On transposition in the Dilsiz Kaval: A Practice-as-Research (PaR) based evaluation

This study aims to evaluate the transposability capacity of the dilsiz kaval (end-blown notch flute without a fipple), an instrument widely used in Turkish folk music performance, from a modal perspective. Within the scope of the research, selected sections from compositions based particularly on the Kürdi, Hicaz, and Uşşak modal scales were transposed into eight different pitch levels and subsequently performed. Each transposition was then systematically analyzed according to criteria such as technical proficiency, modal compatibility, and ease of performance. In this respect, the study has not only documented performance practices but has also revealed, through auditory, visual, and theoretical data, both the possibilities and the limitations that stem from the structural features of the instrument. The research design was constructed on a qualitative framework, supported and enriched by applied analyses. Each transposition example was documented through audio recordings, while the finger positions and embouchure adjustments employed during the performances were presented in detail to ensure a comprehensive representation of practice-based processes. Accordingly, every performance was evaluated with regard to modal structure, performance practice, and technical feasibility. These evaluations were carried out through comparative analysis, and the findings were systematized and presented in tabular form. The researcher participated in the process both as a performer and as an observer, thereby integrating the analytical framework directly with practical, experience-based insights. One of the distinctive aspects of this study is the proposal of a systematic kaval set model, consisting of flutes each tuned to different pitches. While thirteen different kavals are traditionally required to achieve full transposition, the analytical approach developed in this thesis suggests that modal performance across all twelve tonal centers can in fact be realized with a reduced number of kavals. Such a proposal not only provides significant simplification and optimization in terms of the instrument's practical use but also introduces new perspectives for repertoire planning and performance organization. Thus, transposition is demonstrated not merely as a technical tool but as a concept that can be placed at the very center of systematic repertoire structuring. By doing so, the research highlights how the act of transposition expands beyond a functional dimension and becomes a foundational principle for the performance practice of the dilsiz kaval. In conclusion, this thesis aims to contribute not only to the preservation and enrichment of the traditional performance of the dilsiz kaval but also to its examination through contemporary methods of musical analysis. The technical limits of transposition, its level of playability, and its multilayered interaction with modal structures have been comprehensively evaluated. Within a scientific context, the broad and multidimensional potential of the dilsiz kaval has thus been clearly demonstrated. In this respect, the thesis develops an original, applicable, and improvable approach to how transposition can be systematically constructed in the performance of the dilsiz kaval.