Rolling the 'rr'
When ever I try to roll my r's, it's always a harsh rough sound that is closer to lawnmower, than to a cat's purr. Everyone (I don't know any Spanish-speaking people) always gets annoyed by the sound because it is not soft enough and is therefor, annoying. How do I 'soften' up the sound? If I blow too hard, it's harsh and rough. If I blow softer, nothing happens. All in all it ends up sounding nothing like the real deal? How do I do it?
3 Answers
Hola, Himself!
This is one of our most popular (and most favorite 
) questions on the forum. We have quite a few previous topics on this thread.
Try doing a search for "rolling r" [or something along those lines] and see if any of those threads help you out.
Here is another helpful thread.
Span¡shD!ct F A F Q: When and how do I roll my R's?
This video is also linked in the above FAFQ article, but I posted it again in case you missed it! It's funny and helpful.
Don't be discouraged. The Spanish (or alveolar) trill is very difficult for native English speakers to master. First of all, you're probably trying too hard, which tenses the tongue muscles and makes the soft "purring" sound impossible to achieve. Try this... start with simple words which start with "R" such as "rojo" or "rubio." Only you are going to pretend that they start with a "Drr." This will position your tongue correctly. Practice saying "Drojo" and "Drubio" over and over, vibrating the R as if it were the "RR." Pay attention to how your tongue feels against the ridge behind your teeth (the alveolar ridge). Relax your tongue muscles so that you are using MORE than just the pointed tip of it against that ridge. Spanish speakers actually use the broader blade of the tongue against the alveolar ridge to roll their Rs. As you get more comfortable and relaxed, soften the "D" sound until it all but disappears, leaving just the trill. When you've mastered these simple words, progress to words like "ferrocarril" and "barril" etc. Many "rr" words are difficult, even for native Spanish speakers, because the other sounds just preceding or following the trill make it awkward. Listen to native speakers (how they cheat!) and imitate them for these difficult words.
You're not alone. Here is a link to a webpage where managing the trill is discussed in great detail. There you will find some great tips and rhymes for practice. Hope this helps! Buena suerte!! (http://forum.wordreference.com/showthread.php?t=1227804)
From the results that you are getting, I think that you are trying way too hard. Relax, relax, relax. It is something that comes with practice if you are one of those (like me) that didn't have the 'natural' ability to roll my 'rr's. If you continue to train your tongue it will happen.
