The Chifte Kaval tradition in the Balkans: A comparative organological study of Bulgaria, North Macedonia and Kosovo

Öz

This study aims to comparatively examine the structural characteristics of chifte kaval examples from Bulgaria, North Macedonia, and Kosovo and to reveal the regional diversity of this musical instrument tradition. The research draws upon instruments documented during fieldwork, specimens preserved in museum collections, and relevant literature. Measurements from chifte kavals held in museum collections across Europe and the United States were compiled and compared, including overall length, bore diameter, external diameter, fingerhole arrangement, resonance holes, thumb-hole placement, and construction techniques. The findings indicate that the examined instruments range in length from 515 mm to 812 mm, while bore diameters vary between approximately 11.5 mm and 17 mm. North Macedonian examples made by the Ferati family exhibit a distinctive bore constriction of 14.75 mm near the blowing end, whereas a Kosovo specimen displays a pronounced distal-end restriction of 11.5 mm. Bulgarian examples from the Rhodope region are characterized by narrower bores, different fingerhole spacing patterns, and, in the Beslen specimen, an unusually wide interval between the third and fourth fingerholes. While the Kosovo and North Macedonian instruments share close similarities in morphology and decorative features, the Bulgarian examples demonstrate a distinct regional organological profile. The study further suggests that the construction of chifte kavals is shaped more by inherited craft knowledge and master-apprentice transmission than by standardized measurement systems. By documenting the structural diversity and regional characteristics of chifte kavals, this research contributes new data to the fields of organology and ethnomusicology.