Kaval Fingering
The kaval is usually played with the left hand operating the top holes
(closest to the mouthpiece) and the right hand operating the lower holes.
The left thumb covers the single hole on the back of the instrument, and
the next three fingers cover the top three holes on the front. The left
little finger is not used. The right hand covers the next four holes, with
the right thumb supporting the kaval in back, and the right little finger
covering the lowest hole. The holes and fingers are numbered from 1 (left
thumb) down to 8 (right pinkie).
Finger Position
The way the fingers cover the holes is important to proper playing and
ornamentation. The middle flat parts of the fingers (the second phalanges)
are used on all holes, rather than the finger tips, except for holes 4
and 8. The left thumb covers its hole on the side of the pad near the outer
joint. This position allows the hands to be relaxed with the fingers nearly
straight. Typical Bulgarian Thracian playing style uses this position to
produce many of the characteristic ornaments, such as vibrato (done entirely
with the fingers), fast grace notes, and glissando.
Registers
The charts included here show that the same finger pattern produces up
to three different notes, depending basically on how hard the stream of
air is blown across the mouthpiece. By blowing very softly, the lowest,
or "first", or "fundamental" register sounds. Blowing a little harder or
with more focus causes the second register to sound, an octave above the
first. Blowing harder still produces the third register, a perfect fifth
above the second register. And finally, with the most intense blowing (and
some special fingerings), the highest register is obtained, essentially
an octave above the second register.
Most tunes are played in the second and third registers, and changing
between them becomes intuitive and easy even for beginners. The fourth
register is used occasionally for the highest and sometimes most dramatic
parts of a melody. However, notes above a3 are rarely used, and are very
difficult to sound. Some kavals require different fingerings than those
shown to play the highest notes, and some kavals may not be able to sound
them at all.
Kaba
The low first register is also infrequently used, except for occasional
"drop notes." However, a special multiphonic mode where both the first
and second registers sound at the same time is frequently used, and it
is called "kaba" (kah-BAH). Kaba sounds like a reedy first register --
similar to a clarinet, but softer. Performing it requires much practice
on the part of the player, and it is very expressive. The techniques for
producing kaba are difficult to explain, but basically a soft air stream
is blown across the mouthpiece, but with a certain kind of focus or a modified
embouchure which produces the effect.
Charts
Thanks to Lyuben Dossev, Professor of Kaval at the Academy of Music and Dance,
Plovdiv, Bulgaria, for help with the following charts.
Chart for the first, second, and third registers
Chart for the high fourth register
Back to the Kaval Page
