I like the way glottal stops
sound, and I know they’re
preferred to tonguing,
but I’m having a tough
time doing them rapidly
in succession. Tonguing
is quicker.
So I’m articulating
less that way, or double
tonguing. What’s standard
here? Does one practice
rapid glottal stopping? Best
One of the advanced Scoiltrad flute lessons–I think “The Rainy Day”–has a rapid-fire glottal triplet as a variation in the B section.
I’ve worked on it for months and I still can’t do it right.
When Conal plays it in the lesson, it sounds almost like piping.
When I first starting playing Irish flute I used to like everything very legato. Now I like to use glottals and add some separation here and there–it makes a nice contrast.
Best,
–James
http://www.flutesite.com
I’ve been struggling with the glottal stop technique for a while, trying to figure out why although I could DO it, I kept tongueing! Major aargh factor. I realised that (in my case) my habit of whistling tunes under my breath was the culprit, or, more exactly, HOW I went about it contributed to the problem: I was always tongueing for articulation! Now I try to be consistent in using glottal articulation when I whistle (if you can call it whistling -I never got the real hang of it, heh), and it seems to be helping a lot by force of habit.
BTW, I’m STILL working at it. 
N, plays flute 'cause he can’t whistle
Are glottal stops generally preferred over tonguing for the flute?
I was trained as a brass musician, so my tongue is always the part of my anatomy that’s automatically commandeered for articulation. I’m fairly new to flute, and find myself double- and triple-tonguing for effects and fast articulation.
Am I doing this “wrong”?
And for fast passages, is there a special technique for glottal stops, akin to rapid tonguing techniques (ta-ta-ka or ta-ka-ta for triple tonguing, for instance)?
I’m sitting here in my office and have just put my hand in front of my mouth to feel if there was a difference in the airstream when tonguing vs. using a glottal stop. Rapid tonguing made a more clearly defined start and stop to each tongued blast of air, whereas the effect was less pronounced when using glottal stops. That is, rapid glottal stopping gives me more of a pulsing-airstream effect, whereas rapid tonguing gives a definite start-stop to the airstream. Is this the way it should be, or does it mean I just have to work harder on glottal stops?
Sorry for all the questions. So much to learn . . .
[ This Message was edited by: herbivore12 on 2003-02-19 18:08 ]
Herby, tongueing isn’t out of the question, but is best kept to as close to never as possible, or so goes the general esthetic. And the pulsing you mentioned is part of what makes for a traditional sound in fluting. It helps contribute to the overall rhythm of a tune whether on the downbeat, the upbeat, or in certain choice spots as best fits the interpretation you have in mind. I will tongue the beginning of triplets on occasion just to make them crisper, but in traditional fluteplaying articulation sounds better by way of cuts, taps, etc. A lot of tongueing actually sounds obtrusive (to my ear, anyway), so IMHO it’s a good idea to pursue the glottal stop, simple ornamentation, and also diaphragm pulsing as well. From there, you should be well-armed and on your way to tackling the fancy bits.
N, hope this helps
On 2003-02-19 18:58, Nanohedron wrote:
Herby,
Oy. Better change my handle! Kept that one from some other board, but suddenly I’m Herb all over the Net. I’ve been called worse names. . .
Lots of good stuff in N’s post
N, hope this helps
It does!
The really fast glottal stops – where I’d triple tongue were I playing a brass instrument – feel too fast for me, but I’ll keep practicing. However, I catch your points on pulsing/drive/emphasis in ITM, and will keep at it. Just after I wrote the bit about the pulsing nature of glottal stops, as opposed to the “cleaner” tonguing articulation, I sort of thought, “Well, huh. Maybe that’s where that neat-o bounce and rhythm comes from. . .”, and it seems that you’re telling me it’s just that (at least in part).
Thanks!
Aaron
BTW, O Herbaceous One, I don’t glottalise each note on a triplet…yet. I never considered the possibility until PeeplJ brought it up! Ohhh, the madness, the madness…is there no end?
N, flute casualty
[ This Message was edited by: Nanohedron on 2003-02-19 20:46 ]
[ This Message was edited by: Nanohedron on 2003-02-19 20:47 ]
Yes, glottal stops give you
a ‘dirty’ sound.
I’ve been trying to “find my glottal stop” - is it like the “ka” in triple ta ka ta tonguing?
If it is, has anyone else noticed that this gives you a flatter note than tonguing? Which might be a good thing… But also, that it gives a much woolier sound? 
Maybe I just haven’t found my glottal stop yet… all suggestions always appreciated!
regards,
Pamela
On 2003-02-20 07:44, pandscarr wrote:
I’ve been trying to “find my glottal stop” - is it like the “ka” in triple ta ka ta tonguing?If it is, has anyone else noticed that this gives you a flatter note than tonguing? Which might be a good thing… But also, that it gives a much woolier sound? >
Maybe I just haven’t found my glottal stop yet… all suggestions always appreciated!
regards,
Pamela
Pam,
If you are going flat when you use glottal stops, I would say you aren’t keeping the throat open and it’s interfering with your airstream.
That’s the hard part about glottals: you have to articulate with your throat muscles, but your throat has to be open the rest of the time for good tone.
One thing that helps with this, I think, is to use a really very firmly supported airstream. I try to keep everything pretty relaxed when playing, but not my diaphram, which is always strongly supporting the air.
This is especially important on “hard to fill” flutes–a lot of times I think people think they are hard to fill because they just don’t blow with normal force.
Best,
–James
http://www.flutesite.com
[ This Message was edited by: peeplj on 2003-02-20 07:51 ]
On 2003-02-20 07:44, pandscarr wrote:
I’ve been trying to “find my glottal stop” - is it like the “ka” in triple ta ka ta tonguing?
No, it’s the throaty consonant that starts off a vowel, like when you say “ah.” I used to use glottal stops quite a bit, but I really can’t do them without grunting. Tonguing works better for me, in general.
Using a “hah” action works well, too, although it’s not really a stop. If it’s done from down in the abdominal area, that’s yer diaphragmatic pulse. Good rhythm accentuator.
N, checking his pulse