thumb|Bulgarian kaval in key of D (Re), Mopane wood, Pewter inlay - Wedding style kaval, made in 2012 by master craftsman Radoslav Paskalev, Virginia, USA

The kaval is a chromatic end-blown oblique flute traditionally played throughout the Balkans (in Albania, Romania, Bulgaria, Southern Serbia, Kosovo, North Macedonia, Northern Greece, and elsewhere) and Anatolia (including Turkey and Armenia). The kaval is primarily associated with mountain shepherds.

Greece

In Thrace and some of the Aegean Islands the term 'kavali' refers to an end-blown flute of the flogera family. It has seven finger-holes and sometimes an additional thumb-hole. In Greece's Macedonia the term kavali is also used to denote the souravli. In Epirus the end-blown kaval is known as dzhamara. according to their length and register:

  • najmal kaval (smallest kaval) - length: 630 mm, basic tone: dis1;
  • mal kaval (small kaval) - length: 672 mm, basic tone: d 1;
  • kaval koj nema posebno ime ("no-special-name", nondescript kaval) - length: 700 mm, basic tone: cis 1;
  • sreden kaval (middle kaval) - length: 752 mm, basic tone: c 1;
  • golem kaval (big kaval) - length: 785 mm, basic tone: h.

The most used in North Macedonia's musical traditions are the smallest and nondescript kavals. The blul is associated with the sring flute and occasionally equated with it, which is also a common term for Armenian end-blown flutes in general.

Bashkirs and Caucasus

An open end-blown flute similar to the kaval is used by the Bashkirs and the Caucasians; it is called by such terms as khobyrakh, Quray and choor or shoor.

A typical khobyrakh is a 70 cm-wide, smooth, hollow pipe made of an umbel (hollow stem of a big, parasol-like umbellifer) or wood, with 3 or sometimes 6 finger-holes. Nowadays, it is also made of plastic.

See also

  • Dilli Kaval
  • Frula
  • Kawala
  • Salamuri
  • Shvi
  • Sring

References

  • Bob Snider's kaval page
  • Jouer du kaval Bulgare: approche pratique à usage des débutants at blogspot