Middle Eastern & North African Flutes

The ney and its relatives have been central to the music of the Middle East and North Africa for thousands of years. The ney appears in ancient Egyptian imagery, and its place in Persian, Arabic, and Turkish classical traditions is as deep as any instrument in the world. The flutes of this region are mostly end-blown, requiring an angle and lip position that take time to develop. The breathy, reedy quality players achieve is not imprecision but a goal: a tone suited to music built on longing and ornamentation rather than brightness and clarity.