Make your own Bulgarian kaval

by Daniel W. Papuga

Good musical instruments don't have to cost you a fortune! Your nearest building supply store or electrical installation shop has plastic tubing 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 (double)

bottom

0

278

296

322

348

374

402

426

452

523

553

582

635

History and playing style

Kaval is the name of a type of end-blown flute found in Turkey and the 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 the lowest hole.

The second octave (from d to b-flat) is easier to 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 the third and fourth octaves, you need to blow slightly stronger again.

The fingers should be placed flat over the finger holes, with the meaty part of the mid-finger 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. 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.

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#"

g"

g#"

a"

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

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

 

o

o

o

o

2

o

o

o

o

o

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

 

 

 

o

o

 

 

4

o

o

o

o

o

 

 

 

 

 

 

o

o

o

o

o

 

 

 

 

o

o

o

 

 

 

 

o

 

 

o

5

o

o

o

o

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

o

o

o

o

 

 

 

 

 

o

o

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

o

6

o

o

o

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

o

o

o

 

 

 

 

 

 

o

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

o

7

o

/

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

o

/

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

o

o

o

 

Some kaval links:

Daniel W. Papuga
Daniel Winfree Papuga email

Updated 13.08.08

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