'Listen to the reed's lament, it speaks of sparation,
From the moment I was cut from the bed of rushes,
my breath has made men sigh ...'

Djalal-Al-Din Roomi (Mowlana)

The Ney [ney] is a generic name of many variety of flute including reed. Due to its mystic connotations, the reed has a privileged position in the Iranian music.

The Ney has five finger holes in front and one thumb hole in the back. It has a range of two and a half octaves. The upper end is covered by a short brass cylinder which is anchored in the tiny space between the upper incisives of the player.

In the thirteenth century, the Ney became the principal instrument for the mystic seances of the order of famous dervish dancers, the followers of Mowlana (Djalal-al-Din Roomi).

Towards the end of nineteenth century, an illustrious musician, Nayeb Asadollah transformed Ney technique, inspired by the playing of turcomans. With him the instrument reached new heights of compexity serving the purposes of a new aesthetic.

Iranian technique's particularity lies in the sound projection and modulation. The end of the reed is clasped between the incisors and covered with the upper lip, air controlled by the tongue is blown forcefully, creating low sounds, powerful and warm. Nuances in the upper registers are created by lip movement alone, and not by the forked fingers or halfcovered apertures.

Ney Radif [radif] (classical repertoire) is much closer to song Radif, since the instrument faithfully reproduces the inflections of the human voice. It is also strongly influenced by popular music, often an inspiration to the masters of the instrument.