DE Flatterzunge wind technique core term Support my free tools
- Abbreviation
- Flz., Flt.
How is Flatterzunge played?
Sustain the notated wind sound while interrupting or modulating the air stream with an alveolar rolled r; when that is impractical, a uvular flutter may provide an alternative if it suits the instrument, register and requested result. Keep pitch, rhythm, dynamic and phrase shape as written. The effect can range from light granulation to a rough flutter, and feasibility differs across instruments and individual players. Flz. or Flt. may be paired with tremolo-like strokes or a duration line, but those graphic signs are a separate notation channel and must be defined locally if their scope is not clear.
How does Flatterzunge sound?
A built-in tremolo on one pitch, ranging from a soft glitter to a rough, dissonant snarl. Strauss famously made it bleat like sheep; Britten used a gentle one on recorder to coo like a dove in Noye's Fludde.
In context
Flatterzunge is the established German flutter-tonguing term and is directly abbreviated Flz. and Flt. in independent specialist dictionaries, technique resources and published score legends. It is related to Italian frullato, but not to double or triple tonguing: those assign attacks to separate notes, whereas flutter tongue continuously modulates the air stream. It is also distinct from growl, sung-and-played multiphonics and ordinary tremolo, even when the audible colours overlap. Realisation and cancellation follow the instrument and local score; ord. or another explicit return may end a marked passage, but no universal cancellation is built into the headword.
Equivalent terms
- IT frullato
- FR flatterzunge
- FR roulement de langue
- EN flutter-tonguing
- DA flattertunge