fake flutter tongue

[MissyHPhoenix]

Does anyone know an alternative and or fake way to produce the flutter tongue sound? I cannot roll my R"s to save my life and growling in my throat simply makes me cough! Any ideas??????

[pied_piper]

There are basically only two ways that I am aware of to produce the effect commonly known as flutter tonguing. The first, and most common is the alveolar trill which is produced similar to a rolled R in the Spanish language. The other is uvular trill which is the growl that you say makes you cough. For most players, the alveolar trill produces a better flutter tongue effect. For some, the uvular trill can be an effective substitute. For me, I have a poor alveolar trill and I use the uvular trill whenever music calls for flutter tonguing. When I first tried it, I would also sometimes cough. For me, more practice seemed to de-sensitize the uvula a bit although if I have to flutter tongue with the uvular trill for an extended time, I will tend to cough again. Practice a very soft growl/uvular trill without the flute. Hopefully, over time, you will grow accustomed to the sensation.

[MissyHPhoenix]

::sigh:: that's what I was afraid of. Thanks for the reply! Now if I can just stop coughing .... lol