Wind instruments
Kaval
Kaval: A wooden wind instrument associated with shepherd music, with types both with and without a fipple. Known as the shepherd's instrument, it is a long type of kaval (end-blown straight flute) common in Anatolia and the Balkans.
In brief
- Family: Wind instrument; end-blown oblique flute
- Origin: Anatolia, the Balkans, the Middle East; known as a shepherd's instrument, exact origin debated
- Body and materials: Mostly boxwood; also cornel, plum, apricot; Balkan types 60–90 cm
- Holes: 7 finger holes in front, 1 at the back; at the lower end, sound holes not covered by the fingers
- Types: Dilsiz kaval (rim-blown) and dilli kaval (with a whistle-like mouthpiece)
- Tuning / range: About two and a half octaves
- Playing: The dilsiz kaval is held at about 45 degrees, the mouth covering most of the end
- 16th–17th centuries: One of the instruments listed by Evliya Çelebi; described as a nine-holed pipe played by shepherds while grazing their flocks[1, 2]
Listen
History
Known as the shepherd's instrument, it is a long type of kaval (end-blown straight flute) common in Anatolia and the Balkans.
Construction
It is a long tube open at both ends, usually made of wood; it has seven holes in the front, one in the back and sound holes at the lower end. The dilli kaval type has a whistle-like fipple in the mouthpiece.
How it is played
The kaval without a fipple is played, much like the ney, by blowing obliquely across the edge of the tube; its sound is warm and breathy.
Its place in makam music
It is played in uzun hava and mountain melodies, in the folk music ayaks; commas can be rendered with breath and fingers.
Getting started: types, sizes, tuning
Start with this instrument
Masters on recordings
Performers who play this instrument on recordings of works in the score archive (MusicBrainz).
Frequently asked questions about the Kaval
What is the difference between the kaval and the ney?
The kaval is mostly made of wood and has no başpâre; on the kaval without a fipple you blow obliquely across the sharp edge of the tube, while on the fipple kaval the block in the mouthpiece produces the sound itself. The ney is made of reed and played with a başpâre of horn or bone. The kaval lives in the shepherd and folk music of Anatolia and the Balkans, the ney in Sufi and classical Turkish music.
What is the difference between the fipple kaval and the rim-blown kaval?
The fipple kaval (dilli kaval) has a block in its mouthpiece that, as in a whistle, directs the air onto a sharp edge; blowing is enough and the sound comes easily. On the rim-blown kaval (dilsiz kaval), the player directs the air onto the edge with the lips; producing a sound is harder, but breath and angle give more control over timbre and pitch. Master kaval players usually prefer the rim-blown kaval.
What music is the kaval played in?
It is common in Anatolia in uzun hava, mountain melodies and dance tunes, and in the Balkans, especially Bulgaria and Macedonia, in folk music. Its sound is warm, veiled and has a softness that carries far outdoors. It is played on its own, with a second kaval holding a drone, or together with instruments such as the davul and the bağlama.
Where can I hear the kaval?
The “Listen” section on this page has sound samples taken from real kaval recordings. The kaval has not yet been added as a virtual instrument; to try a similarly edge-blown instrument in your browser, you can open the virtual ney.