This is hard to explain with words, but it's a bit like a gargle. Try this: start to gargle in the back of your throat. Then round your lips as though you're about to say "oo." Then try to glide into the German word for red, "rot." It'll probably be a bit off the mark at first, but that should at least give you a sense for which part of your vocal tract is engaged in that sound!
(Heike, please confirm that I'm not suggesting nonsense!)
Chris, you gave a better explanation/instruction that I could have!! Grace, the "r" is formed in the back of your mouth literally where the air just enters the mouth, not like the English "r" which is produced in the front. It also helps to relax the mouth/chaw - then just let the air emerge and support it with a sound :-) does that help?
I've often wondered if there was a "proper" way to trill the R in German. From what I can remember, my father and mother used an alveolar trill (rolled R with the tongue.) While listening to Deutsche Welle and ZDF, it seems most German speakers use the uvular R. There are some speakers that roll the R with their tongue, but they seem to be in the minority.
Is there an universally accepted way of rolling your R's in German?
I don't believe that there is a "proper way" to roll your German R. The alveolar trill is mostly a southern German, Swiss way of speaking the language. Southerners talk about DeR FeRnseheR while other Germans call it softly Dea Feanseha.
Great question. How about initial /r/? For example, the color rot? I think I hear a lot of uvular word-initial /r/, and also following other consonants, like drei.
Same thing? Rolled/alveolar is more southern, and uvular is the rest?
I appreciate everyone chiming in on my question. Thank you.
I'll continue using the alveolar trill, except for words such as 'rot.'
Since I live in Florida, I don't come across many German speakers. I end up talking to myself in German quite a bit. The e-Tutor sessions help, but I'm always so nervous and end up tripping over my own tongue. Practice, practice, and more practice!
I know it's hard, but try not to be nervous about speaking German. You're supposed to make mistakes as you practice; that's the way you learn and improve. I'm studying one of our languages, too, and believe me, I can hardly get out a sentence without making a mistake or tripping over my tongue. But like you said, practice, practice, and more practice. The mistakes and the tongue-tripping are slowly becoming less frequent!
Okay, here's something a bit odd, perhaps, but I think it has a great example of the uvular pronunciation of r in rot. There was a singer from the 60's and 70's named Nico, German born, in the Velvet Underground with Lou Reed before she went solo. Very unique voice - deep and dark. She sang some songs in German, and one that I've always liked is Das Lied vom einsamen Mädchen. Here's a link to it on Youtube.
If you listen at around 1:24, you'll hear the refrain, which goes:
Weil sie einsam war
Und so blond ihr Haar Und ihr Mund so rot wie Wein
That r is a great example (I think! Peter, do you agree?) of the initial, uvular German r. Sorry if you hate the music, but it was honestly the first thing that came to my mind!
This Nico song I didn't know but it is indeed a good example.
As a native speaker born on Germany's Western border I'm quite self-conscious whenever I talk to students or other Germans who are not part of my original tribe. I have no problems speaking Hochdeutsch, I also have no problems turning on my accent (I find it very comfortable).
Success will come indeed with continuous practice.
Good Heavens, I'm doomed! I'm a singer, and have had endless hours drilled into my skull on how to pronounce R when singing - rolled, flipped or silent, depending on what I'm singing. In Latin, every R is rolled or flipped. In English, R's at the beginning of a word are flipped, at the end of a word they are dropped, because if they are pronounced they throw you off pitch!
When I listen to the German, sometimes it's hard to even hear the R, especially at the end of a word (is it supposed to be silent?)
Comments
Well, my R still doesn't "vibrate", but it does sound more gutteral now. I shall practice a few more months and see how it goes!
I've often wondered if there was a "proper" way to trill the R in German. From what I can remember, my father and mother used an alveolar trill (rolled R with the tongue.) While listening to Deutsche Welle and ZDF, it seems most German speakers use the uvular R. There are some speakers that roll the R with their tongue, but they seem to be in the minority.
Is there an universally accepted way of rolling your R's in German?
Vielen Dank für Ihre Zeit...Will
I appreciate everyone chiming in on my question. Thank you.
I'll continue using the alveolar trill, except for words such as 'rot.'
Since I live in Florida, I don't come across many German speakers. I end up talking to myself in German quite a bit. The e-Tutor sessions help, but I'm always so nervous and end up tripping over my own tongue. Practice, practice, and more practice!
Regards...Will
Und ihr Mund so rot wie Wein
Grace