Make your own Bulgarian kaval by Daniel W. Papuga
Good musical instruments don't have to cost you a for tune! Your nearest building supply store or electrical installation shop has plastic t ubing which can be used to make excellent kavals. In order to make a Bulgarian kaval in "D", you need a piece of plastic tubing which is 635mm long, and 16mm inner diameter. You also need a drill with an 8mm drill bit, some sandpaper, and a small knife. Drill out the eight finger holes and four "tuning holes". They are all 8mm in diameter. The dimensions below show the MIDDLE of the holes. Any remaining bits of plastic in the holes can be removed with the knife. The outer edge at the top of the flute (at the 0 mark) is sanded down to about a 45% angle all the way around. This makes a sharp edge which you blow over while playing. Dimensions for Bulgarian kaval in "D" top
thumb (on back)
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
tuning tuning tuning bottom (double)
0
278
296
322
348
374
402
426
452
523
553
582
History and playing style Kaval is the name of a type t ype of end-blown flute found in Turkey and the t he Balkans. The word comes from Turkish, and means a hollow, cylidrical object. Similar instruments are played all over the Middle East and North Africa under the name "ney". The following is a description of how to play the most usual type of Bulgarian kaval: The instrument is a long, open tube with eight finger holes and four "tuning holes". There is no fixed windway, as in a recorder or tin whistle. Instead, you blow across the sharp top edge of the flute while the flute is held slightly at an angle. Your lips should be formed in about the same way as when you whistle or play jews harp. If you try to say "rööööör" with your tounge towards the front of your mouth, it will be correct. The lowest octave (from D to H) is called the "kaba" register. It is difficult to play loudly, but in the hands of a good musician, it can give a very warm, full sound. There is no C or C# in the lowest octave, and Eb has to be made by half-holing half-holing the lowest hole.
635
The second octave (from d to b-flat) b-f lat) is easier to t o get, and gives a more powerful sound. You reach it by blowing slightly harder while you make the air stream a little more narrow. In order to reach r each the third and fourth fourt h octaves, you need to blow slightly stronger again. The fingers should be placed flat over the finger holes, with the meaty part of the midfinger covering the holes. By bending fingers, then straightening them out again, you can make a kind of vibrato, which forms a pulse in time with the music. Bulgarian folk musicians keep an eight-note or sixteenth-note pulse going the whole time. There are many recordings of Bulgarian kaval music, but they aren't always that easy to get ahold of. If you have access to older Bulgarian "Balkanton" recordings, you can look for the names of Cvjatko Blagojev, Stojan Velickov and Nikola Gancev. Gancev. These are the most famous soloists from the 1960's and 70's. One of today's most prolific young Bulgarian performers is Theodosii Spassov. Spassov. Fingering chart for Bulgarian kaval in "D" ("o" = covered, "/" = half-covered) D Eb E F F# G G# A B H
d eb e f f# g g# a b h' c' c#' d' eb' e' f' f
thumb o
o
o o
o
o
o
o o
o o o o o o o
o o o o
o
o
o
o o
1
o
o
o o
o
o
o
o
o o
o o o o
o
o
o o
o
o
o
o
2
o
o
o o
o
o
o
o o
o o o o
o
o o
o
o
o
3
o
o
o o
o
o
o o
o o o o
o o
o
o
4
o
o
o o
o
o o
o o o
o o
o
5
o
o
o o
o o
o o
o o
6
o
o
o
o o
o
o
7
o
/
o
/
Some kaval links:
Kavals and Dzamares: End-blown Flutes of Greece Gr eece and Macedonia, Macedonia , by Anthony Tammer Bulgarsk Folkemusikk. Musikktradisjon og feltarbeid, feltarbeid, by Staale Tvete Vollan Kavals,, by Bob Snider Kavals Kavals,, by Aleksandr Eppler Kavals
o
Daniel W. Papuga http://papuga.brinkster.net
[email protected] Updated 11.08.06
