The Shakuhachi and the Ney : A Comparison of Two Flutes from the Far Reaches of Asia
Daniel B. Ribble · Kochi University Digital Repository for Academic Resources (Kochi University) · 2003
This paper compares and contrasts two bamboo flutes found at the opposite ends of the continent of Asia. There are a number of similarities between the ney, or West Asian reed flute and the shakuhachi or Japanese bamboo flute, and certain parallels in their historical development. even though the two flutes originated in completely different socio-cultural contexts. One flute developed at the edge of West Asia, and can be traced back to an origin in ancient Egypt, and the other arrived in Japan from China in the 8 th century and subsequently underwent various changes over the next millenium. Despite the differences in the flutes today, there may be some common origin for both flutes centuries ago. Two reed·less woodwinds Both flutes are vertical, endblown instruments. The nay, also spelled ney, as it is referred to in Turkey or Iran, and as the nai in Arab lands, is a rim blown flute of Turkey, Iran, the Arab countries, and Central Asia, which has a bevelled edge made sharp on the inside, while the shakuhachi is an endblown flute of Japan which has a blowing edge which is cut at a downward angle towards the outside from the inner rim of the flute. Both flutes are reedless woodwinds or air reed flutes. The shakuhachi has a blowing edge which is usually fitted with a protective sliver of water buffalo horn or ivory, a development begun in the 17 th century. The rim of the nay is often covered by a metal band to prevent damage to the flute, and the Turkish ney has a separate conical mouthpiece called the baspare which is produced from materials such as water buffalo horn, ivory, ebony or other wood (and more recently, plastic) a development dating from the beginning of the 13 th century. The Persian ney has a cylindrical mouthpiece called the sari, often made of brass, which is to protect the reed flute from damage. 2 The Shakuhachi and the Ney: A Comparison of Two Flutes from the Far Reaches of Asia The meaning of names As for the Japanese vertical flute, the name shakuhachi refers to the length of the instrument, shakuhachi meaning shaku, eight sun, the shaku being a traditional unit of measurement in Japan regarded as equivalent to 30.3 centimeters, with the sun being l/lO th of a shaku (Ikuya Kitahara, Misao Matsumoto, and Akira Matsuda, p. 188). The standard length of shakuhachi is one shaku eight sun (1.8), equivalent to about 54.5 em, and is an instrument in the key of D, but other lengths are played, for example, the 1.6 shakuhachi, in the key of E, for Japanese twentieth century traditional music compositions such as Miyagi Michio's Raru No Umi, and the common range of instruments is from about 1.3-2.4 shaku (33.3 -72.7 em), though longer flutes are played, especially for the shakuhachi's