Shehnai
Shehnai, and Shenai, śahnāī, is in the northern Indian music most widely used double-reed instrument. It is played for entertainment at family gatherings, in religious processions and classical music. Your South Indian counterpart is the Nadaswaram.
Origin
The widespread throughout Asia cone oboes folk music are among the very old, resulting in Persia instrument type surnais. Common characteristics are the loud, sharp tone whose pitch has not changed; and use most often outdoors at celebrations, especially rites of passage, and in processions.
From the onomatopoeic Persian surnai was in India sanayi ( Sanskrit) and hindi: Shahnai, sarna and surna. Name and instrument came during the Mughal rule in India. The usual interaction of the shehnai with a cylinder drum brought the surnai as zurna in the military music of the Ottoman Empire and in similar use to the Indian dynasties. From the appreciation of the shehnai at the Muslim rulers probably occurs because the Namensherleitung from the word elements Persian شاه, shah, "king" from Arabic and Persian ناي or ني nai: (bamboo ) tube, corresponding to the longitudinal flute nay, so together " king flute ".
Before the arrival of shehnai, India had already oboes types whose old names madhukari, Mohori or Muhuri are common regionally nor folk musical instruments or are used synonymously for the shehnai. The name is derived from Sanskrit mari ( "tube" ). Another derivation of mizmar as general Arab oboes are called, could set the early arrival of a Kegeloboe to the early 8th century, when an Arab expedition for the first time conquered Sindh.
In Hyderabad provides the built in late 16th century triumphal arch Charminar the center of the urban road system dar. to Mughal period it was also a symbol for the center of the Islamic garden of paradise. At the eastern city gate there was a bandstand where without interruption was a shehnai player such nasal -sounding tones of how they are imputed in comments to the Koran sura 55 the waiting in paradise virgins.
An old, Come from the East to northern India Bambusoboe was kalama (Sanskrit for a writing tube). Her name is related qalam with the Arabic writing instrument. The medieval European shawm was from the root word.
During the reign of Akbar (1542-1605), there were several bands ( Naubat ) with various wind instruments and boiler drums ( naqqara ), which were used for representative events and processions. The Naubats at the royal court consisted of at least nine instruments. Their popularity is evident in the figures in Indian miniatures Mughal period. The Naubats were promoted by all Mughal rulers, thereby able to spread in North India and cater for the increasing popularity of the shehnai in the population. In the historical work written at his court Ain -i - Akbari (1597 ) mentions the shehnai and other wind instruments in addition to the smaller, only very rarely heard Sundri. On wind instruments included the late 16th century to the palace orchestra nine surnā ( shehnai ), four long trumpets karna, some smaller trumpets nafir and two curved horns Shringa.
Around 1770, at the time of the British trading settlements, the European clarinet was introduced, and from military bands and used in smaller ensembles in folk music. Some Shehnai players took the clarinet because of their greater tonal range. In wind bands, in which the British and the Indians made music together, mostly replaced the simple -to-play, western instrument, the shehnai. Under the Sign of national independence movements from the late 19th century the clarinet drew the antipathy against foreign rule examples on and was changed back to the shehnai.
The shehnai has developed into a sacred instrument of the temple service ( puja ), she became the louder sounding allies of the air blown by the priests in the ritual trumpet snails; with the difference that the shehnai was played at some distance to the action of members of low musicians. Because of this social mapping the shehnai remained until the early 20th century, an instrument being played on hard outdoor events folk music, but received as auspicious instrument the honorary title of mangal vadya.
Dissemination
In addition to the throughout northern India known shehnai, further double reed instruments have received in regional play traditions. The slightly larger sanai in Maharashtra is connected to the repertoire of Marathi folk song tradition. Small is the local Sundri. The shortest instrument of this category is the role played in the west of Rajasthan surnai. It is used by two different groups in society, the Langa and the Manganiyars in their respective musical traditions. Another, more common types of Indian oboe is the slightly larger swarnai in Kashmir, which often came up in the 1980s at weddings, religious ceremonies and folk plays ( Bandi Pethir ) are used. In West Bengal a Mahuri plays the Purulia Chhau dance drama. In Meghalaya, the ka has tangmuri a wooden match pipe. In Nepal, the name is on mwali Newari and Nepali Shanahi or Shahane, in Bihar and Gujarat pipahi pipori.
The best-known double reed instrument in South India is the Nadaswaram, a prolonged shehnai variant whose accompanying drum is the tavil. Rare small, only 25 cm long mukhavina ( " mouth - instrument ") is played in the South, which carries as South Indian Mohori an old Indian name. Regional from folk music known a single-reed instrument with two game tubes pungi until today under the name was common in the 17th century sunadi and high, particularly shrill -sounding trumpet with a bulbous wind chamber in the middle, actually belongs to the tools of snake charmers. The pungi is not preform the shehnai, but the bagpipes. For this, took over the Nadaswaram, also Nageshwaram their name from Naga, the Indian snake. The fact that the barber of a ruler is said to have shehnai developed after the ruler 's displeasure at the high pitched tones of had expressed pungi, one of the myths of origin of the instrument.
Design
The shehnai consists of three parts and is a total of 45 to 50 inches long. The wooden play tube with six to nine finger holes is down slightly wider and opens into a separate sheet metal funnel ( pyala, " cup " ) made of brass. The sometimes chrome funnel is about 7 inches long with a front diameter up to 8.2 centimeters. Seven of the nine holes are playable, the other two are used for mood and closed as needed with wax. The game tube is about 36 inches long, the upper outer diameter is 2, the lower diameter of 3.5 centimeters. The bore tapers from 9 mm at the near end up to 18 millimeters in diameter just before the transition to the bell. The finger holes are equidistant spacing of 3.1 centimeters, the first hole is 7.7 inches from the near end. The diameter of the first hole is 5, the hole from two to six 5.5 and 6 mm hole seven.
At the game tube made from seasoned Burma teak, from the slim side, a removable brass tube ( nali in Delhi, nari in Varanasi, "tube" ) is inserted. In this mouthpiece is the double-reed ( pattur from patta, " Journal) " ( Saccharum spontaneum, in India: narkat, also pala ) from a wild grass stuck. The related with the cane grass is harvested in the marshland on the Ganges in Bihar. Two of these leaves are slightly up or down on each other and are curved around the center wrapped tightly with a thread so that they can not slip into the instrument. In the event that these delicate leaves are damaged or worn out during the game, hang down at the shehnai replacement Papers on strings. There they put in small containers ( chapil ) consists of two clamp-like connected pieces of wood, so that they maintain their flat shape. When the game starts the musician opens the two compressed reeds by intervening pushes a tapered awl ( suja ).
Play
The shehnai is kept in the game with the thumbs of both hands about 60 degrees down. Three fingers of the left hand to operate the three upper holes, four fingers of the right hand bottom. The mouthpiece is slid so far into the oral cavity in that the reeds to vibrate freely. The pitch arising from fully or only partially covering the finger holes. There are all chromatic tones including necessary for Indian Ragas microtones ( Shrutis ) in the range of two octaves playable. A sonic impact can be achieved by the position of the lower jaw and tongue. As with other reed instruments circular breathing is employed. The design of the shehnai is simple, but the game is difficult to learn and the breathing is quite strenuous. As with a single finger hole, a large frequency range is playable also glissandi (min ) are possible and typical of the instrument.
The range is two octaves and a major third. For this purpose ten different finger positions available, compared to the oboe needed for the same range in semitones 29 finger positions. When shenai the upper octave is achieved only by overblowing without half- hole technique or other finger positions. There is a range of variation in the pitch at each finger position, therefore, is the knowledge of the correct tone production only a rough indication.
A shehnai is played as a melodic instrument rarely alone, it needs a drone, which is not produced as in Indian stringed instruments of the tanpura, but when Duetspiel of a second shehnai or another, sur -called shehnai, the handle holes are clogged with wax. The tabla is usually on the right, the sur- player sitting on the left side of the shehnai player. The former practice rhythm accompaniment by small clay drums is gone out of fashion.
The shehnai is found in folk music and classical music. In processions on the occasion of weddings or other celebrations, the brass bands those of the earlier, originating from the Arabic- Persian area representation Orchestra resemble Naubat. There were shehnais under the name surnā played against high dignitaries in large orchestras accompanied by drums at military parades and other ceremonies outdoors. For the rhythmic accompaniment during processions ensure dhol, dholak or Nagara. Many regional folk dances, funerals and folk theater are accompanied by shehnais and drums.
The melody instrument of folk music was introduced by the initiative of a few musicians in the early 20th century in the classical North Indian music. The shehnai, which equates to a comparable change in the general esteem as the bamboo flute bansuri, the stringed lute sarangi and the zither santur. The merit to have brought shehnai to the big concert stage for the first time, due Bismillah Khan (1916-2006) with his concert in the Calcutta All India Music Conference 1937. Considered as the leading shehnai player of the 20th century.
Other famous musicians who come from a shehnai - Gharana (traditional musician family) and how Bismillah Khan have their roots in the shehnai stronghold Varanasi, are Anant Lal (* 1927) and his son Daya Shankar. Ali Ahmad Hussain Khan ( b. 1939 ) comes from Kolkata, and Jagadish Prasad Qamar, a student of Bismillah Khan, from Delhi. In Varanasi the best instruments are made.