11
Woodwind instruments
Textbook pp. 32–33
GoalGet to know woodwind instruments: nay, flute, surnay.
New words
nay (end-blown flute) · nayflute · fleytasurnay (loud wooden pipe) · surnaysmall hole · teshikcha
Explanation
Woodwind instruments look like tubes with small holes. You hold them to your mouth and blow, while fingers close and open the holes. In the East the nay has long been made of reed, bamboo or brass. The flute is one of the oldest instruments; it looks like a long whistle. The surnay is very loud and is played at weddings and festivals together with the karnay and doira.
Worked examples
The nay sounds soft; the surnay sounds loud and sharp.
Class activity
“Blowing air”: children blow gently, then strongly, on their palm. Then they try blowing across the top of an empty bottle to make a whistling sound.
Practice
1
How are wind instruments played?
By blowing air and covering holes with fingers
2
What has the nay been made of since ancient times?
Reed, bamboo, brass
3
Which is louder: the nay or the surnay?
The surnay