Kaval
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The kaval [kaˈval] is a chromatic end-blown flute traditionally played throughout Azerbaijan, Turkey, Bulgaria, Republic of Macedonia, Kosovo / Albania (Kavall), northern Greece (Kavali or Dzhamara), southern Romania (Caval), Armenia (Blur) and Kurdistan (Blul). The kaval is primarily associated with mountain shepherds throughout the Balkans and Anatolia and in the book "KAVAL: Traditional Folk Melodies for Balkan & Anatolian Folk Flute", author Pat MacSwyney suggests that the kaval was spread throughout these regions by Yoruk nomads who inhabited the Pindus, Shar, Pirin, Rhodope mountains of the southern European Balkan peninsula and the Taurus mountains of southern Turkey.
Unlike the transverse flute, the kaval is fully open at both ends, and is played by blowing on the sharpened edge of one end. The kaval has 8 playing holes (7 in front and 1 in the back for thumb) and usually 4 "devil's holes" down near the bottom of the kaval. The devil's holes are supposed to improve tone and intonation. There is a Bulgarian folk tale in which the devil tries to out-play a shepherd in a musical dual. While the shepherd is sleeping, the devil drilled holes in the shepherds kaval but instead of ruining the kaval, this only served to enhance the shepherd's kaval playing thus thwarting the devil. While typically made of wood, kavals are also made from Arundo donax Linnaeus 1753 (Persian Reed), metal and plastic.
A long wooden flute (60-80 cm) made of ash-wood, elder-tree, cornel, boxwood or lilac-tree, with no mouthpiece, and 8 sound holes. Kosovo also call it “šupeljka” (from the Serbian word šuplje, meaning hollow). The kaval is an instrument widely used in the Balkans (Macedonia, Kosovo and Metohia, Bulgaria, Romania, Albania, Greece, Turkey), and there are similar instruments on the Caucasus, in Asia and North Africa. The kaval is the favorite instrument of shepherds, who have preserved it to the present day in these regions. Several shepherds with kavals used to gather together while herding sheep. While one played a tune, the others would accompany him by playing a flat tone. Later on another shepherd would take over the tune. This kind of playing is called “ezgija” in Macedonia (from the Turkish word meaning music playing). Neither parallel intervals nor several different accompanying tones are played at the same time. Apart from shepherds’ tunes, line-dances are also frequently played on the kaval.
A kind of a rim-blown flute open on both ends, made of one piece ash wood and ornamented along the whole length. The upper end has a slightly tapered sharp edge. The kaval has 7 finger holes on front and one thumbhole on the back. The holes are spaced evenly (2cm apart), with the sixth hole approximately in the middle of the instrument.
When played, the kaval is held with both hands at an angle of approximately 45° from the body, with the four fingers of the one hand covering the lower holes; the upper three holes and the thumbhole are covered with the other hand. The mouth covers ~3/4 of the end. Change of the breath air pressure also changes the pitch.
The kaval is usually mounted on a wooden holder (arbija), which protects it from warping and helps keep the interior walls oiled.
According to the key, the kaval can be in the high register (C, C#), middle (D, H) or low (A, B).
The kaval plays two octaves and a fifth, in the chromatic scale. Its sound is warm, melancholic and pleasant.
While in the past it was almost entirely a shepherd's instrument, today it is widely used in folk songs and dances as part of ensembles or solo.
The kaval is commonly used in pairs. The first kavaldzija (or vodach) leads and the second drones (polagach), with a kaval in the same key, usually a lower one, like C, C#, D, although other keys are also in use.
The caliber of the kaval is 16mm. Also available is a 17mm kaval, which is recommended to the more experienced kavaldzii by the instrument maker, Stojanče Kostovski.
Kaval, from the Turkish word kavli, is an aerophonic instrument, and its sound is soft, tender, and sophisticated. It is a shepherd's instrument for playing folk songs and dances. The basic parts include: 70-80 cm long pipe with eight playing holes (seven in the front and one on the back of the pipe) in the middle part, four sound holes (glasnici) in the lower part, and a sharp edge in the upper part of the pipe. The instrument is made of one-part maple wood which is drilled at the center using various borers (13-16 mm). After the pipe is made, the playing and the sound holes are drilled on both sides.
The results of research show that there are five types of kavals in Macedonia, according to their length and register:
- 1. najmal kaval (the smallest kaval) - length: 630 mm, basic tone: dis1;
- 2. mal kaval (small kaval) - length: 672 mm, basic tone:
d 1;
- 3. kaval koj nema posebno ime (no-special-name kaval) - length: 700 mm, basic tone: cis 1;
- 4. sreden kaval (middle kaval) - length: 752 mm, basic tone: c 1;
- 5. golem kaval (the big kaval) - length: 785 mm, basic tone: h.
The smallest and the no-name kavals are the most used in the Macedonian music tradition.
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[edit] Tone Scale and Tone Characteristics:
The ambitus of the kaval tone scale is a sixth. Thanks to the special blowing technique the ambitus could reach an eight or even twelfth. That is how the other tones are produced too.
The kavals are played in pair. So they are divided into categories of male (mashki) and female (zhenski), or left and right. While one player plays the main melody, the other one accompanies the first one with one tone named "bourdon" or iso (either the basic tone or its fifth). The instrument is held obliquely while the player's lips gently touch the half of the sharp edge in the upper part of the kaval-pipe. Both players are obliquely set so that they can look at each other while playing.
[edit] šupelka
The šupelka is similar to the kaval (open on both ends), except that it is shorter (240-350 mm). It can be made of either walnut, barberry, ash wood, maple or other wood.
The šupelka plays the chromatic scale (two octaves), except the first note of the lower octave. In the low register, its sound is soft and pleasant, while in the upper register it is sharp and shrill.
The šupelka has six finger holes and is tapered at the upper end. It is played with the three middle fingers of both hands and is held at a 45° angle. It is used both in solistic improvisations and together with other instruments.
[edit] Balkan Duduk
A kind of blocked-end flute, which in some part of Macedonia is also called kaval or kavalce. Made of barberry, maple or other wood, it comes in two sizes: 700-780mm and 240-400mm (duduce). The blocked end is flat. Playing the duduk is fairly straightforward and easy, thus it is widely used throughout Macedonia. Its sound is clean and pleasant. Plays two octaves, with diatonic and chromatic tones. When played, it is held vertically in front of the body. These instruments are made by Stojanče Kostovski.
[edit] Çifte
Çifte is a Turkish folk instrument of the wind type. It is made by tieing two reed pipes side by side. Two small reed pieces which produce the sound are added to the ends of both reeds. These two small reeds are taken into the mouth cavity andit is played by blowing the air at the same time.
There are two çifte types known as Demli Çifte and Demsiz Çifte. In demli çifte one of the reeds does not have any pitch keys and it just produces a background sound. There are melody keys onthe other red and the main melody is played through them
Çifte is also known as Argun, Argul, Kargın or Zambır at different regions.
[edit] Çığırtma
Çığırtma is a Turkish folk instrument of the wind type. Çığıtrma is made from the wing bone of the eagle. It is known to be used mostly by the shepherds and is an almost forgotten instrument today. It has a total of seven mekody keys with six on the top and one underneath It is about 15-30 cm. long.
