Klarinet Archive - Posting 000475.txt from 2001/10

From: Virginia Anderson <assembly1@-----.com>
Subj: [kl] Re: flutter tonguing
Date: Mon, 15 Oct 2001 08:31:27 -0400

on 6/10/01 4:33 pm, "jess crawford" <akane12@-----.net> wrote:

> Unfortunately, while I can
> roll my R's as well as the next guy, I simply can't flutter tongue. Some
> people have suggested rolling at the back of the tongue instead of the
> front-- I have a much more difficult time doing that motion WITHOUT a
> mouthpiece in my mouth, and in my opinion the sound isn't quite as striking.
> Does anyone have any advice on alternate methods of learning this skill? I
> can't play the Berg without it.

I didn't answer this because I thought someone else would have answered by
now. The tip flutter is near to impossible unless you have a big mouth
cavity, and outside of Martino's _Strata_ for bass clarinet (which asks for
both tip and throat flutters) and perhaps some other pieces by him and his
followers (Martino invented notations for these distinct effects as well as
varying articulations as part of an organised series), I think everyone uses
a throat or soft-palate flutter.

Try vocalising (say ah) while trying to make the flutter. Do it often where
you can't be caught - while driving is particularly good, as at the worst
you merely look slack-jawed. Try envisioning getting the back of the tongue
closer to the soft palate. Adjust gradually between open sound and complete
closure. Keep in mind that you will have to maintain an embouchure, so add
that to your practice (with or without mouthpiece. When you are confident
that you can make it properly with a sound (try it while blowing the
clarinet - singing and playing is a standard effect in late 20th C. clarinet
works) then try to do it as a whisper. Combine all this and you will have a
flutter. It will take some time (can you remember learning to whistle?) but
will come suddenly with great success. With further practice you can hone
it to give the effect you want.

Cheers,

Virginia
--
Virginia Anderson
Leicester, UK
<vanderson@-----.uk>
Experimental Music Catalogue: <http://www.experimentalmusic.co.uk>
...experimental music since 1969....

---------------------------------------------------------------------