Re: Flutter/was TB

[Fred S <fsstov@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Winslow writes -

"When most wind musicians use the term tongue flutter, they mean like
blowing a raspberry - the tongue essentially acts like a reed."
and then
"I called the rapid repeated repeated tongue lift just that - a tongue
lift."
and finally
"If so, that's the soft palate. It's the same thing that flaps in the
breeze when you snore. I've heard Joe Filisko use this to devastating
effect when imitiating the growling of old-time jazz trumpet players..."

==============================================
I think Madcat teaches a true flutter on his "Rhythm Harp" video.
Essentially blowing a raspberry into the harp.  Except instead of the
tounge vibrating between the lips, it vibrates off of the roof of the
mouth.  Used for blow note effects.  Pretty good, but not as dramatic as
the "growl".  I've used both, and find the flutter easier.  So we've got
the flutter, the growl, and my favorite - the wet growl - where a
specific amount of saliva is incorporated ahead of the soft palate to
impart a particularly gnarly aspect to the effect.  Is this a great
instrument or what?

By the way, I'm partial to "tongue rake", since it implies touching the
comb.  A "lateral tongue wag" could mean a type of tongue vibrato where
the tongue doesn't block holes.  Finally, I'm not that crazy about
"tongue lift" to describe a repetitive motion.  I think of a tongue lift
as the opposite of a tongue slap, i.e. block several holes then lift for
a chord.  I think the repetetive blocking action we are discussing
(often referred to incorrectly as flutter, but not quite accurately IMO
as a lift) needs yet another name, although flutter will probably stick
just as "overblow" has, due to common usage.

Ah, semantics.
Fred S