How to Make a Saxophone Flutter
For jazz musicians, fluttering can give songs character by making a note sound menacing and surprising the audience with a sudden burst of sound. Classical musicians looking to play the works of Schoenberg and Shostakovich must learn to flutter to create the nightmarish imagery those composers hope to evoke. Saxophone players who want to making their instrument flutter must learn a technique called "flutter tonguing." If you know how to roll your "r"s as in some Spanish words, or you have ever made machine gun sound with your mouth as a child, you already have some experience with flutter tonguing.
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Instructions
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1
Place your tongue very lightly on the roof of your mouth. The tip of your tongue should sit just behind the small ridges that are behind your teeth.
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2
Take a deep breath in through your mouth. It should feel like your stomach is expanding, not your chest. When you cannot take any more air in make your lips into a circular shape to simulate a saxophone mouthpiece.
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3
Blow out with high speed, and maintain a constant air stream. Focus air upward and between your tongue and the roof of your mouth. Repeat this until you hear the sound of your tongue repeatedly blocking the air stream to create a sound similar to purring or growling.
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4
Put the saxophone to your lips and repeat steps 1-3. Play a note that is in the middle of the instrument's register, as it will require less air. As you learn to flutter more effectively, move gradually up and down the instrument's range.
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Tips & Warnings
Move your tongue to different places on the roof of your mouth while learning to flutter. Make sure you can effectively flutter tongue without an instrument before trying to play a fluttered note on your saxophone.
Take breaks between attempts at fluttering. This technique requires large amounts of air and failing to rest between attempts can cause lightheadedness.
References
Resources
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