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Kaval Ornamentation:
A Handbook
Lyuben Dossev
Mastering Thracian Kaval Ornamentation: A Handbook
Published by
Izvor Music
1930 11th Avenue West
Seattle, WA 98119-2802
USA
http://www.izvormusic.com
ISBN: 978-0-9658579-2-5
All Rights Reserved, including the right to reproduce this book or portions
of it in any form whatsoever, except as provided by the U.S Copyright
Law. For information, contact the publisher, Izvor Music.
Tzvetan Dossev
April 21, 1929 - November 4, 1990
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Compact Disc Index ................................................................................... 8
Foreword................................................................................................... 11
Introduction.............................................................................................. 15
Vibrato ...................................................................................................... 23
1. Introduction ..................................................................................... 23
2. Vibrato in 2/4 Time ......................................................................... 30
3. Vibrato in 5/8 Time ......................................................................... 47
4. Vibrato in 7/8 Time ......................................................................... 49
5. Vibrato in 9/8 Time ......................................................................... 52
Sechene...................................................................................................... 54
1. Introduction ..................................................................................... 54
2. Sechene on f3................................................................................... 55
3. Sechene on e3. ................................................................................. 58
4. Sechene on e-flat3 ........................................................................... 61
5. Sechene on d3 .................................................................................. 62
6. Sechene on d-flat3 and c3 ................................................................ 65
7. Sechene on b2 or b1......................................................................... 66
8. Sechene on b-flat2 ........................................................................... 69
9. Sechene on a2 .................................................................................. 73
10. Sechene on Other Notes in the Second Octave................................ 75
11. Sechene on b-flat1 ........................................................................... 76
12. Sechene on a1. ................................................................................. 77
13. Sechene on a-flat1 (g-sharp1).......................................................... 80
14. Sechene on g1 .................................................................................. 82
15. Sechene on Other Notes in the First Octave .................................... 83
Combining Vibrato and Sechene ............................................................ 84
1. Introduction ..................................................................................... 84
2. Combining Vibrato and Sechene in Free Rhythm Melodies ........... 84
3. Combining Vibrato and Sechene in Fixed Meter Melodies ............ 90
5
6 Table of Contents
Songs........................................................................................................ 156
Buren, buren ........................................................................................ 157
Kolyu Kera lyubi ................................................................................. 159
Ivan Doina duma ................................................................................. 162
Rado, le................................................................................................ 167
Tone, le, mari hubava .......................................................................... 171
Dimitur konche styagashe.................................................................... 175
Marin si grada gradeshe....................................................................... 178
Gledai, ma, gledai ................................................................................ 181
Maika Yordana pliteshe....................................................................... 184
Katu rekla Yana ................................................................................... 188
Bibliography ........................................................................................... 191
COMPACT DISC INDEX
A compact disc is included with this book which contains recordings of
the examples, played on the kaval by Lyuben Dossev, with song vocals by
Tanya Dosseva.
Because of the large number of examples, they have been grouped into
tracks by example number. Each track contains around 10 examples, so
that the example number divided by 10 indicates the track number. Track 1
contains examples 1 through 19; track 2 contains examples 20 through 29,
and so on. The example number is spoken before the example is played.
The Accent charts, Chart 1 and Chart 2, are in 4 tracks: the top staff of
each chart is played separately from the bottom staff.
8
PREFACE TO THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE
EDITION
When the Bulgarian edition of this Handbook was published in 1994, I
was not really aware of the interest outside Bulgaria in traditional
Bulgarian folk music in general or in traditional kaval playing in particular.
Since that time, during my travels to Western Europe, the United States
and Asia, I have been overwhelmed by the large number of people I have
met who have undertaken to become players and masters of the Bulgarian
kaval. Their desire to have the material contained in my Handbook
available to them was both surprising and gratifying and provided the
impetus to have the book published in English.
This English edition is more than a translation of the original
Handbook. Many of my American friends have contributed countless hours
to translating and reworking the text. They have helped me correct some
errors in the text and the music which had slipped past earlier reviewers
and they have forced me to clarify certain aspects of the text that were
perfectly clear to me but not to them.
This edition also contains one new chapter and comes with a compact
disc. The new chapter, the Introduction, adds explanatory material about
the kaval. The compact disc includes recordings I made of most of the
musical examples found in the text. I hope that hearing the examples will
help the reader understand the written explanations.
I would like to acknowledge the friendship and assistance of so many
people who have helped bring this project to fruition.
My friend and colleague Iliana Bozhanova showed the Bulgarian
edition of my Handbook and an initial English translation to American
friends and piqued their interest. She also drew the romantic sketch on the
cover of this edition which will always remind people of Bulgaria, the
country we love so dearly.
I am greatly indebted to The Center for Bulgarian Culture in America
and its President, Anton Russev, and to the Bulgarian Folk Dance
Ensemble Bosilek of New York and its Director, Cathie Springer.
Thanks to their invitations and support I was able to go to the United States
where I met Americans with a special love for Bulgarian folk music and
dance.
Nienke van Keulen, from Holland, was my first international kaval
student, and helped in the preliminary stages of this project. Vicki Maheu
helped move the project along after a long hiatus, and provided me a
temporary home and office in California.
9
10 Preface
11
12 Forward
In his nature pictures which were published at the end of the 19th
century, N. Nachov described the emotive potential of the kaval:
Who hasnt heard, either close at hand or from afar, the melodic
voice of the kaval, most often during the spring and summer, when
the last rays of the setting sun cast the beautiful Bulgarian valleys
into pleasant semi-obscurity and sweet bliss, this sweet voice of the
kaval, and now and again the clear ring of the sheep bells, the
bleating of the sheep and the calling and whistling of the
shepherd. 6 [emphasis added]
15
16 Introduction
In the past, long kavals were pitched as low as B, B-flat, and even A. Since
the development of Bulgarian state and regional folk ensembles in the mid-
1950s, the D-kaval (also known as a re-kaval) has become the standard
instrument for solo or ensemble playing, even though in the past this was
considered a childs-sized kaval. A C-kaval is frequently used to
accompany singers. In this book, fingering charts and musical examples
refer to a D-kaval.
The most difficult aspect of playing the kaval is producing a sound. The
player blows across the mouthpiece, the open end at the head of the
instrument. The air column crossing this opening is split and generates a
pressure wave down the interior of the body to produce the sound.
In modern practice, the fingers of the left hand are used to cover the
upper holes of the kaval and the fingers of the right hand are used to cover
the lower holes, although it is possible to play with the hands reversed
(Figure 2).
In this book we follow the convention of the upper left hand. Figure 3
shows the way to position the fingers over the holes as well as the finger
numbering convention used in this book. The thumb of the left hand covers
the hole on the underside of the instrument. The forefinger, middle finger,
and ring finger of the left hand cover the top three holes respectively. The
forefinger, middle finger, ring finger and pinky of the right hand cover the
next four holes. The right thumb rests under the middle section of the kaval
and is used to balance the instrument while playing. The pads of the middle
phalanges of fingers 2, 3, 5, 6 and 7, are used to cover the respective holes
whereas the pads of the distal phalanges of fingers 4 and 8 are used to
cover holes 4 and 8. The side of the distal phalange of the thumb is used to
cover the first hole.
The kaval has four registers and a range of nearly three octaves. Figure
4 shows fingering charts for the D-kaval. The number next to the note
name indicates the octavethe fundamental register is denoted as octave
1. In the charts, dark circles indicate closed finger holes, empty circles
indicate open holes, and partially filled circles indicate fingers which help
hold the kaval while playing but do not affect the pitch of the note.
There is a half step between notes on the kaval, except for the lowest
two notes, which are separated by a whole step. Thus the first two notes on
18 Introduction
the D-kaval are d1 and e1, then f1, f-sharp1, etc. Several notes can be
played with more than one fingering. Thus a2 and b2 can be played in
either the second or third register, and f-sharp3 can be played in either the
third or the fourth register. There are alternate fingerings for other notes as
well which are described in the chapter on Sechene.
The first or fundamental register is achieved by blowing very softly.
Overblowing produces the higher registers. The second register is an
octave above the first register, the third register is a fifth above the second
register, and the fourth register is a fifth above the third register and an
octave above the second register.
Most melodies are played in the second and third registers. The high
notes of the fourth register, particularly those above a3, are difficult to
play, sometimes require special fingerings, and may not sound on all
instruments. In normal practice, notes of the first register are rarely played
as pure tones. They are played together with notes of the second register to
create a multiphonic effect called kaba, which sounds very breathy or
reedy. In written music, notes transcribed in the lowest octave are played
as kaba.
Introduction 19
1. Introduction
Vibrato is a small oscillation of pitch which enriches or intensifies the
sound of a note. It is one means of articulation and helps regulate the
internal structure of a musical phrase in the same way that syllables do in a
song text. Thracian folk musicians introduce vibrato intuitively as they
play their melodies, with a sense of glasovodenea marked sensitivity for
drawing out the sound in a particularly smooth way. Simple melodies are
greatly enhanced by the addition of vibrato so that they seem to come alive
and fascinate the listener with their powerful emotion and rich spirit.
Vibrato is a common technique in instrumental and vocal practice. A
singer makes her vocal cords vibrate in a specific way. On string
instruments such as the violin, the player rocks his finger while pressing
the string against the neck of the instrument. On modern wind instruments
such as the flute, the player varies the intensity of blowing into the
instrument.
On kaval, vibrato is not produced by varying the intensity of blowing.
Rather, kaval players have developed a technique of rocking their fingers
smoothly up and down over the sound holes of the instrument. This
enables them to produce sounds that are very similar to the vibrato
produced by Thracian folk singers.
The mechanics of playing vibrato are not complicated and do not
require significant technical skills. The rocking movement is accomplished
by bending and unbending the finger at the joint between the second
(middle) and third (distal) phalanges. The slight rolling motion that results
causes the finger to partially uncover the sound hole and raises the pitch of
the note.
Although this rocking movement can be achieved without great
difficulty by beginning instrumentalists, in order for vibrato to be
performed correctly, the rocking cannot be random or haphazard. It must
be strictly in keeping with the meter and rhythmic structure of the melody.
The ability of traditional Thracian kaval players to use vibrato in their
playing distinguishes them from traditional players from other regions of
Bulgaria:
23
24 Vibrato
Example 1
Example 2
Example 3
5 In free rhythm, the melody seems to land on the longer notes, which give sense
to the melody and a structure to the musical phrase. (Eds.)
Vibrato 27
Example 4
Take the song in Example 4, for instance. The melody of the song
consists of a section with a repetitive structure and moves within the limits
of a major tetrachord. Pay attention to the syncopations in the first and fifth
measures, the dotted quarter notes in the second, fourth and sixth measures,
the quarter note in the seventh measure and the half note in the eighth
measure. How should these notes be played?
We have already stressed that vibrato has to be strictly periodic and
even. To accomplish this, we must mentally divide the long notes into a
number of shorter notes of equal value whose total value equals the length
of the original note. The result of this division is a progression of
uniformly and rhythmically related eighth note sounds.
28 Vibrato
Example 5
disrupt the calm, smooth sound that is so typical of Thracian folk songs. If
the speed of the vibrato is too fast, the result will be something that is close
to but not quite a trill, an ornament that Thracian kaval players avoid and
scornfully call koze vibrato (goat vibrato).
Furthermore, the vibrato cannot be played in such a way that each
rocking motion lasts for the duration of a quarter note either because then it
could not be used anywhere except in the final measure. Since such a
limited use of vibrato would be unacceptable, it follows that vibrato
should be performed with a frequency which is equal in duration to
the metric unit that is most typical and most often used in the
construction and development of the particular phrase.
The following sections will discuss the specific use of vibrato in fixed
meter phrases in different time signatures.
30 Vibrato
Example 6
Example 7
The song Leno, le, Lenke le, which is very popular in Thrace, can be
quickly learned by beginning kaval players (Example 8). Adding vibrato
will change the transcription of the song to that shown in Example 9.
Example 8
32 Vibrato
Example 9
Example 10
34 Vibrato
Example 11
Vibrato 35
Example 12
36 Vibrato
Example 13
Vibrato 37
Example 14
Example 15
38 Vibrato
Example 16
Example 17
Vibrato 39
Example 18
The sixteenth notes in that measure, however, are twice as short as the
eighth note, the typical metric unit which gives the melody its pulse.
Playing those sixteenth notes as written would disrupt the overall smooth
eighth note progression that the use of vibrato gives to the musical phrase.
In this situation, a number of actions should be taken to replace some
metric units with others. These actions will affect only the two measures
containing the dotted quarter and two sixteenth notes.
1. Vibrato divides the quarter note into two eighth notes (by two rocks
of the fifth finger).
40 Vibrato
2. The eighth note represented by the dot is regrouped with the two
sixteenth notes and the measure takes the following form:
to:
Example 19
6 Horo: a line dance where there is a leader [vodach] who calls changes in figures
to the dancers and in tempo to the musicians. Horo also refers to the music for
such a dance. (Eds.)
7 Vodeno horo: Instrumental melodies or song melodies played at a relatively slow
tempo at the beginning of a horo to encourage people to dance and again in the
middle of the horo to give the dancers a rest. In Thrace, a vodeno horo is most
likely to be a pravo Trakiisko horo in 2/4 time, but it could be a horo in any
meter, provided its function is as described here. (Eds.)
42 Vibrato
Example 20
Example 21
Vibrato 43
Example 22
Example 23
The statements about vibrato and the changes that appear in the
transcription of the melody as a result of using vibrato can be corroborated
if all the cited illustrations are played on a tambura 8. Then each stroke of
the pick on the tambura will correspond to one rocking movement of the
finger on the kaval which results in vibrato.
There are melodies in 2/4 time such as Buenek, Trite pti and others, in
which the metric pulsations both within and between measures is different
from what we have examined up to now. The melodies in the next
examples consist mainly of sixteenth notes. The overall sixteenth-note
movement enhances the development of the melody and increases the
emotional effect on the listener. In the interpretation of these types of
melodies, vibrato divides almost all of the longer notes, except for some of
the quarter notes, into sixteenth notes.
Example 24
Vibrato 45
Example 25
Example 26
Example 27
There are also some other melodies where it is not possible to use
vibrato. This may occur when the melody is either not a song or is a
composed instrumental melody with a wide note range, with pauses, or
without held notes (Example 28).
Vibrato 47
Example 28
Example 29
Example 30
Vibrato 49
Example 31
Example 32
Example 33
Vibrato 51
Example 34
Example 35
The Daichovo horo, a dance in 9/8 time, did not originate in the
Thracian folklore region, but Thracian kaval players know and perform
related pieces very well, such as the so-called Varnenski horo (also known
as Varnenski kyuchek). Typically this dance has a slow tempo, which
allows the player to use vibrato.
Example 36
Example 37
Vibrato 53
Example 38
1. Introduction
In order to play and articulate repeated notes, modern wind players can
tongue the notes or separate them with grace notes. In general, Thracian
kaval players do not use tonguing. Therefore, other techniques are required
to play repeated notes on the kaval.
Sechene is the use of alternate fingerings to change the timbre of a
note but not the pitch; it is a technique that kaval players use to articulate
long notes and repeated notes. Sechene is most commonly used in the
interpretation of free rhythm melodies.
Using sechene, a player can produce one sound or many sounds that are
repetitions of the basic note. For this reason, sechene is not strictly
speaking an ornament. It is a sound effect with which kaval players imitate
sounds of the world around them. The use of alternate fingerings creates an
acoustic effect that can sound, for example, like the pleasant ringing of the
bells of a grazing herd of sheep.
In different parts of Bulgaria, kaval players use their own local jargon
to identify this technique: putting the lid on [pohlupvane], clattering
[hlopane]. hammering [klepane], tapping [klepchene], etc. All of these
terms refer to the same technique of using alternate fingerings to articulate
a long note.
In this chapter, fingering charts are shown below the staff. The
fingering shown directly below the note is the primary fingering for
that note as played on a D- or re-kaval. Sometimes the primary fingering
will appear exactly as shown in Figure 4a or Figure 4b (pp. 19, 20).
Sometimes a modified primary fingering will be shown with additional
finger holes closed. These closed holes are not technically part of the
primary fingering and do not change the pitch of the note; rather, they
prepare the hand to play the alternate fingering for that note. The
fingerings shown below the v-marks indicate the alternate fingerings
for that note used to perform sechene. Sechene is repeated at each v-
mark; for each repetition, the fingers change between the primary (or
modified primary) fingering and the alternate fingering. The arrows
in the fingering charts indicate which holes remain closed (fingers
54
Sechene 55
2. Sechene on f3.
3. Sechene on e3.
4. Sechene on e-flat3
5. Sechene on d3
Example 56
7. Sechene on b2 or b1.
Example 63
8. Sechene on b-flat2
The lower the octave the note is in, the smaller is the effect of sechene.
9. Sechene on a2
Example 74
If the quarter note of the first beat of the first and third measures is
transformed into a triplet and played with sechene, the phrase will take the
following form (Example 75):
Example 75
Example 76
The dotted eighth and the sixteenth notes in the second and fourth
measures can also be performed with vibrato (Example 77):
Example 77
Sechene 75
Eight methods for sechene on b-flat2 have been shown above. These
techniques cannot be used for sechene on b-flat1, despite the fact that the
fingering for both notes is identical. This is due to differences of timbre in
the two different octaves. In the low register, the kaval acquires a
particularly sensuous and emotional sound. This rich expressiveness can
easily be lost if the players fingers move haphazardly over the open holes.
Most kavals are made by self-taught craftsmen who choose their own
patterns of construction and determine the measurements accordingly.
Such instruments do not conform to any theoretical acoustical model and
are not necessarily in tune from one octave to another.
Therefore, even though we use the same fingering to play b-flat in
different octaves, we cannot perform sechene on both notes with the same
techniques. Even so, sechene on b-flat1 is possible.
Example 79 b-flat1 First Method
Sechene 77
14. Sechene on g1
1. Introduction
We have previously described how vibrato and sechene can each be
used to articulate long notes by dividing them into shorter notes. With
these ornaments, the melody line becomes smoother and more beautiful
and has a more powerful emotional effect on the listener.
Folk players skillfully use vibrato and sechene together but it may not
be obvious when, where or how to combine them appropriately. In this
chapter we will explore typical places where it is possible to use sechene
and vibrato in the melody line. No one can describe all the methods and
variations that a folk player might use but we will present a number of
examples and highlight most of the possible ways to use these ornaments
together.
Example 93
84
Combining Vibrato and Sechene 85
The note is performed with vibrato in the initial phase (Example 94).
We cannot define how many times vibrato will sound because slow
melodies develop aleatorically (without any time limitations). Motivated
by a feeling for the beauty of the melody, the folk performer senses that
with vibrato alone, the sound does not have enough emotive potency. He
therefore seeks to change the way he creates the sound. Immediately after
playing vibrato, he begins sechene on the note that is sounding (Example
95).
Example 94
Example 95
86 Combining Vibrato and Sechene
If the kaval player can control his breathing perfectly, the playing of the
note can be made even more complex. Finishing with vibrato in the final
phase of the note will certainly please even the most demanding listener
(Example 96):
Example 96
So far we have only considered the methods for playing e3. In fact, the
entire phrase shown in Example 93 can be interpreted with both vibrato
and sechene (Example 97). As such it is a good example to use for kaval
classes.
Example 97
Example 98
Example 99
Changing the fingering is also necessary for playing the last note in
Example 98, b2 (Example 100).
Example 100
In the previous examples, we have shown the use of vibrato in the first
phase of the long held notes. In Example 101, however, the half note g1 is
played first by sechene and then by adding vibrato. This sequence of the
ornaments is not an exception but rather is the result of the folk players
creative invention.
Combining Vibrato and Sechene 89
Example 101
Example 102
Example 103
90 Combining Vibrato and Sechene
Example 104
Example 104 shows how Stoyan Velichkov played the beginning of the
song Ljubila Stafeta Stoyan Kehaya when he recorded this song with the
folk orchestra of Radio Sofia in an arrangement by Kosta Kolev. The score
shows vibrato on a-sharp2 (b-flat2). Vibrato on a-sharp2 (and f3) is very
difficult to play because it is done solely by rocking the thumb over the
first hole. Velichkov's classic performance is preserved in the Golden
Record Collection [Zlaten Fond] of Bulgarian National Radio.
shows the details of how kaval virtuosos have used ornaments to embellish
those phrases.
Example 106
Combining Vibrato and Sechene 93
Example 107
Example 108
Example 109 shows another way to play the first measure of Example
108. In this variation the phrase is embellished with the triplet, which
subtly changes the configuration of the written score. This change does not
have a negative effect on the development of the melody because it affects
only very short notes. Nonetheless performing sechene for so many short
notes (nine sixteenth-notes in one measure) requires expert use of both
basic and alternate fingerings. Played in this way, the phrase is smooth and
the connection between the notes is uninterrupted.
Example 109
Combining Vibrato and Sechene 95
The melodies in the following two examples are very appropriate ones
to demonstrate when teaching students how to use vibrato and sechene
together. Wherever a note may be performed with vibrato, sechene may be
used instead of or in addition to vibrato. The second ending in Example
111 is of particular interest. We can end the phrase with sechene in the last
phase of the final note.
Example 110
Example 111
96 Combining Vibrato and Sechene
Example 112
Example 113
Example 114
Example 115
Example 116
In Example 116, the two d3s of the first triplet are separated by a grace
note and the connection between the two triplets is maintained by using
vibrato.
Example 117
Combining Vibrato and Sechene 99
Example 118
In Example 118, the two d3s of the first triplet are separated with a
double grace note and sechene is used on the second d3.
Example 119
Example 120
In Example 120 the double grace note is replaced by vibrato. The fourth
finger rocks d3 only once. Almost immediately the right hand plays
sechene.
100 Combining Vibrato and Sechene
Example 121
In Example 113, the quarter note of the second beat is transformed into
a triplet which starts with vibrato and ends with sechene.
For now, we will not consider any new ornaments for the first metric
beat but will use vibrato as shown. However, the quarter note of the second
beat can be ornamented in two other ways besides using vibrato.
Combining Vibrato and Sechene 101
Example 122
Example 122 shows that even without vibrato we can still envision the
quarter note divided into a triplet. We could then use sechene on d3 in the
middle of the triplet to articulate the notes of the triplet, three repeats of d3.
Alternatively, we could add a grace note to the triplet and use sechene on
the last eighth note as shown in Example 123.
Example 123
The third measure of Example 113 is similar to the first. The fourth
measure contains one quarter note (b2) and a triplet (a2-g2-g2), as shown:
In the last triplet it is possible to separate the two g2s by a grace note
instead of using vibrato (Example 124).
Example 124
1. Introduction
Glissando is a sliding movement from one pitch to another. On certain
instruments such as the violin, it is possible to produce a continuous
variation in pitch between notes whereas on an instrument like the piano,
glissando is composed of a succession of discrete pitches. On the kaval,
glissando is a continuous movement from one pitch to an adjacent pitch.
Thracian kaval players skillfully use glissando to go fluidly between
notes when interpreting the sounds that build a given musical phrase. They
blend notes into one another and weave them into the beautiful sound
fabrics for which traditional kaval players are well known. Bulgarian
folklorists have documented how old master kaval players used glissando
to go fluidly between notes and to connect notes in all registers of the
kaval.
The artful use of glissando identifies a player who can truly emulate the
style of the old masters. Appreciation of and preservation of this style
should be a basic goal in the education of beginning players. Glissando
requires specific technical skills, however, which beginning musicians will
not acquire until a later stage in their training. The teacher should direct a
students attention to glissando only after the basic kaval fingerings have
been mastered and a certain level of creative maturity has been achieved.
A Western European wind player performs glissando by changing the
intensity of the air stream directed from his lips to the mouthpiece of his
instrument. This is a matter of principle, whether we are talking about
woodwinds (flute, clarinet, oboe, bassoon, etc.) or brass instruments
(trumpet, trombone, tuba etc.). This principle derives from the construction
of these instruments: they have a variety of keys, valves, vibrating pieces
(reeds) or other mechanisms which enable them to produce a chromatic
scale in both ascending and descending directions. These devices are
constructed so that they can very quickly and precisely open and close the
acoustic outlets they are attached to. Generally speaking, performers
cannot produce any of the notes with a half-open or half-closed valve.
The kaval has no auxiliary parts and notes are played by moving the
fingers on or off the sound holes. At first glance this would suggest that
performing glissando on the kaval might be easier than performing it on
other wind instruments. However, correct finger placement requires the
development of a range of conditioned reflexes to which our limbs are not
accustomed. Acquiring these reflexes is a difficult, long and often very
103
104 Glissando
Example 126
Glissando 105
Example 127
Example 128
Example 129
Example 130
Example 131
Example 132
Example 133
Example 134
If these examples are played without glissando, the basic melodies will
be clear and the rhythms will be accurate, but the passages will not have
the fluid quality that occurs with the use of glissando.
At certain times when glissando would seem to be an appropriate link
between two notes, folk players intentionally omit glissando and play the
Glissando 107
Example 135
Example 136
Example 137
Example 138
Example 139
Example 140
Example 141
Example 142
Example 143
Example 144
Example 145
When a triplet occurs with a leap between the first and second eighth
note in the triplet, glissando is played between the second and third note of
the triplet.
Example 146
Example 147
112 Glissando
Example 148
Example 149
If the leap is between the second and third eighth notes of the triplet,
glissando is used between the first two eighth notes of the triplet or is not
used at all. In Example 150 there are triplets in the first and third measures
where glissando can be used without difficulty.
Example 150
Glissando 113
Example 151
Example 151 shows a case where glissando is not used at all. The first
triplet in the first and third measures begins with an interval of a major
second in an ascending direction between the first two notes and is
immediately followed by a leap between the second two notes of the
triplet. Nevertheless, the first and second notes are not connected by means
of glissando because:
1. The major second interval in the first triplet contains the notes
a2 and b2. Since it is necessary to move not one but all five
fingers to produce these notes, playing glissando is impossible.
Example 152
114 Glissando
Example 154
Glissando 115
Example 155
Example 156
116 Glissando
Example 157
Example 158
Example 159
4. Special Situations
Example 161
The notes a-sharp2 and b2 are linked by glissando in the same fashion
(Example 162).
118 Glissando
Example 162
Example 163
The interval between d1 and e1 (or d2 and e2) is a special case because
even though the sound holes on which those notes are produced are
adjacent, the pitches are a whole step apart. As in other cases, glissando is
achieved by sliding the eighth finger over the eighth hole, but the
respiratory system also plays a critical role here. While the player slides his
finger he simultaneously overblows into the kaval to such a degree that the
desired note e1 (or e2) is produced. In general, glissando requires the
player to exhale the air from his lungs in an even stream. If the player
exhales jerkily, sporadically or quickly, intonation will suffer.
Overblowing in this situation is risky with respect to the general phrasing
and intonation. The intensity of the overblowing and the moment at which
the air stream is interrupted are crucial. Why?
If the temporary increase in the exhaled stream of air from overblowing
continues after e1 (or e2) has sounded, the result will be a partial increase
in pitch or a false sound. Such false sounds are undesirable and suggest
poor musical training. Playing with poor intonation is not typical of master
traditional Bulgarian musicians.
Example 165 requires even more skillful kaval technique and perfect
control of breathing.
Example 165
Example 166
Example 167
Glissando 121
Example 169
122 Glissando
Example 170
Example 171
For greater clarity and ease of description, let us replace the notes of the
first measure of Example 171 with Roman numerals: I for c-sharp3 and II
for d3. In this way the melodic sequence of the first four notes looks like a
formula in which the two adjacent steps alternate: I - II - I - II. In this case,
Glissando 123
Example 172
On the horizontal line we have drawn the fifth hole of the kaval which
is closed at the beginning of the Stage 1 and is almost completely open at
the beginning of the Stage 2.
The curved arrows connecting Notes I and II symbolize the sliding of
the finger and the straight arrows indicate the initial movement necessary
to open and close any hole.
The folk player continually strives to play in such a way as to evoke
great emotion with his music. The taste and flair with which folk players
use descending glissando greatly enhances their playing. It is important to
note, however, that molding the sound in the manner that is necessary to
play descending glissando can sometimes cause unanticipated errors:
Example 173
we will produce
126 Glissando
Example 174
Vibrato divides the quarter note, Note I, into two eighth notes with the
second one raised by glissando to the approximate pitch of Note II. The
next glide is a Stage 2 movement.
There are other typical melodic sequences with notes in a I II I (-II)
pattern within which glissando is not used.
Example 175
words, the player would have to divide the notes into smaller
structural unitssixteenth notes.
The player has two options - to perform the attack with vibrato or to
attack these notes with a trill.
Introducing vibrato is inappropriate in this case because:
1. The tempo is fast and the melody is lively, exciting and rushing
ahead.
2. Linking notes I and II by a glide would slow down the development
of the melodic movement considerably.
3. Two successively sounding notes are linked by vibrato chiefly in
free rhythm melodies.
Given everything that has been explained above, it follows that the
most appropriate way to articulate Notes I and II in this case would be with
a trill. In addition, using a trill breaks up the listener's perception of an
uninterrupted sequence of sixteenth notes. Glissando, however, cannot be
used to connect trilled notes.
The same sort of reasoning would apply to the II - I sequence of notes
in the second beat. g1 is an eighth note; it is twice as long as the two
following sixteenth notes. These notes cannot be connected with glissando.
Example 176 is also performed with trills.
Example 176
ACCENT NOTES
1. Introduction
According to general music theory, accenting is a way to emphasize a
certain note or chord. Typically, an accented note dominates over other
notes in loudness, duration, or pitch and takes an important place in the
construction of an entire phrase because it functions as a musical
culmination.
In traditional Thracian kaval playing, accents have a somewhat different
function than described above. Although an accent may be used to
emphasize a certain note in the melody, that note is not necessarily the
highest one, the longest one, or the one with the strongest beat. In fact,
practically any of the notes making up a musical phrase may be accented.
Accents may be used to separate two adjacent notes in a way that is
particular to kaval playing. This separation is achieved not as the result of
nuances of dynamics or tempo but rather by the introduction of a new note
between the two adjacent notes. This third note is not specifically part of
the melody and is one or more steps higher (or sometimes lower) than the
note which it precedes. We shall call this new note an accent note and will
refer to the note which follows it as the accented note. An accent note can
create an especially strong link between two notes either within or across
measures.
An accent note is actually a sound effect that is caused by a sharp, quick
movement of the fingers. It is very short and lasts only for the time it takes
for the fingers to move from the position used to play the accent note to the
position used to play the next note of the melody, the accented note. The
timing of this movement is strictly fixed and directly dependent upon the
metric and rhythmic relationships of the notes both within and between the
measures. The moment for playing the accent note is crucial. The finger
movement must happen immediately before the accented note is to sound
or the melodic line will be disrupted and will sound unclear and overly
complicated.
Although the accent note is played before the accented note, the accent
note should not be misconstrued as a grace note. The differences between
an accent note and a grace note are subtle and difficult to describe. The
grace note, although short, is a note that fully sounds in time with a true
pitch (see Example 177). The accent note is a sound effectit is extremely
short, is almost attached to the accented note, and may not sound with a
true pitch. If the accent note is played too early, it will be perceived as a
nachschlag (aftertone), taking away some time away from e3 but not
129
130 Accent Notes
Example 177
Example 178
In Example 178, the accent note is the same in both cases, b1, but the
effect of the accent will be much greater in case A than in case B. In the
first case the interval between the accent note and the accented note is a
perfect fifth while in the second case the interval is a minor third.
Accent notes may be used in both fixed meter and free rhythm pieces.
Example 179
Example 180
Accent Notes 139
Example 181
Example 182
Example 183
interval between the notes is greatera perfect fifth rather than a perfect
fourth.
Example 184
The next examples show the use of accent notes in musical phrases with
intervals greater than a major second.
Example 185
Example 186
Accent Notes 141
Example 187
Example 188
Despite the fact that traditional players use accent notes more frequently
in descending musical passages, they do use accent notes in ascending
musical passages, as shown in the following examples.
Example 189
142 Accent Notes
Example 190
Example 191
Example 192
The examples in this chapter provide evidence that there are far fewer
accented notes in melodies that develop in an ascending direction than in
those that develop in a descending line. Furthermore, accent notes tend to
be used for note values that sound rather more independently as structural
elements in phrases and, in most cases, take up an entire metric beat.
SHORT TRILLS
1. Introduction
A trill is an ornament produced by the repeated quick alternation of one
note (the basic note) with an adjacent note, the next note above or below in
the prevailing key. It takes up part of the length (time) of the basic note.
Historically, the symbols for trills have varied; in current Western musical
notation, a trill is usually indicated by the mark tr above the note on which
it is performed. There are many ways to play a trill. A trill can begin on the
main note or the adjacent note, and the alternation of notes may occur
once, a few, or many times. The following are generic examples of short
trills.
Example 193
Example 194
Example 195
143
144 Short Trills
Example 196
Example 197
Example 198
Thracian kaval players use trills to articulate long notes. They perform
this ornament as a short trill beginning on the basic note of the melody or
on the upper adjacent note. In most cases the adjacent note is a minor
second above the basic note. This is not a firm rule, however, because folk
players ornament their melodies in their own way, on the basis of their own
technical capabilities and esthetic feelings, and not according to any
theoretical principles.
In published Bulgarian folk music, tr and (mordent) are both used
non-specifically to indicate trills. In the rest of this chapter we use the
word trill to refer to the short trill typically used by traditional
Thracian kaval players and we indicate the short trill with a circle
around the note to be trilled, as shown below.
Short Trills 145
Short trills in fixed meter melodies take two forms. When the note to be
trilled is at the beginning of a measure or phrase, the trill begins on the
adjacent note above the basic note. When the note to be trilled is in the
middle of a measure or phrase, the trill begins on the basic note itself.
In Example 199, the object of our attention will be the first note of the
first measure, c-sharp3. Without ornamentation, this note is played by
closing five holes.
Example 199
Adding a short trill will transform the phrase as shown in Example 200.
Example 200
1. The initial attack is actually on d3. The player has four fingers down
with his fifth finger poised above the fifth hole; d3 sounds for a very
short time.
2. As soon as d3 sounds, the fifth finger drops down sharply, and
closes the fifth hole to produce c-sharp3.
3. As a result of striking the fingerboard so forcibly, the fifth finger
rebounds, allowing the fifth hole to open, and d3 to sound again
briefly.
146 Short Trills
4. Almost immediately, the fifth finger falls back down to close the
fifth hole, producing c-sharp3, which sounds for the remainder of
the duration of the note.
The a2 of the first beat in the second measure of Example 199 may be
approached in the same way. Adding a trill will transform the phrase as
shown in Example 201.
Example 201
Trills may also be used for the notes of the second beat in both
measures (Example 202).
Example 202
When trills are used for notes in the middle of the measure, the trill
begins on the basic note, like this:
Short Trills 147
Example 203
The next examples show where trills would be used in some melodies
in various time signatures.
Example 204
Example 205
148 Short Trills
Example 206
Example 207
Short Trills 149
Trills may be used in the same way for three-beat groups in uneven
rhythms or in triplets. In the following examples, only the trills are marked;
other possible ornaments are not indicated.
Example 208
Example 209
Example 210
Example 211
150 Short Trills
In the case of long notes in free rhythm melodies, the performer has
enough time to use very elaborate ornamentation. Very often, the note will
begin as a trill, continue as vibrato, and conclude as another trill. There is
almost always a grace note, accent note, or ascending glissando before the
long note. The long note is usually followed by a short note in a
descending direction, which is ornamented with an accent note. The
sequence of ornaments is illustrated schematically in Example 212.
Example 212
Example 213 1
Example 214
1 8va indicates that the phrase should be played one octave higher. (Eds.)
152 Short Trills
Example 215
Example 216
Short Trills 153
Example 217
Example 218
154 Short Trills
Example 219
Example 220
Short Trills 155
Example 221
SONGS
The following pieces are popular Thracian folk songs written out in
keys suitable for the kaval. The first line of the staff shows the way the
song would normally be written out. The second line of the staff shows the
way to play the piece. We have marked the places where it would be good
to use some of the ornaments or special kaval effects described in this
Handbook.
Transliterated song words are written in the score, so that the player
may get familiar with the melody by singing it before trying to play it on
kaval. We have included the Bulgarian text below the score in addition to a
translation or brief explanation in English.
On the compact disc, each song is played twice. First, Lyuben Dossev
plays the song on the kaval only; then, he accompanies singer Tanya
Dosseva. On some songs, a kaval in a lower key is used to place the
melody in a better range for the singer.
156
Songs 157
Buren, buren
158 Songs
Rado, le
168 Songs
Songs 169
170 Songs
RADO, LE O, RADA
Ra-do, le, ti, chu- O, Rada, have you heard, have you
la li si, ti chu- understood, that Dimiter got
la li si, raz- married married off, Rada, and
bra-la; che sa Di- settled down.
mi-tr o-zhe-ni
o-zhe-ni, Ra-do
za-do-mi.
Songs 171
191
192 Bibliography
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