Diaphragm Call

[MontBison]

Alright guys, Paul just sent me a box of goodies in the mail and one of my new toys was the closer elk call. I see Paul has put up an instructional video but to me it seems kind of vague. Anybody else have some advice or a step by step I can follow. I have never used a diaphragm call before so I'm completely illiterate as to how to use it.
Thanks!

[WapitiTalk1]

Without the call in your mouth. Tip of tongue against back of lower teeth; mouth slightly open; slowly blow out, push slightly upwards with your tongue until you feel a tunnel of air going along the top of your palate.. Now, put the diaphram in and try the same thing.. Try to get a note and hold it.. That's the beginning

[elkmtngear]

Put the call with the reed facing forward on the middle of your tongue, and then push it up against the roof of your mouth, so it sits just behind your front teeth. Keeping pressure with your tongue, "huff" air from your diaphragm....if you get a sound, you're in business. Now just try to reproduce any sound you hear...try to sing songs, make conversation, scream like a dying rabbit, whatever! Play with it day after day when driving in your car, walking around a job site, etc.

The more you mess around with it, the more sounds you will be able to accurately reproduce. Some people might become "instant virtuosos".....but I believe that to be rare.

Learning to use a diaphragm takes a lot of practice, but it is a fun thing to practice!

[MontBison]

So I'm assuming the horseshoe is supposed to wrap around the front of my mouth not the flat part in front correct?

[WapitiTalk1]

So I'm assuming the horseshoe is supposed to wrap around the front of my mouth not the flat part in front correct?

Flat part goes in the front... Was gonna mess with you but I won't

[Buglemaster]

Position the call in the roof of your mouth with the latex forward. Put slight tongue pressure on the reed to force it up against the roof of your mouth & say the word "show'..Do it right & you have a pretty decent cow sound. Thats a tip from John Sarkisian, a champion caller in his day.

[BowElkDwn]

The flat part of the diaphram should be up and almost against your front upper teeth. So you can put your tongue on the latex part of the call. The rounded back part is only used to seal out the air against the pallet of you mouth. You need to get the rounded part of the call nice and moist with saliva and chewing on it so it will seal properly. Once you get it seated in your mouth then you can start puting the middle of your tongue on the latex and blow. You should get some kind of squelling noise out of the call. After that it is just practice, practice, practice and a little more practice.

[BowElkDwn]

ps. I've never heard anybody say that elknut was vague before.

[MontBison]

ps. I've never heard anybody say that elknut was vague before.

Thanks for all the help guys! Elknut's video is probably very good if you understand the basics what so ever, which of course I don't.

[HurricaneHuge]

So I'm assuming the horseshoe is supposed to wrap around the front of my mouth not the flat part in front correct?

Flat part goes in the front... Was gonna mess with you but I won't

That thought didn't include the locations of horseshoes did it? Cuz I know a few guys that I'd wager a guess at where they are keeping them....

[ElkNut1]

MontBison, did you watch the 5-6min clip there in the ElkNut Video Clips up above on Mouth Reed use? I show you exactly how the reed goes in ones mouth there, it's pretty detailed there sir! Thanks!

ElkNut1

[>>>---WW---->]

When I first started, I couldn't make a sound. That was way back before commercial elk call diaphrams were even on the market. Finally, one day when I was trying to make the thing work, I got so discussted that I said "SH-T"! Wala, I got my first sound out of it.

I'm not kidding! Think about it. Emphasize the SHHHHHHH part of that word and concentrate on what your tongue is doing to produce the SHHHHHH part. Your tongue is actually flexing like a muscle towards the roof of your mouth. Practice that without the call in your mouth for awhile. Then place the call in your mouth and give it a try. I'll bet you'll get some sound out of it! Don't blow too hard. Even a small breath while concentrating on flexing your tongue should be enough to produce some sound for you.

Once you get that part down, you are well on your way. Now is the time to play around with a little more air and a little more flexing of the tongue (tongue pressure). Soon everything will come together and you'll be amazed at how something so hard in the beginning could now be so natural and easy.

Hope this helps!

[planebow]

I have never had a problem with a diaphragm but I am getting dentures in a couple of weeks so am thinking I might have to learn all over.

[MontBison]

Haha Elknut your video makes sense now that I have the diaghpram the correct way lol. Thanks for all of the tips guys

[JohnFitzgerald]

MontBison, did you watch the 5-6min clip there in the ElkNut Video Clips up above on Mouth Reed use? I show you exactly how the reed goes in ones mouth there, it's pretty detailed there sir! Thanks!

ElkNut1

Here's the link for that clip.

viewtopic.php?f=12&t=72

[ElkNut1]

Mont Bison, no sweat! Now get to practicing so you're ready for Sept!! (grin)

ElkNut1

[nuevo_eph]

When I first started, I couldn't make a sound. That was way back before commercial elk call diaphrams were even on the market. Finally, one day when I was trying to make the thing work, I got so discussted that I said "SH-T"! Wala, I got my first sound out of it.

I'm not kidding! Think about it. Emphasize the SHHHHHHH part of that word and concentrate on what your tongue is doing to produce the SHHHHHH part. Your tongue is actually flexing like a muscle towards the roof of your mouth. Practice that without the call in your mouth for awhile. Then place the call in your mouth and give it a try. I'll bet you'll get some sound out of it! Don't blow too hard. Even a small breath while concentrating on flexing your tongue should be enough to produce some sound for you.

Once you get that part down, you are well on your way. Now is the time to play around with a little more air and a little more flexing of the tongue (tongue pressure). Soon everything will come together and you'll be amazed at how something so hard in the beginning could now be so natural and easy.

Hope this helps!

I'm bumping this thread because I was in the same position after getting a care package from Paul recently. Who knew curse words were so handy! I could not get decent sounds out until I tried to say sh*t! like WW suggests.

That got me started. I found cow calls are easy that way and if I try to go to "shhhoooooot" (emphasis on the YOU sound) I can start the bugle off instead of sounding like a dying goat. Finally, what also really helped me was getting the diaphragm add-in on Paul's bugle. It helped me understand how pressure on reed changes the sounds effectively. That directed me on how much pressure to apply to the latex and when during the bugle.

Anyway, thanks for the forum and its content.