Hands Off

[Tom]

How you all doing? Question for ya, I'm not new to short reeds however, I was watching jeffs geese 2.0 tonight and although its irrevelant, I for the life of me can not make my smh break over with my hands on the barrel as jeff demonstrates. Maybe my call is tuned improperly? or is this just not possible for everyone to do?

T

[kingkilla]

i cant help you cause im a meatcutter guy. sorry

[rushcreekganderlander]

Your hands shouldn't be what breaks the reed. As Jeff shows in 2.0, you can blow the call without your hands over the barrel at all. Make sure you are not flipping your tongue. Glue the tip of your tongue to the back of your bottom teeth. If you flip your tongue the call will not break. Also be sure you are not over blowing the call. The air going through the call should be short and crisp bursts. Check your reed and make sure the top is just a hair line bellow the channel on the tone board. You should be able to slightly push the reed into the channel by just missing the outer edge. There is a possibility that your call just isn't tuned properly for you as well. I'm not an expert on short reeds either. This will be my second season blowing on one. Keep trying though because once you get it, you'll be hooked. Good luck!!

[Tom]

That is my question, why cant i break the reed over with my hands on the barrel, my smh is like everyother sr I blow in that i need to create some back pressure to break the reed. I have tuned it as lite as i could and as hard as i could and still nota. ???

[Killer Miller]

I'm not a pro on a short reed either but I know that if you choke the call down too much, it will not break over. I think this is because even though you're blowing hard, your hands are preventing the call of getting enough air to break over. I personally usually open my hands when in the middle of a note. Choking down the call makes for a good, deep first part of lets say a standard cluck. My tongue always starts down, then when I bring out the cluck, I open my hands at least some and move my tongue, which gives the call the air it needs and when my tongue hits the roof of my mouth that cuts of the cluck. Then you have a nice, crisp cluck. You may also want to ask the prostaff on this tto because I have only been blowing a short reed for about 2 years like Rush.

[Mark Spence]

I can't say for sure without hearing it...but it sounds like KillerMiller hit the nail on the head about your hands choking TOO much of call. For the most part, you can blow an SMH with no back pressure at all - totally open hands. Most guys, when first starting on a short have a BAD tendency to clasp their hands together and clench down on the barrel. They are essentially creating TOO much back pressure and not allowing the reed to break over or vibrate like it is supposed to. I blow most of my calls wide open...open hands (like praying). The only time a close down on the call is when I am wanting a deeper tone (clucks, moans, willis, etc.) or to change the "geese" up (multiple goose sounds).

One to check, if you think your call is tuned improperly is to make sure the tip of the reed can enter down into the tone channel unrestricted (i.e., it is not clipping or catching on the tone channel on the way down).

Another thing to possibly consider is that you are giving the call too much air...thus sticking it before it breaks or after (you just don't notice the break because it happens so quick). Air presentation is CRUCIAL when operating a short reed!

I tell ya what....if you want, PM me and I will give you my home number. We can try to work this out over the phone. I can't guarantee as sound is much different over the phone, but I am betting I can get heading int eh right direction.

Hope that helped.....

[Tom]

hey fellas thanks for all the advice but i think everyone is missing my point. I can blow a short reed call and tune them what I am refering to is when jeff demonstrates on his video about not having to use any back pressure what so ever to blow the smh ( hands totally off the insert). I cannot do this with my smh, holding the call normally I am just fine, greetings right on through to finishing calls are no problem, I was just curious as to why I am not able to make the reed break over with no hands at all on the insert. Rushcreekganderlander [qAs Jeff shows in 2.0, you can blow the call without your hands over the barrel at alluote] [/quote]

[IowaMigr8tor]

How are you calling? If you are raising your tounge you may be cutting the air off before it has the chance to roll over. It could have to do with the way you are calling. But I am at a loss as to why you are needing to call without your hands on the insert. In Jeff's calling DVD he was only doing that to show how easy the call was to blow. I'd just keep tryin to do it, it could be a lung capacity thing also. Hope you can get it down.

[Tom]

IowaMigr8tor: I dont want to call with my hands off, I was just curious as to why I couldnt do it with my smh thats all. No big deal. Thanks guys for jumping in and trying.

T

[rushcreekganderlander]

I'd have to say that there is a problem with your call and you should send it to the shop. It should take absolutely no back pressure to break the reed. I don't blow on the call without my hands on the barrel, I just usually keep my hand with a nice open space when I actually break the reed. It really sends out a nice note once the reed and guts are broke in. Another option would be to call the shop and actually talk to a pro staffer.