Listen to the duck call
Tip: press play to see the sound's live frequency spectrum in blue over the waveform.
How the duck call makes its sound
In the Hornbostel–Sachs system, which classifies instruments by how they produce sound, the duck call belongs to the struck drums: a stretched membrane (drumhead) is struck with hands or beaters.
More broadly it is one of the membranophones (drums), where sound comes from a vibrating stretched membrane.
Players shape its sound through technique and materials; the resonating body filters the raw vibration, boosting some harmonics and damping others.
From Wikipedia
A duck call may be either the sound-imitation process used in waterfowl hunting, by which a hunter lures waterfowl, or the actual tool which the person uses to do so. Early duck call tools were basic woodwind instruments, while later innovations are constructed of rubber and plastic, and allow the hunter to adjust the volume and tone of the calls with reeds. Today's duck calls usually fall into three main categories: single, double, or triple reed call with many variations, although the triple reed is rare. The goal of a duck call is to sound like a realistic live duck, in attempts to decoy, or fool a duck into believing the decoys that are seen by a duck, and the sound that is heard appears lifelike.
Other struck drums
Frequently asked questions
What does a duck call sound like?
Listen to 2 recordings on this page. As one of the struck drums, its sound comes from the way a stretched membrane (drumhead) is struck with hands or beaters.
What type of instrument is the duck call?
It is classified as struck drums (Hornbostel–Sachs 2.1112020202).
Sources & credits
- Indian spot-billed duck call recorded in August 2009 at Sangli by Sharadapte – CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons
- Lesser whistling duck call recorded in July 2010 at Sangli by Sharadapte – CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons
- Wikidata Q2451599 – CC0
- Wikipedia: Duck call – CC BY-SA 4.0
- Image by Roby at fr.wikipedia – CC BY-SA 3.0