Full Range Persian Ney

The traditional  Persian Ney has five holes in front and one on the  back with a range of 2-1/2 octaves. But there is one  note missing between the two first octaves. If C3 is  considered to be the lowest note, then B3 can be  sustained briefly with changing the position and the  shape of the tongue and lips and modifying the air  pressure on the preceding and succeeding notes. To reproduce B natural we can use the same hole as C  and for Bb we can use the hole of A.

This  limitation has separated the first six lower notes  of the Persian Ney and introduces a special timbre  in the lower register. These six notes and sometimes  the hint to the half a tone lower or higher are  mostly played separately by special breathy sound  and particular characteristic effects.

The  inconvenient is that we can not produce the stable  and precise note of B, Bb/2 and Bb and we can’t play  fast ornamentations called (Tahrir) around these  notes in the first and second octaves.

Structure of Full Range Persian Ney?

• The full  rang Neys have extra holes at the ends in order to  easily produce the missing note mentioned above.
• These Neys are each with eight holes on the front These Neys are each with eight holes on the front  side and one on the back. In certain parts of the  performance, the lower register can be passed  smoothly into the upper register and high register  evidently can be linked to the lower register. With  these Neys we can play 2-1/2 full octaves.Because of the large surface of the skin and its sensibilities to the humidity, synthetics skins are preferred.
• The  full range Persian Ney is adjusted using two  metallic tubes turned one inside the other, and with  the aid of a key made of horn for long Neys.
• Onshort Neys we don’t need a key, and the little finger can cover the corresponding hole.