In Arthur Ransome‘s delightful series of ‘Swallows and Amazons’ children’s books from the 1930’s, the kids use owl calls to signal to each other at various points in their adventures.
“There was a noise in the wood below them, a noise something like an owl and something like a cuckoo, ending in a gurgle of laughter that was not like a bird at all.
“Here they are,” said John.
“It’s no good their trying to make the owl call,” said Roger. “They can’t do it.”
“What they’re good at is ducks,” said John. “I’ve never heard anybody quack so well as Peggy.”
“Nobody can be good at everything,” said Titty.
— from ‘Swallowdale’ —
I always imagine that they are making owl calls by blowing through their hands rather than too-wit-too-wooing. So how do you do that? Clasp your hands together like this:
If its more natural for you to have your hands wrapping around in the opposite way, thats fine; go with what feels best. Widen the clasp of your fingers so a little cave forms inside your hands. Your fingers can start fairly relaxed as long as they don’t let air escape between them. Now press your thumbs towards each other so that there is only a very small slot between them. The tops of your thumbs should be bent over so the top joints make little ‘mountains’, and the second joints of your thumbs roll inwards towards each other a bit so the fleshy part of your thumbs are pressing together firmly.
Now curl your lips a little around your teeth, and with mouth slightly open, press your lips to the top thumb joints, take a breath and blow through and down into the hollow of your hands. The air seems to tumble around in the hollow and then goes out through a small gap between your palms at the bottom of the hollow. Hopefully you have just made a cool owl call! But its more likely you will have to experiment and practise a bit to get the knack. Try altering the shape of the hollow by tensioning your hands differently, or blow more or less forcefully. Often a more relaxed clasp and a gentler blow makes the best whistle.Once you can do this whistle, you can trill the call by briefly opening and closing the bottom three fingers of the hand that wraps around the back of the clasp, or vary it by making different sequences of long and short calls. The tone is just right for a dove call, too, such as
this one recorded by
MatthewJCook.If you want to learn how to make that kind of piercing whistle that people make with two fingers in their mouth, there are
excellent instructions here.
Posted in noise, tricks
Ok me again I’ve found my own way 5 times easier ok now I’m right handed so I put out my left hand flat and right I make a karate chop were my fingers meet my hand I put left hand thumb up and keeping hand in same position curl karate hand and should still hand flat hand flat Now bring pams together and other hand up when your thumbs meet make sure top lig above knuckle and bottom just bellow check 81 For more help on that now blow softly down Ito your cupped hand and that should get you your sound hope I help if so plz writen your comment that I did ???? 🙂
It was really help ful my mate at school showed me but i couldn’t get it. But after reading this i could do it.
Ive been trying this for so long and i still cant get it????
Hi!
It’s Really Easy And With This Note I Did It!
but Do You Know How Someone Can Make Different Kinds Of Owls Voices??
Like What Filli Says To Bilbo In The Hobbit??
I Really Need It To Know^_^
I GOT A TIP. MAKE SURE THAT THE LIP COVER ALL THE HOLE IN YOU THUMBS. YOUR LIPS ARE VERY TIGHT AROUND THE HOLE, ANYWAY, AM FKING AWESOME!!!!!!!
tis is so cool
I don’t think it works well with braces
Doesn’t work
I could do this when I was a child, and was having difficulties again. This was extremely informative and it showed me the exact thing I wasnt doing perfect and I am back making a perfect owl call once again thank you. We live in Wheaton Illinois and there is a owl population here,and I have one that stays right in the neighborhood sometimes in the tree in my yard, hopefully now with my owl call back working good I will be seeing more of the owl that my familly and I have come to enjoy so much. Thank you.
Peter Kurasz III
That’s good to hear, Peter, I’m glad it was helpful to you. How lucky yo are to have owls nearby – I hope you do see more of them nowW
Yeah its always a great joy to see the owl. Hearing it is very common, its almost like clockwork. Seeing it is on occasion, hopefully my new owl call can bring it in sight more. Thanks again.
Pete
i got it for a split second but now i cant do it at all some one please help
WHY WONT IT WORK?!?! ;-; I HAVE BEEN TRYING FOR HOURS ;-; ;-;
THING DOES NOT WORK…. . . .SFDA;,LASD[FHASP9DFUH[‘ASDUIO0FS
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