Learn to Play Recorder

Lesson 55: Contemporary Techniques, Part 1 — Flutter Tonguing and Glissando

  • Make a fluttering sound on one held note.
  • Slide smoothly between two neighbouring notes.

Explore one new sound at a time.

Flutter tonguing adds a rough buzz; a glissando slides between pitches. Try each sound alone before using it in a phrase.

Flutter tonguing

Roll an r while blowing a steady note; begin with a short burst.

  • Try the tongue-tip r first; keep it relaxed.
  • If that feels difficult, try a gentle back-of-throat r.
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Plain A — flutter-tongued A — plain APlain D — flutter-tongued D — plain D; flutter only on the middle note and breathe between bars.
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When one fluttered note is steady, try the scale.

Glissando

Hold G, then slide the left ring finger slowly off hole 3 to reach A; reverse the slide to return.

Hold C, then slide the left ring finger slowly off hole 3 to reach D; reverse the slide to return.

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G, then A, then GC, then D, then C; add the slide between the printed notes.

Reading and writing them

  • Flutter: stem slashes or flz.
  • Glissando: a line between notes, often gliss.

Now play these

For published scores, see resources; start by listening.

Hans Martin Linde, Music for a Bird (1968)
Listen for flutter.
Ryohei Hirose, Meditation (1975)
Listen for slides.
Luciano Berio, Gesti (1966)
Later advanced study.

When one four-count note has a steady flutter and the practised slide sounds smooth in both directions, move on to Lesson 56.