Moldavian kaval technique

Subject: Moldavian kaval technique
From: Jack Campin
Date: 27 Sep 07 - 07:45 PM

I bought a Moldavian kaval in Eastern Europe a couple of weeks ago. This was the five-hole type, played in the octave, twelfth and double octave registers, usually with a hummed drone that gives it a buzzy sound. I've mislaid the maker's fingering chart, he seems to be away from his email at the moment, and it it didn't seem quite right anyway. Anyone got a full-range fingering chart for the thing?

As far as I can tell, which note you hum doesn't make a lot of difference to the effect. Some players vary the pitch of their hum, most don't.

I have Andras Hodorog's CD - that's the sort of tune I want to play on it.

I've seen the discussion on Chiff & Fipple. Typically bozoid for that site.

Subject: RE: Moldavian kaval technique
From: open mike
Date: 28 Sep 07 - 12:34 AM

it's all greek to me..
what IS it?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RR1TA4ej2_o
flut-ey type thing ..
http://www.wholinks2me.com/videos/search/furulya/

Subject: RE: Moldavian kaval technique
From: treewind
Date: 28 Sep 07 - 03:48 AM

Five holes?
Is that like a three hole pipe with extra ones in between to make it fully chromatic?

I have a Bulgarian kaval (which works that way, one hole per semitone) but I'm sure the fingering chart for that won't help much. It goes all illogical in the high register. I expect the Moldavian one does too, but in a different way.

Anahata

Subject: RE: Moldavian kaval technique
From: Jack Campin
Date: 28 Sep 07 - 07:26 AM

It's like a low D whistle with three normally-spaced holes for the left hand and two for the right, with a gap where the F hole would be. They are neither semitonally spaced nor arranged for a pentatonic scale. You play it a bit like a three-hole pipe but with extra holes, so for the top end you use both hands to persuade the higher harmonics to sound, like the more exotic high register stuff on recorders and in classical flute playing. Simple open fingering doesn't cut it. I can get the lower octave with no trouble, but the folk repertoire goes a lot higher.

Picture and sound sample (from a different maker) at http://www.aural.hu/kaval%20gyumolcsfa.htm