Kaval
The kaval is a Flûte oblique traditional, chromatic or diatonic, played in the musics of the Balkans (Bulgaria, Macedonia…) and of Turkey.
Stringed-instrument trade
This flute is made out of wood of cherry tree but there are also some in reed (Arundo Donax), metal or plastic. The Bulgarian kaval is in three parts assembled like a clarinet, with reinforcements in horn of cow and metal decorations, whereas the kaval Macedonian is in only one piece of wood.
Like the ney, the kaval is opened at the two ends, and one plays about it into blowing in the bevelled head. The kaval is pierced with eight holes (of which a hole behind) and of four holes of the devil in bottom of the flute. The latter are supposed to improve the tone and the intonations.
A tale of the Bulgarian folklore tells that the Diable was exceeded by the sound of the flute of a shepherd. When the shepherd calms down, the devil benefitted from it to bore the flute but instead of destroying it, these holes improved sound quality thus thwarting the plans of the devil.
Play
The difficulty is the same one as that presented by any flute to opened collar, without pipe or conduit. In fact the lips must form the conduit which will make it possible the air to come to ridge in a correct way against bevel from the flute, from where this its private individual, windy…
In fact the folk musics are played on this instrument pastoral in the beginning.
External bonds
- Site on the kaval
- 3 recordings and a video of kaval