Placement of the Tone Holes

All finger holes are placed in a straight line, ninety degrees from the bud depressions. A good way to establish a straight line is to stretch string parallel to the axis of the tube. Dental floss works fine. The thumbhole is not placed 180 degrees from the fingerholes, but is rotated slightly. If you are going to play with your left hand toward the mouthpiece in the manner of Western woodwinds, the thumb hole should be shifted 3/4 of the hole diameter clockwise, as you are looking at the mouthpiece end of the tube. Turks play with the right hand closest to the mouthpiece.

Though the ney is a traditional instrument, its construction is not static. The prominent and traditional ney player Niyazi Sayın shifts the hole positions of two tone holes from their usual placement I have built neys according to his system and they are closer to being in tune without further adjustment Sayın moves the last, most distal, fingerhole down one millimeter. He moves the first up the same distance towards the mouthpiece. He also moves the thumbhole up as much as 3 mm. The schematic I have drawn is the classical one and does not incorporate Sayın's modification.

Constructing the Başpare

Figure 3 gives all the dimensions a machinist would need for cutting the başpare. I have specified the dimensions in English units, since most machinists would prefer to work in this system rather than in metric. I have constructed one tool that helps me to shape the curve of the bore: I have fashioned a form tool from an oboe reed knife, and with this I scrape out the inside curve while the başpare is rotating in the lathe chuck.

After the mouthpiece is formed, the cane tube is tapered to match. A wooden plug, tapered and slotted to receive sandpaper, works fine for this purpose. Once the cane is cut to length, the başpare and cane tube are matched, and the mouthpiece is fitted firmly to it As it is important that no air leak between the two, I use silicon sealant as a gasket.

Fitting the Mouthpiece to the Cane

Since the mouthpiece is socketed into the cane, the cane must be supported or it will split. It is a very slight press fit, never glued in place. Traditionally, thin silver rings are pressed on the outside of the cane at both ends. Metal and cane do not work well together, however. As the cane becomes wet from playing it wants to expand, but the metal prevents it from doing so, crushing the wood cells. After the cane dries out it contracts, and the metal ring becomes loose.

I wrap one layer of electrical tape around the cane, then wind heavy waxed flax (obtainable at a bead store) over the tape, in the same way guides are tied to a fishing rod. A metal ring can be used at the distal end as this end does not get too wet with saliva.

Reinforce the cane with a metal ring or wound string before cutting the taper to fit the mouthpiece. Often the cross-section of the tube is somewhat oval. The wrapping may decrease the ovality somewhat To cut a straight taper in the cane, a tapered mandrel may be easily constructed of aluminum or wood. Use a strip of medium grit sandpaper wrapped around the tool. Then rotate the tool in the cane to form a straight taper. Avoid bellmouthing the taper.

Next: Tuning the Ney