Putting It Together
By: Scott Threinen 3 Time World Live Goose Calling Champion
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"Putting It Together" As I surf around the web checking out forum sites, there is one question that is constantly brought up. How to get started? Meaning, how should someone just starting out put together a contest routine. With the answer more often then not being…. “go to a local contest and listen to the new notes being made and the routines that are doing well”. While this is true, there should be more to it than that. Having been in this situation at one point in time myself, I know that there are some specific things you can do to better find you way to the top of the stage.
What to do at your first contest
The first thing is take your pride off your shoulder. So many people travel to a contest, spend money on gas, food, and a hotel for the weekend, and don’t bring anything back but a video tape of the contest. That is a good start, but there is so much more you can learn. Most contest callers are more than willing to offer any kind of advice you ask for. I know that I played a hundred questions when I got around people that had been in the game for a long time. Learn what they did to get started, how they put together their routine, what they do to stay sharp, what they get out of contest calling and so on. These are all questions that can help you out. More than likely you will probably make a friend out of the deal.
Figuring out a routine
Most people get started with a tape from a contest they have attended. They listen to guys in the final round, decide which one they like the best, and do what he does. The only problem is that they are not the guy from the final round, and they get into a rut of trying to be him and they can’t get out of it. The first thing to realize is that the guy from the final round is doing things for a reason, and he is doing them well. There is a saying, “You can never beat an original”. This saying doesn’t hold more truth than when it comes to blowing a goose call. Every goose caller is different. Each puts the air into the call differently. Each gets a different sound out of it. The first thing to figure out when starting this sport is who YOU are.
Take advantage of yourself
When you go back and listen to the guys that make the finals, you will start to figure out all of the things they have in common. Like a good routine, one that you can follow, has power, clarity, and flow. But after a couple of times listening to it, you can really start to pick out how different they all are. Like they will all have their own sound, and their own little theme. The biggest advantage of being you and using it to your advantage is that nobody can copy that, even though so many try. The reason why the guys in the final round are all different is because everybody is different. The guys in the final round are the exception because they accept the fact they are different and start taking advantage of it. Your strengths can be someone else’s weakness.
Figure out what YOU can do
Each caller has a strong point, and having strong points means you also have weaker points. A thinking man will figure out to use his strong points to his advantage. Why would anyone do a lot of something they aren’t good at? It just leaves doubt in what you are doing and gives little confidence on stage. Figure out who you are and what you do best. If you are a power caller and can bring it, do more of that. If you are a finesse guy, use your finesse. Now I know that you have to have all the parts of a routine in order to succeed. You can add and subtract from your strong points and weak points to make you sound better. What this does is make your whole routine a little different from everybody else, and that is when you start to set yourself apart.
Actually putting it together!
Now I know when you first listen to a routine you hear a wall of sound for 90 second and think… “How in the hell did he put all that together, to flow and sound like geese”. The wall of sound can be mind boggling, but start breaking it down. Figure out what you want to do in your first ten seconds, then the next ten and so on. Figure out what you want in your comeback and how you want to finish them. Your routine should have a theme or a goose that carries you though the whole thing. You should have something in there that they can pick out each round. It should be notes or sequences that are all yours, and when you start putting it all together is should be either “Note for Note” or in segments.
“Note for Note” vs. Segments
These are the two different styles that most successful contest callers use. “Note for Note” means every sound that comes out of the call is one you have planned and practiced. Segment blowing means you know what you are going to do for a segment of time, and then fill it in with whatever comes out, until your next planned segment. For me, it’s note for note. I like the confidence of knowing what I am going to do each time I put air into the call. While most finesse guys use the “Note for Note” style, others don’t feel comfortable doing it that way. Aggressive callers tend to use the segment approach, giving it everything they’ve got within the segments. The trick is to figure out who you are. If you feel more comfortable doing “Note for Note”, and can do it, go for it. If segments are your deal, that is fine also. The pitfalls for each are about the same. With “Note for Note” you have everything planned. If you get off course you can really get lost and nothing will sound right after that. With segments, guys don’t have to worry about what they are doing in between, but if you are not careful, you can end up doing the same thing over and over again. This is especially true if you get nervous, and it could make you sound repetitive and boring.
These are just some of the things to think about when getting started in contest calling, and they all require that you really think about things. Knowing your ability and what your strengths and weaknesses are will help you develop a lot faster than trying to be somebody you saw win. If you start out chasing somebody, you’ll always be chasing somebody. Get creative and learn from the geese. They have all the stuff you would ever want to hear. Do this and you will have your own imitators, which is the utmost compliment. Just remember, it can be a struggle… so stay positive and have fun. Some of my best friends are guys that I have met through contest calling, and it is a great way to keep your calling sharp for the fall, when you meet the ultimate judges!
Until next time,
Scott Threinen