^^ Yeah, I think they're pretty much the same, or at least fairly similar. Unfortunately though that instruction isn't helping me much.
^ That's a different sound, similar to one used in French if I'm not mistaken. I can make that one (though it took me years). I'm talking about the tongue roll.
edited 3rd Mar '12 9:55:42 PM by spasticgecko
Hmm. This is one of those things that are really hard to teach. :/ Just tap the tip of your tongue on the roof of your mouth, I guess?
Ramy: I think that's a slightly different sound. Then again, I'm not exactly sure what the Russian R is like. >.>
EDIT: I checked. Never mind, you're right. :3
edited 3rd Mar '12 9:54:35 PM by Zersk
ᐅᖃᐅᓯᖅ ᐊᑕᐅᓯᖅ ᓈᒻᒪᔪᐃᑦᑐᖅHere's
instructions for several different methods of learning to roll your R's. (Incidentally, I'd take the first one with a grain (or a quarter of a cup) of salt, given his final sentence claiming that if you can;t fold your tongue vertically, you will never be able to roll your r's.)
edited 3rd Mar '12 10:03:05 PM by Madrugada
It's alright (: thanks for the help anyway. That's why I wanted to know if anyone else had learned it; I figured they would be able to explain it to someone who didn't already know what it feels like.
I'm told that some people physically can't roll their R's due to genetics, but not everyone agrees and the ones that do seem to say that if you can roll up your tongue (which I can) then you can roll an R.
^ That actually matches with what I've heard (as I just said), so it's possible that while it's not definite it may be a possible indicator.
edited 3rd Mar '12 9:58:06 PM by spasticgecko
Oh, and a video.
(You might find it kind of gross, since it's a close-up of a guys mouth as he does it.) But he does it on three stages, so it may help.
I wish I could be more help. I learned it in late grade school, but I don't remember how I learned it. I think it was the raspberry method.
edited 3rd Mar '12 10:04:44 PM by Madrugada
Here's another video that may help: https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=fvwp&NR=1&v=XKRQMCHlONU
^ Thanks, Maddy! I think it would be significantly less gross if they just put his whole head in there instead of giving it googly eyes, but I'll take whatever I can get.
One of the things I find frustrating about this is that I'm really really good at lip trilling. It's one of my favorite vocal excersizes and I can do it for almost a full minute if I have a really good breath. But if I try anything else based on it like the video says to it just falls apart.
The genetic thing is probably referring to tongue tied
people. I'm mildly tongue tied and cannot pronounce the Spanish "rr" sound, but it may be that I just haven't had enough practice. I can pronounce the short Spanish "r" fairly well. Someone who was severely tongue tied would be completely incapable of making the sound, as their tongue wouldn't be able to trill against the top of their mouth.

I need to be able pronounce Russian for a song I'm supposed to sing but I can't make the R sound. In choral music I usually cheat with a D sound but this is a solo so it'll sound crappy if I do that. I know a lot of people can just do it naturally, but if anyone has ever actually learned to do it and could give me some advice it would be awesome.
And yes, I could put this in live performance or music, but there's more people here, so I won't.