THINGS TO CONSIDER WHEN STARTING TO LEARN THE SUFI FLUT NEY
The ney is a mystical instrument that affects and nourishes the human soul. It is an integral part of Sufi music and philosophy. Here are some practical tips for those who are starting to learn the ney:
- Choosing the right and quality ney:
Before starting to learn the ney, it is important to choose the appropriate type of ney. The most commonly preferred type is the Kız Ney (in the key of B), which is a good starting point. At first, you may think that your fingers cannot reach the holes, but you are not alone. Many people experience this at the beginning. However, as you continue to practice regularly, you can easily cover the holes.
Another important point is to buy a quality ney. If you start with a bad ney, your motivation may decrease and your learning process may be negatively affected.
- Patience, patience, patience:
Learning the ney is a process that requires patience. There are no shortcuts to the worthwhile paths. You may experience difficulties at the beginning, but this is a common experience for everyone. You may initially have difficulty making sounds, but later you can achieve flute-like sounds. This is a sign that you are on the right track. No one can make beautiful sounds right away, so keep blowing with patience. Start the journey and the path will appear.
- A good teacher:
A teacher not only teaches you the instrument technically, but also instills a philosophy, posture, and attitude. They support your perseverance and increase your motivation. If you do not have the chance to find a one-on-one teacher, you can make progress with online lessons. (I will be posting ney lessons on YouTube soon. Stay tuned.)
- Consistency:
The key to success is consistency. Many people start enthusiastically, work intensively in the first days and weeks, then the frequency of their practice decreases and eventually they give up the ney. What you need to do is set realistic goals and practice every day, even if it is only fifteen minutes. However, practice regularly without interruption and you may be surprised where you are after a year.
- Control over breath:
You must learn to use diaphragmatic breathing properly to blow the ney. It is important to use diaphragmatic breathing, especially for long and uninterrupted blows. In the ney, different sounds are obtained only by increasing the breath intensity, so good breath control is necessary for clean and smooth transitions between these sounds.
- Music knowledge:
If your goal is to become a professional and perform music with other musicians, it is important to learn music theory and note knowledge. However, if you only want to integrate with your own taste and the spirituality of the ney or learn a few pieces, note knowledge is not necessary.
- Listening is as important as blowing:
Listening to your favorite ney players and master ney players is as important as blowing the ney. Whatever you feed on, you will start to produce those sounds from your ney unconsciously. Remember, learning the ney is accomplished by blowing the ney as well as listening to the ney.
- Continuous improvement:
Learning the ney is a journey of development. If you also learn the philosophy of the ney and Sufi philosophy while learning the ney, you will see that your development process goes more smoothly and easily.
In short, the basic points to consider in the process of learning the ney are patience, choosing the right and quality ney, a good teacher, breath control, music knowledge, listening, and continuous improvement. By following these suggestions, you can increase your chances of success in learning to play the ney and experience the rich experience offered by this mystical instrument. Learning the ney not only develops your musical skills, but also offers a different perspective and inner peace. When you start this journey, you will continue to add meaning to your life by constantly improving yourself in the mystical world of the ney.
DOES HAKAN MENGUC GIVE ONE-ON-ONE NEY LESSONS?
This is a question we are frequently asked. Under normal circumstances, I do not give ney lessons due to my busy schedule and priorities. However, I give one-on-one ney lessons to those who support the Youth Project or make a certain amount of book donations for village schools to contribute to these projects. For those who cannot afford it, I am planning to publish free ney lessons on YouTube soon.