Its's All In The Presentation

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It's All In The Presentation....

...by Zink® Calls Z-Unit Member Rusty Hallock

    This is my third in a series of articles regarding short reed goose calling. My first article was choosing the correct short reed goose call and factors to consider before you purchase your new short reed goose call. The second article covered short reed call tuning. The reason that I chose to present this as the second article is that I believe that every caller should know how the call design and tuning effect the sound and the performance of the call. Whenever I teach a new caller about calling, I teach them about call design and tuning, so they know how the call operates. I have also posted some very basic sound files that when mastered will put geese back peddling over the “kill hole”. (Click Here For Sounds Files) This is the third article in the series and probably the most important out of the three to teach a new caller the basics of hand position and air presentation. Besides assisting the new goose caller, proper hand position and air presentation can take the experienced caller to the next level. Both of these topics can become controversial because there are several schools of thought on both topics. No one way is better than the other, but it is important to have proper hand position and air presentation to get the most out of your short reed goose call. There is an added bonus; I use the same air presentation for my duck call as well, no matter if it is a single or double reed. This method of air presentation has made me a better duck caller.

    Hand position can be a critical component in the operation of a short reed goose call. The proper hand position allows the call to operate easier and deliver the proper tone, pitch, and volume. The reason that hand position is critical is because your hands actually become an extension of the call. The “on hand” is placed in a way to create back pressure in the call. The “on hand” is the hand that a caller uses to hold the call. I will hold the call with my right hand because I am right handed. If a caller is left handed, the caller needs to flip/flop my directions that are presented in the following paragraph. I place the call between the thumb and index finger (see photo #1). Then I allow my remaining fingers to drop over the end of the call (see photo #2). With my fingers in this position, I now have the back pressure I need to operate the call. Back pressure allows you to operate the call, while taking advantage of all of the air presented into the call. It also allows the caller to create advanced notes for calling tough late season geese. Like with anything, too much of a good thing is not good. To much back pressure will not allow air to flow through the call and the key to operating a short reed goose call is air flow. Back pressure is also trial and error for some calls. Calls such as a Zink PC-1 require very little back pressure because there is quite a bit of back pressure built into the call through design. Calls such as the Zink Money Maker, SR-1 and LM-1 need the caller to create the back pressure because of their larger end piece. I have assisted several new callers by simply repositioning their hands. I have guys tell me that their call is tuned to heavy or takes to much air to operate. The first thing I did was check their hand position. With just a simple adjustment in their hand position, their call was operating as designed without a retune. The larger end piece allows for these calls to have more volume than calls such as the PC-1. My personal preference is using calls such as the Zink Money Maker, SR-1 or LM-1 over the PC-1. The PC-1 is designed for medium volume, unlike the other calls which are designed to deliver louder volume. If you choose a call that can deliver volume, you can use hand position and air presentation to deliver notes with volume for hunting in wide open fields or soft notes for finishing in birds in tight areas. If you choose a call with medium volume, you can deliver good medium and low sounds, but you can not get the volume you may need for hunting birds in large fields and windy days. With my “on hand” in position, I place my second hand in place. The second hand I refer to as my “goose hand”. I refer to it as my “goose hand” because the position of this hand dictates the tone of the notes from the call. By repositioning your hand while delivering your notes, you can change the tone of your notes, which is one way of sounding like a flock of geese on the ground instead of just one goose. I like to position my “goose hand” on the side of my “on hand” (see photo #3). Other people will position their “goose hand” in front of their “on hand”. There is no right or wrong. The positioning of the “goose hand” should be dictated by the caller. A caller should reposition their hand until they find the sound they prefer and the call performance they desire. With proper hand position, your short reed call will deliver the performance it was designed to deliver, plus you will be able to make a full range sounds with your call.

On to air presentation; most people believe that once they get their short reed call to break over, they have the call mastered, but there is a little more to it then just breaking the call over. I see a lot of callers complain that they need to retune their call because it sounds flat. Nine times out of ten, the call is tuned perfectly, but their air presentation is incorrect. This gives the call a flat sound. Like I said in the beginning, there are a number of different ways to properly present air. The method I use to present air is what was taught to me by Fred Zink. The key to air presentation is air velocity and not volume. To begin, I place the tip of my tongue behind my lower front teeth. My tongue stays in this position for any note that I present on my call. Next, I raise the center of my tongue to the roof of my mouth. If you allow your tongue to lay flat in your mouth, your call will also be flat in sound. The key to your sound is your tongue position. After you have your tongue in place, close down your mouth cavity, just as you would if you were going to whistle. By having your mouth cavity closed down, you will be able to deliver small breaths of air at an increased rate. This allows the caller to get more notes out of each breath of air. When you are presenting air correctly, you will get a buzz sound. (Click the Goose Call Below to Hear Soundfile) I produced this sound file with a Money Maker tuned as any caller would receive it from the shop or your local dealer. Notice the first three honks of the sound file sound flat because my tongue was flat. The 4^th through the 6^th honks have a fuller sound because I moved my tongue to its arched position. As I arch my tongue into the correct position, the buzz becomes audible. This buzz sound is produced by presenting clean air into the call correctly. I do not present any voice into my call to get the buzz, it is all air presentation. Once you get this mastered, doing a murmur or train note on your call will become a lot easier. More importantly, your call will sound 100% better. You will have a call that produces a fuller sound. Remember, the more you use your call, the better it will sound because the guts will become broken in. Besides, breaking in your guts, by practicing with the proper air presentation, your tongue and mouth cavity position will become second nature due to muscle memory. Proper air presentation is crucial for achieving a fuller goosier sound.

Guys, if you are ready to take your calling to the next level, make sure you have proper hand presentation and air presentation for your short reed goose call. There are no short cuts to achieve this magical sound. Practice, practice, and practice is the key. All of this practice is extremely beneficial. Besides breaking in your guts of your call quicker, you will develop a muscle memory and your calling will become second nature. Good luck and keep an eye out for additional sound files in the near future.