongy part in the reed, called the pike, is emptied with burners that match the diameter of the knuckles in the reed, and the holes are obtained by drilling with a burner. In order for the Buselik (Natural Si) fret to be played properly, one more hole can be drilled at the bottom, so there are 8 holes.
Metal rings called "Parazvane" are placed on the ends to not to damage theends of the straw. Silver, brass or bafon (alpaca) metals are generally preferred for these parazvanes. An important part that facilitates blowing, which has been added to the ney in the last centuries, is the baspare. Başpares are made from buffalo horn, some hardwoods such as boxwood, and a recently popularized type of hard plastic called delrin, or even a mixture of epoxy. However, epoxy is a carcinogenic substance and should not be used, even though it gives a nice appearance to your thumb. Although materials such as normal plastic and PVC are used in the headpieces of lower quality neys, the first three materials are recommended for a professional. The material well as the reed used are also effective on Ney prices. The most important factors that determine the quality of buffalo horn head piece are that the horn was taken from a buffalo that died at the end of its natural life, that is, at the end of its natural life, that it is tight in its structure without cracks and breaks, and that it is carefully prepared and polished correctly in accordance with the dimensions.
For a ney to be properly tuned, it must consist of 9 knuckles and each of these knuckles must be equal to each other, which is rare to find in a reed. For this reason, ney makers adjust the tuning of the ney at the desired frequencies by using a method called shifting while opening the fret holes. For this reason, two works of the same kind do not match each other, and the tuning of the voice depends on the thickness and diameter of the fleshy part of the reed. Ideally sized neyme is very expensive and hard to find.
Features to look for in a professional quality ney; It is characterized by the fact that the yellow bright colored surface of the reed is smooth and densely fibrous, not very thick or thin, the node lengths are equal and the node widths decrease proportionally from top to bottom. What is thick or thin affects the deepest, low tone, and the thinnest, high-pitched sounds.
In addition, the Ney is a fretless instrument and the note arrangement is made by sliding on the Ney. Because each reed is of different size and quality, it is impossible for a fixed pattern to be the same for each Ney. For this reason, it is very important that the master who plays the Ney is also a Neyzen. The master who opens the ney can only determine the right chord if he is a neyzen himself.
Changing Ney's Voice
Generally, Neyzen candidates complain over time (within 1 year) of changing the sound in Ney or getting a clean sound from Ney.
The sound change in ney is based on different reasons.
First of all, after the new Ney is opened, its sound usually gets steeper as it is blown. For this reason, Ney masters turn their Ney low by about half a sound. For this reason, when you look at the tuner or compare it to a seated Ney, you may complain that this Ney is worse, but this is a must-have. A newly opened Ney finds its full sound and tone only after 1 year. If it is still bad, the masters fine tune these Neys again.
Another problem is that over time, a wheezing sound comes from Ney or a sound cannot be produced. This situation usually occurs in Ney's that are not oiled. Heat and Humidity affect Ney's structure. Ney's should be lubricated at certain intervals in order to minimize its contact with the air and keep the current humidity rate more constant. On the other hand, poor quality oil or dusty environment will also affect Ney's voice. Especially the layer of oil and dirt that accumulates and solidifies on the inner surface can change the sound of your Ney or cause you to not be able to hear any sound. You can see this topic under the title How to Oil Ney.
Sudden temperature changes can also cause you to not get the sound you want from your Ney. Neyzens generally warm up their Ney by blowing for a short time before performing a performance.