Wind instruments
Mey
Mey: A wooden wind instrument resembling the balaban, with a wide double reed and a soft, melancholic sound. A double-reed wind instrument with a soulful sound from Eastern Anatolia and the Caucasus; the Armenian duduk and the Azerbaijani balaban are its close relatives.
In brief
- Family: Double-reed wind instrument
- Body and materials: Cylindrical body of hardwood such as plum, walnut, mulberry or apricot; about 23–44 cm
- Holes: Eight holes, seven in front and one at the back
- Tuning / range: About one octave; tuning is adjusted by sliding the clamp on the reed
- Types: Cura mey (smallest, highest), orta mey and ana mey (largest, lowest)
- Regions: Eastern Anatolia and the Caucasus; joint UNESCO inscription with Azerbaijan (2023)
- Related instruments: Azerbaijani balaban, Armenian and Georgian duduk
- 16th–17th centuries: Appears under the name balaban among the pipes listed by Evliya Çelebi; described as a narrow-bore pipe with a reed (sipsi)[1, 2, 3, 4]
Listen
History
A double-reed wind instrument with a soulful sound from Eastern Anatolia and the Caucasus; the Armenian duduk and the Azerbaijani balaban are its close relatives.
Construction
A very wide, flat double reed is fitted to a short body made of a hard wood such as plum, walnut or apricot; it has seven holes in the front and one in the back.
How it is played
It is played with gentle breath; its sound is soft and veiled. Usually a second mey accompanies it with a continuous drone.
Its place in makam music
It is ideal for uzun hava and laments; commas can be adjusted with breath and lip pressure.
Getting started: types, sizes, tuning
Start with this instrument
Masters on recordings
Performers who play this instrument on recordings of works in the score archive (MusicBrainz).
Frequently asked questions about the Mey
Are the mey, the duduk and the balaban the same instrument?
They are close relatives in the same family: a short cylindrical body and a very wide, flat double reed. It is known as the mey in Eastern Anatolia, the duduk in Armenia and the balaban in Azerbaijan and Iran. Their sizes, number of holes and tunings differ slightly, but their timbres are very similar: soft, veiled and mournful.
What is the difference between the mey and the zurna?
Both are played with a double reed, but the mey's reed is much wider and its body cylindrical and short; its sound is soft and suited to indoor spaces. The zurna's body is conical and flares at the end; its sound is very loud and made for the open air. The mey is the instrument of uzun hava and laments, the zurna of weddings and dances.
Why is the mey usually played by two people?
In traditional performance, while one mey plays the melody, a second mey holds a continuous drone (dem) on the tonic. The drone player sustains the sound without interruption using circular breathing. This accompaniment adds depth to the melody and keeps the tonic of the makam or ayak constantly present; the same technique is used on the Armenian duduk.
Is the mey hard to learn?
Applying the right lip pressure to the wide reed and producing a soft, even flow of breath take getting used to at first. The reed's moisture and adjustment directly affect the sound. Since it has few holes and a narrow range, you can start on simple melodies quickly; refining pitches with the lips and playing uzun hava expressively develop over the years.