triplefunk Posted July 18, 2007 Share Posted July 18, 2007 I am in a local orchestra. and some of the pieces we are playing are down and dirty and sultry. I use my plunger and attempt to get a good growel in there at certain points. now, I have a rather wide tongue, which doesn't allow me to flutter tongue very "fluently." Instead it is really choppy. the only good alternative I have found is singing a different note than what I'm playing do get the growl effect. does anybody have an Idea of how a person with a really wide tongue does a really good flutter tongue? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
supersop Posted July 18, 2007 Share Posted July 18, 2007 I am in a local orchestra. and some of the pieces we are playing are down and dirty and sultry. I use my plunger and attempt to get a good growel in there at certain points. now, I have a rather wide tongue, which doesn't allow me to flutter tongue very "fluently." Instead it is really choppy. the only good alternative I have found is singing a different note than what I'm playing do get the growl effect. does anybody have an Idea of how a person with a really wide tongue does a really good flutter tongue? I have the same issue ... but I get a nice flutter by keeping the center of the tongue loose .. and keep the left and right edges tight to the inside of the teeth. And I mean PUSH them into the side teeth! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Martybucs Posted July 19, 2007 Share Posted July 19, 2007 Another way to get a neat growl effect is with your lips. If you listen to Harry James performances he was a master at it. He played on a Parduba 5 Star HJ. Pardubas kind of give you that raspy sound if you start to get tired whether you want it or not. However, James used it to great effect on many songs that required a dirty sound. I can do it, but I prefer the flutter growl. The way I do that raspy growl is to get your lips a little farther apart than normal and play while blowing your lips out so that you're almost playing on the inside part of your lips. It takes some practice, like anything else, but can be cool. With enough practice it just takes a quick manipulation with your lips and you can go into it and out of it at will. Check out Harry James, he's the best example I can think of for now. See if you like it and if it would work for you. At first you kinda have to exaggerate how much you roll your lips out and how hard you have to blow, but after awhile I'm sure you could master it. Come to think of it, I don't think I ever heard Harry James do a flutter growl. If you've never heard Harry James, he was cutting edge for his day and had some awesome chops, technique and endurance out the wazoo! All that on one of the smallest mouthpieces you can imagine! Maybe someone could make some suggestions as to which songs he played that raspy growl in. I'm thinking, "Sing, Sing, Sing" with Benny Goodman. "Trumpet Concerto..." "Green Onions", etc. Just type in Harry James in youtube and sit back and enjoy. He could also do that raspy growl on a single note in the middle of a solo. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shadow_7 Posted July 19, 2007 Share Posted July 19, 2007 There's supposedly some way to get the growl effect by doing something in the throat area. I've never explored that route and use the tongue flutter myself. But not all growls are done with the tongue. Not that I have much call to growl doing Sousa marches or Mahler Symphonies. At least not based on the written chart. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
supersop Posted July 19, 2007 Share Posted July 19, 2007 Don Ellis was an EXPERT at the throat growl. If you can get your hands on a copy of Don Ellis at the Fillmore ... check out the track called THE BLUES. It's nastayyyy! I tried to duplicate the sound once .. with and without the plunger. You really have to close your throat and practice talking like an old Jewish man from Brooklyn ... then apply with the horn on your face. Ellis was the man ... there's actually a part in the tune where he get's sooooo Nasty he sounds like a T-bone overblowing. It's awesome and awe inspiring. Lots of half valve stuff going on too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Martybucs Posted July 19, 2007 Share Posted July 19, 2007 I tried to duplicate the sound once .. with and without the plunger. You really have to close your throat and practice talking like an old Jewish man from Brooklyn ... then apply with the horn on your face. b**bs Don Ellis - way ahead of his time. He also used the "raspy" embouchure I described above. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G-horns Posted July 19, 2007 Share Posted July 19, 2007 Another way to get a neat growl effect is with your lips. If you listen to Harry James performances he was a master at it.He played on a Parduba 5 Star HJ. Pardubas kind of give you that raspy sound if you start to get tired whether you want it or not. However, James used it to great effect on many songs that required a dirty sound. I suspect that the growl came from HJ's lips "bottoming out" on the upper cup of the mouthpiece. I play on a 5 Star and sometimes when I'm in the low register I have to be careful for the "dirty" sound you describe. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Martybucs Posted July 19, 2007 Share Posted July 19, 2007 (edited) I suspect that the growl came from HJ's lips "bottoming out" on the upper cup of the mouthpiece. I play on a 5 Star and sometimes when I'm in the low register I have to be careful for the "dirty" sound you describe. I played a Parduba 5 star for about 6 years and when I would get real tired I would bottom out and get that raspy growl and sometimes a really ugly double tone raspy. That does sound like what HJ is getting, however, he seems to have been able to do it on cue. I was never so lucky. I finally ditched the 5 star and have played on many different pieces since then. Edited July 19, 2007 by Martybucs Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
triplefunk Posted July 19, 2007 Author Share Posted July 19, 2007 so this 5 star.... what does it look like? I mean, is it flat bowl... or is like traditional mouthpieces? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xmensop Posted July 19, 2007 Share Posted July 19, 2007 I have unfortunately never learned how to flutter-tongue and rely solely on the throat growl (also called glotelling). I've been playing for almost 20 years and have never learned the flutter-tongue. I can however duplicate a good flutter-tongue with a fantastic glottel. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.