tips to Spanish "r" and "rr" mastery

[Colibri]

Oooh, that can be a tough one, but do not despair. Some of us can call upon the old "Rrruffles have Rrridges" commercial. Remember that one? If that doesn't work, I do have a little trick. I used to coach opera singers, and worked extensively with diction. This isn't an instant fix, but try giving it a bit of practice. The position of the tongue on the rolled R is with the tip firm and pressed to the top of the hard palate a little bit behind the top teeth. Start there. Then, using the usual position you'd use to pronounce the letter "t" in English, alternate between the letter "t" and the letter "d". This is the same formation for the rolled R, but slower. It'll be like you're saying tah-dah! (This is harder to explain in writing than I thought it would be!) As you say tah-dah faster and faster with a little explosion of breath behind it, you can get the tongue to vibrate in a flutter. Voila! (or Tah-dah!) You've got a rolled R. Good luck and let me know if it works for you!