Shehnai - Indian Wedding Oboe
Shehnai in sheesham with a brass bell, the double reed oboe of Indian weddings and processions. Made in our own workshop.
Choosing yours
The shehnai is a conical double reed instrument with a brass bell, naturally loud and associated with weddings, processions and temple music.
It is harder to start than a bansuri and much harder to play quietly. Reeds are consumable and spares are worth keeping.
Questions we get asked
Is the shehnai hard to learn?
Harder than the bansuri. It is a double reed instrument, naturally loud, and controlling volume takes real breath discipline.
Do the reeds need replacing?
Yes, they are consumable. Keep spares, since a damaged reed makes the instrument unplayable.
What is it used for?
Weddings, processions and temple music, and in Hindustani classical music where it has a serious solo repertoire.