Lip (tongue) Trill

Download exercise sheet- Lip-tongue trill

Download audio instructions- Lip Trill

Because of the nature of this topic, it required recorded examples in order for the reader to better understand the exercises. I have listed the most important instructions for each of the eight lines on your exercise page but most of your information will be better explained on the recording.

Explanation of goals for each of the following lines-

A– Center your pitch on the false fingered Ab and slowly relax your embouchure to slide into the F# with the same fingering.

B– Lower the Ab and strive to play the F# high in pitch.

C– Again, try to shrink the distance between the two notes.

D– Continue to strive for a note between the Ab and the F#. The closer you can play the two notes together, the easier the lip (tongue) trill will become.

E– Your ultimate goal will be to sit on a note half way between the two. This is impossible and as you correct, even in the slightest way, the notes will move back and forth. Continue to work for a pitch half way between the two.

F– Begin this exercise on an in tune Ab and as you increase speed, lower the Ab and raise the F# so that they are as close as possible to each other.

The amount of speed which you will be able to play will depend on how slight a vowel change you are able to make. The amount of vowel change will depend on how close you are able to lock in between the two notes. You should be convinced by now that what you are doing is not a lip trill as many people think. Your lip has nothing to do with the rapid change in pitch for no lip could change position that quickly.

Lip (tongue) trills are made much easier when alternate fingerings can be implemented for the two affected notes will most often be closer together. This is very important also when, in the next posting, I will show you how easy it is to do shakes.

Stay tuned for the final posting in this series- how to play shakes, the easy way.