Kaval

The kaval, Cyrillic Кавал, is a long endgeblasene flute with a cylindrical bore of wood. It is widespread in the Balkans and is considered the national instrument of Bulgaria and Macedonia. Under the same name Kaval or Qaval are different long, narrow flutes in Turkey and Armenia announced.

The kaval is primarily an instrument of shepherds. We played the kaval mostly by shepherds, why he is one of the shepherds' flutes. This believed to calm through slow, arrhythmic melodies their sheep. Also the Kaval was often played at village festivals and weddings, where it is replaced in the modern Balkan music increasingly by the clarinet. The Kurdish equivalent of the Turkish Kaval is the shepherd's flute Bilûr.

The long depending on the region between 30 centimeters and a little less than a meter flute is traditionally a pastoral instrument. The Kaval has no nosepiece, so a sound can be blown at a certain angle only. It consists of three parts matable.

Through various degrees of bubbles or compression of the vocal cords different registers can be blown, which are usually not completely though, so lacking in the middle register sounds c and dis. In the middle and high register is similar to the kaval flute, in the low register, he approaches the sound of a deep played clarinet. With special blowing technique can also be " rushing " sounds play, the tone for the Kaval is typical and can not be produced with normal flutes or clarinets. Ornaments such as vibrato, or separating two equally high notes made ​​by the fingers and not like other wind instruments with the mouth.

The famous Turkish Kaval come from the Turkish village Erikbelen and produced by Yasar Güc. This Kaval achieve maximum prices in the Turkish musicians.

There are two types of Kaval: the " three-part" Kaval, which is widespread in much of Bulgaria, and the one-piece, one finds rare. The one-piece can be customized by the players themselves, while the three-piece consistently by instrument makers is made. On the middle part of each Kavals there are eight holes. Seven of these are located on the front, one on the back. The seven holes are drilled from each other at a great distance.

Kavale are manufactured in three sizes: low, medium and high. Furthermore, there are differently tuned Kavale. The root can be d1 - the most popular variant - but also c1, h, b or a The sound of Kavals created by lateral blowing into. He has no real mouthpiece. The tone will sound when closing all holes. The range is approximately three octaves and ranges, for example, the c- Kaval from c1 to a3 and b3, respectively. It can convert almost all half notes are played with the exception of some tones. When c- Kaval these are cis1, ak1, h1 and cis2.

The kaval is a rich possibilities musical instrument. The numerous technical possibilities of the instrument show up in fast dance tunes as well as in slow melodies. In the lower register ( Kaba ), he has a full, rich in overtones sound. This register is only used by very experienced Kavalspielern, mainly in Thrace and Dobrudja.

Mostly it is used for solo play or with other folk instruments together. Of interest is the combination of two one-piece portacaval. This is a pastoral tradition in the Western Rhodopes. The shepherd has two one-piece, equal in length and mood Kavale with him. If he hits another player, so he gives him one, and the two play together shepherd melodies and indeed most antiphon.

In modern Bulgarian folk orchestra of the kaval plays an important role. Usually play with three Kavale. Often a small Kaval is added, which sounds an octave higher. The small Kaval, also called " Swirka " ( pipe) or " Zafara " called, is still in one piece. He is twice shorter than the Kaval and has a sharp tone. Today, the three-piece Swirka is introduced in the orchestra. This has also halftones that the old has not.