Shehnai

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For the movie refer to Shehnai (film)

The shehnai is an aerophonic instrument which is thought to bring good luck, and as a result, is widely used in North India for marriages and processions.

This tube-like instrument gradually widens towards the lower end. It usually has between six and nine holes. It employs two sets of double reeds, making it a quadruple reed woodwind. By controlling the breath, various tunes can be played on it.

Ustad (Master) Bismillah Khan was a well-known shehnai player. Another player of the shehnai is the Ahmadi Black American jazz musician, Yusef Lateef. Dave Mason played shehnai on the Rolling Stones 1968 hit song Street Fighting Man.

The shehnai is thought to originate in the Kashmir Valley, where people use the instrument in band-i-pather. The shehnai was created by improving upon the pungi. There are varying legends of its origin.

In one legend, a Shah initially banned the playing of the pungi in his court due to its shrill sound. A barber, belonging to a family of musicians, improved on it and created the shehnai. As it was played in the Shah's court and giving due reference to the 'nai' or barber, it was called shehnai.

In other variants it was
> named after a shehnai player called Saina
> derived from sheh (breath) and nai (flute)
> derived from the combination of the Persian words shah (king), and nai (flute) to give the meaning "the king's flute".

v • d • e
Double reed instruments (also includes those with quadruple and sextuple reeds)
European classical (modern) Piccolo oboe • Piccolo heckelphone • Oboe • Oboe d'amore • Cor anglais (English horn) • Bass oboe • Heckelphone • Contrabass oboe • Tenoroon • Bassoon • Semi contrabassoon • Contrabassoon • Contraforte • Sarrusophone • Soprano sarrusophone • Alto sarrusophone • Tenor sarrusophone • Baritone sarrusophone • Bass sarrusophone • Contrabass sarrusophone • Rothphone • Contrabassophone • Reed contrabass • Tromboon
European classical (historical) Aulos • Baroque oboe • Bassanelli • Cornamuse • Cromorne • Crumhorn • Dulcian • Hirtenschalmei • Kortholt • Oboe da caccia • Pommer • Rackett • Rauschpfeife • Shawm
African traditional Algaita • Rhaita
Asian traditional Duduk • Guan • Gyaling • Hichiriki • Hne • Kèn bầu • Kèn đám ma • Kuzhal • Mey • Mizmar • Nadaswaram • Pi • Piri • Shehnai • Sorna • Sralai • Suona • Taepyeongso • Zurna
European traditional Aulos • Bifora • Bombarde • Catalan shawm • Dulzaina • Musette • Piffero • Sopila • Tárogató • Zurla
North American traditional Trompeta china
This article relating to woodwind instruments is a stub. You can help by expanding it.
Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shehnai"
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