Hello, I'm experimenting kaval making with bamboo

[abelito]

Hello everybody!

I'm new on this wonderful forum, and I used bamboo to make a kaval(flute from bulgaria, romania, hungary, turky,... well, balkanik!). Unfortunately I don't have any photo camera to show you, but will try to find one. The kaval is a tube, without embouchure, so that you make the sound by blowing in a special angle.

to discover the kaval: Osman Aktas (http://fr.youtube.com/watch?v=mcwDBkOHPgU); a great turkish kaval player.

My copy of a turkish one, in C, works quite well, but I have a problem with cracks after a while; I put oil in and out, three times, and now it doesn't move; do I have to do this frequently?
I read on a topic that it's possible to use green bamboo, and to "burn" it:confused:, so that it doesn't move anymore; could anyone tell me more about this process?

Thank you, I'm pleased to be in that forum, and ready to exchange ideas...

[CaroleMeckes]

Hello abelito and 'welculm' to the bamboo forums,

The kaval is a new word and world for me - as I am not a flute maker. Here is a link to an interesting website about kavals: http://www.robertsnider.com/Kavals/

regarding the spliting problem that you are having - it could be from using bamboo that was not of mature age

Did you harvest the bamboo yourself?

What do you mean when you sayand now it doesn't move

Carole

[abelito]

Thanks for your reply, and sorry for my english... Yes, I cut it myself, it was dry on foot, then I waited 2 weeks before touching it; I have no idea if this is enough; bamboo is a new world for me! It surely depends a lot from variety, and how it was dry on foot when I cut it, maybe you could tell me more about it; but I don't know the variety exactly.

When I say "and now it doesn't move", I mean that with this treatment there's no more cracks on the bamboo, even if it's not completely dry; but maybe I didn't understand the topic I read, moreover I can't refind it in the forum...

By the way, thank you for the site address about kaval; there is lot of information there!

[thogoul]

oh yeah!
tell us more on your kaval making :
how you build embouchure
what is the scale
what kind of bambou you use
...

[abelito]

oh yeah!
tell us more on your kaval making :
how you build embouchure
I used a wood file
what is the scale
It's in C; traditionaly, you find mostly kavals in C and in D
what kind of bambou you use

This, I really don't know:confused:; I don't think there is so much species growing in south east of France, where I found it, I'll call it RBFSEOF(...regular bamboo from south east of France:))