Kaval

The kaval is a chromatic end-blown flute traditionally played throughout Azerbaijan, Turkey, Hungary, Bulgaria, Macedonia, Albania, southern Serbia (кавал), northern Greece (καβάλι or τζαμάρα), Romania (caval), and Armenia (Բլուլ or blul). The kaval is primarily associated with mountain shepherds throughout the Balkans and Anatolia.

Unlike the transverse flute, the kaval is fully open at both ends, and is played by blowing on the sharpened edge of one end. The kaval has 8 playing holes (7 in front and 1 in the back for the thumb) and usually four more unfingered intonation holes near the bottom of the kaval. As a wooden rim-blown flute, kaval is similar to the ney of the Arab world. The name kaval may once have been referred to various Balkan duct and rim-blown flutes, accounting for the present day diversity of the term’s usage.