Bulgarian Traditional Instruments
Kaval
The kaval is a rim-blown wooden flute (60-90 cm), which is played in the
Southeast of Europe and in Turkey. The instrument, which is often made out of
box-tree has seven holes at the front and one for the thumb at the back.
Originally the kaval was made in one piece, but todays instruments usually
consist of three separable tubes. In order to protect the instrument, rings of
bones reinforce the pieces. Metallic ornaments are also quite common. On the
lower shorter piece of the kaval there are four little holes in addition, that
are not touched while playing. They are of great importance to the intensity of
the sound and the timbre. These additional holes are called dushnitsi or
dyavolski dupli ("devil's holes"). According to the legend the devil stole the
kaval of a sleeping shepherd. Intending to destroy the instrument the devil
drilled four little holes. But instead of breaking it apart, the instrument then
sounded even better. The shepherd blew the kaval - and defeated the devil. Of
all the Bulgarian instruments in folklore music, spanning three octaves the
kaval has the widest range of sounds. Since the kaval is known as a soft and
tender instrument, it is also called meden kaval (honey kaval) in Bulgaria. The
kaval is the most common wind-instrument used in Bulgarian Folklore. It is
played all over the country. Mainly it is used as a solo instrument, but in
domestic music it is also used to accompany the vocals.
Tupan
The tupan - a double-headed drum - is known in various countries of the
Balkan. People play the tupan in Bulgaria as well as in Jugolavia, Macedonia,
Kosovo, Bosnia-Herzogowina and Serbia. In Bulgaria it is also called tapan,
toba, topan and daul. The body is a wooden frame in a cylindric form, which is
made out of a hollow stem or a curved piece of wood. There are tupans in many
different sizes. Smaller instruments exist with a diameter of 25 cm as well as
bigger ones with a diameter of 80 cm (Stoyan Yankoulov play one of the bigger
ones).
Two membranes of goat or sheep skin are tied across the body. The player carries
the tupan with a string over his left shoulder andbeats the membranes with
special wooden sticks. Playing righthanded with a thick, frequently carved
stick, the player produces strong and loud beats. Soft and weaker beats are
played with the left hand, tapping a wand (often made out of the wood of a
cornel-tree) against the lower membrane of the tupan.
The tupan is played all over Bulgaria. It is the indispensible rhythm instrument
in rachenitsa (a dance in 7/8 time) and in khoro (a rounddance).
ALIGN=RIGHT>Günther Huesman