The shehnai (also spelled shenai) is a musical instrument from South Asia. It is made of wood, with a double reed at one end and a bell-shaped opening made of metal or wood at the other end. It was one of the nine instruments used in the royal court. The shehnai is similar to the nadaswaram, an instrument from South India.

Characteristics

This tubular instrument gets wider at the bottom. It typically has between six and nine holes. It uses one group of four reeds, which makes it a type of woodwind instrument with four reeds. To play the instrument well, the musician must use specific and detailed methods for shaping their mouth and pressing the keys.

The shehnai can play notes across two octaves, starting from the A below middle C and ending at the A one line above the treble clef (A3 to A5 in scientific pitch notation). A shehnai is usually made from wood or bamboo with a flared metal end, though other materials may sometimes be used.

Origin of the shehnai

The shehnai is believed to have been introduced by the Mughal Empire, as it was most commonly used in Mughal royal courts.

There are several stories and ideas from experts about how the instrument got its name.

One well-known story says that Emperor Aurangzeb stopped the use of the pungi in his court because of its loud and sharp sound. A barber (nai) who was part of a family of professional musicians then made a longer and wider pipe with seven holes. This new instrument produced a softer and more pleasant sound. Because the instrument was first played in the emperor’s chambers and its creator was a nai, it became known as shehnai. A different version of this story suggests the name comes from the words "shāh" (king) and "nai" (flute), meaning "the king's flute" or "royal flute."

Another idea is that the name shehnai comes from a change of the word "sur-nāl," which combines "sur" (a musical note or tune) and "nāl" (pipe or reed) in several Indian languages. Musicologist Dileep Karanth suggests that "sur-nāl" may also be the original word for similar reed instruments known as surna or zurna in the Middle East and Eastern Europe.

Similar instruments

The similar instruments to the shehnai in Western India and Coastal Karnataka originated in those areas. Shehnai players have played an important role in the Goan/Konkani region and temples along the western coast. These players are called Vajantri and were given land as a reward for their work at the temples.

Gallery

• The Nepalese version of the instrument, called the sahane, has a curved shape and is played in the panche baja.
• A shehnai player is most commonly found in South India.

Notable Indian shehnai players

List of Names:
• Bismillah Khan
• Pandit Shailesh Bhagwat
• Anant Lal
• Ali Ahmed Hussain Khan
• S Ballesh Bhajantri
• Lokesh Anand
• Daya Shankar, son of Anant Lal

Other related wind instruments

• Mizmar, a shawm like the shehnai
• Nadaswaram, a similar South Indian instrument
• Reed instrument, a type of woodwind instrument
• Shawm, a type of reed instrument