Ney Instrument and History

  Before moving on to the history of the ney instrument, let's talk about a little music history:

We can define people's hands as their first music exercises and t

heir applause as the first musical activities.

Later, they developed feelings of rhythm by striking each other the substances in the nature (by hitting the stones, making noises from the tree fragments).

Over time, the science of music took a more disciplined form and rhythm instruments emerged.

Wind instruments to attend the ceremonies later and to make various shows and

other stringed instruments have been invented, which is mainly Cheng.

Cheng :

 In history, we see the ÇENG instrument as a 21 string instrument during the Sumerians.

In Ancient Egyptians, Assyrians, Hebrews, Babylonians, Ancient Greeks, Romans and ancient tribes,

A variety of shapes and sizes of the Cheng instruments are seen.

The Cheng instrument was developed and used frequently in the Islamic world.

As a result :

We can say that the oldest known Turkish instrument is "Cheng".

  Soviet Scientists Rudenko and Griaznov found this instrument as a result of researches and excavations in the Altai's Pazırık and Başadar valleys.

It is believed that the found Çeng instrument remained from the 1700s BC.

Çengi: It is the name given to the person who plays Çeng.

Ney :

  2739/5000 Dear Ney lovers, Neyzenler and researchers;

It is impossible to make music, which is one of the oldest branches of art in human history,

to a certain society.

When, where, how, for what purpose and by whom music is not known exactly,

It is assumed that it appeared simultaneously with human history.

As we have mentioned, although the history of music dates back to older times,

the first written examples of music in Ancient Age and Anatolia belong to the Sumerians.

Migrating to Mesopotamia in the 4th millennium BC and inventing the writing in 3200 BC This society,

which carries Mesopotamia to the written history stage,

has an important place in the history of music.

For example, Kramer talked about the existence of musical inscriptions belonging

to the Sumerians and found in Anatolia.

In Sumerian society, music was performed in religious rituals,

mothers sang lullabies to put their babies to sleep,

agricultural workers also muttered songs while doing their jobs.

Sumerian music was somewhat shaped by the Babylonians of the Sami

race who came to Mesopotamia through immigration,

Assyrians, on the other hand, regularly brought together existing musical experiences.

Music, which has an important place in Mesopotamia, is believed to have origins in God,

therefore, music was performed at all religious ceremonies in the region.

It is understood from the written documents of Mesopotamia that there are many fields related to music.

For example; Various musical performances took place in the cult practices of the New Year feast,

the banquet and sacred marriage ceremonies held during the feast.

Phrygians are also highly developed in handicrafts and music.

In Ancient Greek Civilization; In Aristotle, he talked about the positive effects on personality and

recommended that music be included in the education of children.

Also; Music was performed not only in joyous events,

but also in serious social events like wars,

The power of music was used to command and encourage soldiers.

For example; While the second Messene war continues with all its difficulty,

War songs composed by the poet Tyrtaios encouraged the Spartans to enter this war.

In addition, in ancient Greek Civilization; Plato states that shepherds relieved

their troubles by using instruments called syrinks.

In Ancient Greek Civilization; Before the start of the game,

by blowing on the salpinks instruments,

it made the audience quiet to come to watch the game.

Although we obtained this information about music,

especially the work of Herodotos History, Unfortunately,

we did not come across any information about the Ney instrument.

However, we know some of the wind instruments used before in the Ancient Greek Civilization;

Aulos :

 Aulos, which means reed or pipe in ancient Greek, is the most important wind instrument performed.

Although it is described as flute or kaval in most modern sources, it is not similar to them.

Aulos, whose mouthpiece is made of reed, and its body can be of different animal bones, wood or metal,

It consists of two main parts, each with a hand.

Aulos is a typical eastern musical instrument.

The invention of the musical instrument in question is attributed to the goddess Athena by the Greeks.

According to mythology, Athena invented the aulo, but when playing, he saw that his cheeks swell and his face became ugly and he left this instrument.

In the picture below you can see the Aulos instrument.

Syrinx ( Panflüt ) :

 Syrinx is one of the most recognizable instruments in Greek society after aulos

The instrument, cut in different lengths and widths, thus obtaining different notes, is mounted next to each other just like a raft.

There are no finger holes on the reeds arranged side by side like aulosta.

Different notes could be obtained thanks to the wax poured by melting it into the reed straws.

Thanks to its ease of construction and widespread use, it has been able to come from the most primitive societies to our day.

You can see the Syrinx (Panflute) instrument in the picture below.

Salpinx (Borazan) :

  791/5000 Salpinx, a wind instrument, consisted of a thin cylindrical metal tube.

With this feature, it is considered the ancestor of the trumpet and trumpet used today.

Especially the loudness of his voice enabled the crowd to command from long distances.

Due to this feature, it has been used as an inevitable sign instrument

by the armies until almost modern times.

There are ancient sources indicating that the instrument in question,

like other romantic instruments, was played gently.

Salpinktes would put the other hand under his chest or hip while playing the instrument with one hand.

This move was probably to enable the difficult playing of the instrument.

In the picture below, you can see the

Salpinx instrument in different shades.

  References:

  T.C. SÜLEYMAN DEMİREL ÜNİVERSİTESİ SOSYAL BİLİMLER ENSTİTÜSÜ TARİH ANABİLİM DALI

  ESKİ YUNAN DÜNYASINDA MÜZİĞİN KULLANIM ALANLARI

  Yazan, Mesut KINACI : YÜKSEK LİSANS TEZİ

  Eski Yunan Dünyasında Müzik ve Müzisyenler

  Yazar: Mesut KINACI

 We think that the ney instrument was found after these wind instruments.

Because none of these history books are included in the Ney instrument.

Just as an assumption, We can say that ney reed first used the Sumerians in Mesapotamia,

the cradle of civilization (the region between the Tigris and the Euphrates rivers).

Since the Sumerians ruled between 3500-2000 BC as of history,

the origin of Neyin dates back to 3000 BC.

Egyptian historians base Ney's invention on God Osiris (the first time in Egypt,

the God of the resurrection for immortal life).

They named the neys that were blown by keeping them right,

and Mami, the ones that were blown by keeping the curve.

Double neys were also found in Egyptian civilization.

Women played this kind of Ney.

In the Torah, a kind of Ney, whose name is mentioned as Hagub, is mentioned.

In the years of 1249 BC, there is a double-pipe whistle which is said

to have been brought to China by Şan-Kiyen.

This instrument is still used in Central Asia today.

This Ney, called Koş-Ney, is the ancestor of Neyin, which we know in other words.

In the history, Ney figures are also found in various reliefs of Uyghurs (Foundation: 744).

In the engraving below, you see the Han Salutation in this work, which is thought to be from Uighurs.

 In addition, from the Ney instrument in Kaşgarlı Mahmut,

Divânu Lügati't-Türk (written between 1072-1074),

He talks about Nay-i Turki.

The oldest known Ney instruments

Our long correspondence with The University of Penn Museum of Archeology department finally,

we present these humbly old pictures of Ney to you.

The Ney pictures you have seen are published for the first time on our website www.neyzenim.com.

If you see these pictures on other websites,

forum pages, you can be sure that they are copied from our site.

Images are copyrighted.

The first 7 pitched Ney examples are presented below:

Details about this Ney are presented below.

  The first 7 pitched Ney examples are presented below:

You can enlarge by clicking on the picture.

 We cannot see the curtain at the back, which we have specified as the curtain of Ney.

However, in the explanations about Ney, it is stated that it has 7 curtains.

I will rewrite the museum and ask for other pictures about Ney.

The first nine-necked Ney sample is presented below :

 Details about this Ney are presented below.

 The first nine-necked Ney sample is presented below:

You can enlarge by clicking on the picture.

In this picture, we cannot see the back of what.

There is no base but if you pay attention, the upper part is shaved.

This Ney is one of the closest neys to date, as it has nine nodes and the part to be blown is shaved.

A different example of Ney with 7 frets and nine nodes is presented below:

  An example of 7 frets Ney is presented below:

You can enlarge by clicking on the picture.

An example of 5 frets Ney is presented below::

 You can enlarge by clicking on the picture:

An old example of Ney is presented below:

You can enlarge by clicking on the picture.

 It is a very different instrument from What is Today.

Although it is mentioned as What in the literature,

as you can see,

it has nothing to do with Ney.

An old example of Ney is presented below:

 Details about this Ney are presented below.

An old example of Ney is presented below:

You can enlarge by clicking on the picture.

It is a very different instrument from today's Ney.

Although it is mentioned as Ney in the literature, as you can see, it has not much to do with Ney.

With the effect of heat over time, bending and cracking in neys are normal.

Also in the last 2 neys, the distance between ney knuckles is quite long.

Today, Kargi Canes, which are common among these knuckles, are preferred.

It is not known exactly what time these nits remained.

 Turks M.S. After the War of Talass 751, they voluntarily accepted Islam.

However, Ney, Xlll. It has gained importance in the Islamic world since the 19th century.

Undoubtedly, Mevlânâ Celâleddin-i Rûmî has great importance in this.

In the second half of the tenth century, Farabi used the first Turkish Note system in music science as the Ebced Note.

In the years after 1124, we think that Karahitai (East Karahanli) developed and used a unique note that they called "Ayalgu".

This note layout is different from the note system we are using now.

What Karahitays (1124-1211) have used in Central Asia for a long time and even played it like a side flute,

Gıyaseddin Nakkaş is stated in Hodja's Seyahatname.

Ney of the Asteks

Asteks living around Mexico also used Ney-like instruments in ceremonies.

What is likely to come here may be migrations from Central Asia to Alaska.

In fact, those instruments are not like what it is, it's just an opinion.

We respect our historians.

Aztec Flutes

Relief sculptures symbolizing the Ney and Ney players found in the excavations belonging to the museum are still exhibited in the Penn Museum today.

Sufi Ferittin-i Atar, on the other hand, bases his origins on the transfer of Prophet Muhammad.

Prophet Muhammad talked to his son-in-law, Hazrat Ali, about some spiritual secrets one day and told him to remain as a secret.

His Prophet Ali couldn't hold his mouth either, and he cried out these secrets in a well.

God created a long reed in that well, and one day a shepherd grazing a camel cut it after seeing the cane in this well and made a Ney.

Our Prophet saw the shepherd while Ney was blowing and listened.

Our master heard the secrets of what he said as a melody through the cane and asked his groom: "Did you tell our secrets to the well?"

Hazrat Ali also admitted that he was telling.

We can compare the story written in the book of Sufi Ferittin-i Attar to the famous Legend of the Ears of Midas as a theme.

Ney instrument with miniatures and engravings:

 Miniature and Engraving examples also give us information about Ney.

In the Topkapı Palace Museum, especially in the work named Süleymannâme

written by Hayreddin Pasha, There is a total of 13,533 miniatures in different books,

albums and plates in the work titled Surname by Nakkaş Osman.

Only miniatures were collected in 451 volumes of books and albums.

In the miniature below, we see the example of miniature made in

1558 in the work named Süleymannâme.

Süleymannâme is a work of art describing the events from the throne

of Suleiman the Magnificent until 1558.

There are 69 miniatures in Süleymannâme.

The author of the work is Fethullah Arif Çelebi.

The length of what is estimated to be approximately 60-65 cm.

Both Neyzen are blowing Neys with the right hand on top.

We can see both Nars' thumb.

This miniature is located in the Topkapı Palace Museum. You can enlarge by clicking on the picture.

One of the most important works of Classical Period Ottoman miniature art is Surname.

The subject of Surnâme is the magnificent wedding prepared by Sultan Mehmet III's son

Şehzade Mehmet for the circumcision ceremony.

This wedding lasted 52 days in order to show the power of the Empire to the world countries where foreign country representatives were also invited.

Surnâme was prepared for Sultan Murat III in 1582.

Some pages of the work, which was recorded by Nakkaş Osman and his team

with 250 miniatures, are missing.

In the miniature below you see Neyzen and other instrumentalists.

(Topkapı Palace Museum Intizami Surname-i Hümayun)

You can enlarge by clicking on the picture.

There is also an example of the circumcision wedding in the Ibrahim Pasha Palace,

which we see below.

In the miniature, there is a community that displays shows about the wedding and

makes music in the square.

There are two Neyzen in the miniature.

You can enlarge by clicking on the picture.

 We see Lala Mustafa Pasha and musicians in the work below.

There is this miniature in Mustafa Ali's Nusretname.

It is a miniature made during Lala Mustafa Pasha's eastern break in Konya.

The work is still in the Topkapı Palace Museum.

You can enlarge by clicking on the picture.

 In the miniature below, in Okmeydanı, before the Sultan Ahmet III

we see a group of musicians making music.

Unlike other miniatures, neyzenler also wore Coins on their heads.

However, this music group should not be considered as a Mevlevi Classical Saz ensemble.

You can enlarge by clicking on the picture.

 Although the work below has nothing to do with Ney, we present it because it is an important example of engraving.

This work, located in the Süleymaniye Library (Istanbul),

It shows the diversification of Ottoman visual culture in line with social fears and expectations.

As you can see in the work, it is depicted that the angel of Israfil blowing the Sur Pipe on the Day of Resurrection.

You can enlarge by clicking on the picture.

In the work below, we see Levni's miniature of musicians.

As you can see in this work, which consists of four women, instruments called zurna,

pan flute, tanbur and circle were used.

The work is a Levni classic built between 1720-1730.

It is exhibited in the Topkapı Palace Museum.

You can enlarge by clicking on the picture.

 In the 1500s, there is a Women's Neyzen Engraving in the book named Codex Vindobonensis

in the National Library of Vienna, Austria.

(Picture Below)

You can enlarge by clicking on the picture.

After the Conquest of Istanbul, Orientalist Painters were also influenced by Ney,

Neyzen and Whirling Dervishes.

They made many paintings about drum, def, and oud instruments.

Here is an example of these works:

French painter, sculptor and teacher, who lived between 11 May 1824 - 10 January 1904,

owned by Jean Leon Gerome.

Whirling Dervishes (Whirling Dervishes):

You can enlarge by clicking on the picture.

Ney instrument is now in all Arab countries, in India, in Iran,

Used as an instrument exceeding ethnic instrument status in Central Asia and in our country, and

it is still an instrument with its popularity in the foreground.

Recently, he has not only been performing Classical Turkish Music and Sufi Music,

As folk music, Pop music, Fantasy music style and various kinds of market music

in the types we describe,

Reggae, Lounge and Chill Out are used as color instruments in world music genres.

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