Description

It s not a stretch to compare a duck call to a traditional woodwind instrument such as a saxophone or clarinet. Musicians play these instruments by forcing air through a mouthpiece and across a reed which vibrates to produce sound. Duck calls work in much the same way. A duck call is as sensitive and finicky as any musical instrument Changing any part of a call will alter the sounds it produces. So the call maker s challenge is to make and assemble the parts and tune the call to consistently produce notes with the desired pitch and tone. The call has five main parts: a barrel insert tone board reed and wedge. The barrel is the hollow body of the call into which the caller blows. The insert fits tightly into the barrel. The tone board is the part of the insert that holds the reed which is anchored in place by a wedge. Minor changes to the guts of a call can dramatically alter its pitch. Lengthening or shortening the reed the slightest bit will change the sound. A longer reed vibrates more slowly and has a lower pitch. Conversely a shorter reed vibrates more quickly so the call s pitch is higher.