Add Some Bird Songs to Your Music!

Typically, we want to avoid any extraneous sounds other than instruments as much as possible in a musical performance. However, birdsongs are different, and they can be successfully incorporated into music to create a feeling of nature. Here I’m going to introduce “Bird Call,” an easy way to create bird song.

SUZUKI / Bird Call

■ What is a Bird Call?

A bird call is a musical instrument that can produce sounds similar to bird song. If you play it in a forest or in the woods, birds may respond to it. Since it can produce a sound quite close to real bird song, it is a useful instrument that can be played at home to soothe you.

■ How to use the Bird Call

The type of bird call shown in the first photo is the Suzuki Bird Call. It is divided into two parts in the middle, so you can make a sound by holding the right and left pieces of wood and turning each in opposite directions.

If you press hard toward the center, the sound will be louder, and if you press lightly, the sound will be quieter. If you move it slowly, the brass in the center and the wood will be caught by friction, resulting in a short chirp, and if you move it faster, there will be less friction, resulting in a longer chirp.

It is simple to use, but when you actually try it out, you will find that you can make quite a variety of sounds depending on how much force you apply and how fast you speed up or slow down the chirping. With a little practice, you will be able to produce sounds similar to those of real birds.

■ How do you incorporate birdcalls into a musical performance?

Bird calls can produce realistic birdsong sounds, but how should they be used in a musical performance? I think that classical music or café music such as bossa nova would be suitable.

The video below is from my YouTube channel and includes real bird song. I think it would be nice to play it in the background of a song like this (the wind noise is really loud... sorry).

● Magician Haruto / Haru

Episode “Crying and Laughing” / Motohiro Hata #Hata to me #evergreen2 Parent-child performance!　Guitar played by a junior high school student [Bird song] can also be heard!

■ History of Bird Calls

Bird calls were originally used to entice birds for hunting. Today, they are often sold as children's toys. In Japan, there is a bird whistle, which was used for hunting. The pigeon-shaped unglazed whistle that’s called a dove whistle is also well known.

■ What kind of company like Suzuki makes Bird Calls?

Suzuki was originally founded as a manufacturer of harmonicas. Later, Suzuki Gakki Seisakusho was established, and in 1961, the first keyboard harmonica they sold in Japan was called the “Melodeon”. This was the company that made the melodeons that were used in music classes.

The company also manufactures and sells recorders and Taisho harpsichords. They also sell handmade musical instrument kits that allow you to make your own instruments, such as ukuleles and violins. In fact, they also sell handmade Bird Call kits.

Here is a handmade kit for bird calls.

SUZUKI / Bird Call Kit BCK-1

The parts come in pieces, so you assemble it by yourself using wood glue and a screwdriver. Since it is made of wood, you can paint it with paints or pens in any color you like.

You can create your own original bird call by painting the colors to resemble a sparrow or a chick, for example. The shape resembles a BB-8 from Star Wars, so you could paint it orange and white to make it look like a BB-8. You could also make a Doraemon (or a snowman...)

■ There’s still more! Bird-sounding instruments

Suzuki also makes other instruments that can make bird sounds.

SUZUKI / AC500 Pigeon

This is the voice of a pigeon. It is called a bird whistle and it produces a sound similar to that of a pigeon by ringing its throat. It is a product that’s more for bird enthusiasts than just a bird call because it is the sound of the pigeon only. But the sound is very similar.

SUZUKI / AC446 Cucu

This is the voice of a cuckoo. It is a bird whistle. It seems to be easy to use for music because it is a bird's voice that everyone knows.

SUZUKI / AC553 Shigi

This is the call of a Shigi. “Shigi” sounds like a Japanese bird, but it is also found in Africa and in the United States.

Please take a look at the introduction of these bird whistles written by Mr. Satoshi Sammy Saito.
Related article: “Bird Whistle, born in England!”

■ Bird calls are a great way to make your music even better!

How was this introduction to bird calls? With birdcalls, you can create music with interesting arrangements. Please give it a try!

The “sound & person” column is made up of contributions from you.
For details about contributing, click here.