Question about minor speech problem

[Jaybar]

All I know is that if you are doing the tongue on teeth method and it sounds like "R", then you aren't doing it right. Well, at least when I try pronouncing an "R" using the "L" method, it sounds like some low-pitch moan with no sign of pronunciation.

Ksandra's advice should help as well. As for mine:

When I make "TH" sounds, my tongue ends up between my top and bottom row of teeth (albeit for a very small fraction of time unless I extend the sound). This includes the tip of my tongue and has some breadth to it (so it's extended quite a bit out, but not past my lips).

When I do "L"s, I use ONLY the tip, and it's pressed against ONLY the top portion of my teeth (my tongue doesn't even hit the roof of my mouth, so might be a regional/cultural thing). It's best to not try saying words at first. Try just getting the consonant first. Typically to make a "La" sound my tongue needs to push down from my upper teeth into it's equilibrium/relaxed state. There NEEDS to be mouth movement (like with almost every consonant, you aren't using just your tongue or just your mouth).

"R"s come from mostly mouth movement for me. My tongue never moves from its relaxed state. So if you are having trouble getting those "R" sounds, you might want to try less mouth movement and focus more on how you are moving your tongue.

[Woozie]

Yes, I have skype. I'm going to be leaving home for a few hours soon. I'll get on later.

That second one isn't exactly what's coming out when I try to pronounce "L" the correct way. It's closer to an "r". My "L" actually sounds better when I pronounce it the wrong way (when I pronounce it the way I've pronounced it all my life). So I may be making a bigger deal out of it than I should. I wouldn't even care that much if it wasn't for my voice teacher telling me that it's making a large impact on my singing.

As for finding a professional, would my school be able to help me with that? We have a modern language department, and a speech-language pathology department. I'm assuming one of those would be the correct department? Or would I go to the English department? Whatever department has this, I'm sure they would have something in place to help students who need these type of services.

Edit: Actually I just remembered that my headset for skype is broke. I'll see if I can borrow one from a friend.

[Woozie]

All I know is that if you are doing the tongue on teeth method and it sounds like "R", then you aren't doing it right. Well, at least when I try pronouncing an "R" using the "L" method, it sounds like some low-pitch moan with no sign of pronunciation.

Ksandra's advice should help as well. As for mine:

When I make "TH" sounds, my tongue ends up between my top and bottom row of teeth (albeit for a very small fraction of time unless I extend the sound). This includes the tip of my tongue and has some breadth to it (so it's extended quite a bit out, but not past my lips).

When I do "L"s, I use ONLY the tip, and it's pressed against ONLY the top portion of my teeth (my tongue doesn't even hit the roof of my mouth, so might be a regional/cultural thing). It's best to not try saying words at first. Try just getting the consonant first. Typically to make a "La" sound my tongue needs to push down from my upper teeth into it's equilibrium/relaxed state. There NEEDS to be mouth movement (like with almost every consonant, you aren't using just your tongue or just your mouth).

"R"s come from mostly mouth movement for me. My tongue never moves from its relaxed state. So if you are having trouble getting those "R" sounds, you might want to try less mouth movement and focus more on how you are moving your tongue.

What kind of mouth movement? Is my jaw supposed to be opening or closing while pronouncing "L"s? I think the problem is that I've been practicing without moving my jaw or mouth at all, and that may be why I'm not making progress.

[Jaybar]

It shouldn't be terribly hard to find a therapist on campus. I'd go ask the Dean of the English department or someone of high knowledge in that department who to see if there is anyone on campus at all. If not English dept, try the Communications or Education dept.

Edit: Mouth opening. It's slight, but it should open.

[Darus Grey]

Yes, I have skype. I'm going to be leaving home for a few hours soon. I'll get on later.

That second one isn't exactly what's coming out when I try to pronounce "L" the correct way. It's closer to an "r". My "L" actually sounds better when I pronounce it the wrong way (when I pronounce it the way I've pronounced it all my life). So I may be making a bigger deal out of it than I should. I wouldn't even care that much if it wasn't for my voice teacher telling me that it's making a large impact on my singing.

As for finding a professional, would my school be able to help me with that? We have a modern language department, and a speech-language pathology department. I'm assuming one of those would be the correct department? Or would I go to the English department? Whatever department has this, I'm sure they would have something in place to help students who need these type of services.

Edit: Actually I just remembered that my headset for skype is broke. I'll see if I can borrow one from a friend.

Speech language pathology would be the appropriate one between those two, and you have a pathology department and not a linguistics department? that's bizarre.

I'd also avoid asking the English department...English majors/faculty are not experts on English as a language(it's just a badly named literature degree).

[Cadsuane]

Is it really affecting you tonally, or is your voice teacher just trying to fix your accent? I don't see why your teacher should be concerned about consonant sounds as long as you have the right pitch and dynamic. Is it affecting those things?

This is hardly my field of study, but being multilingual has taught me a bit about how difficult it can be to learn a large variety of phonemes relatively late in life. For instance I've always taken it for granted that I can articulate 4 distinct 'r' sounds (latinized/scottish, rolled, the gurgly french r, whatever they're called, I'm not a linguist), but north american english speakers typically only know the one.

edit:

What kind of mouth movement? Is my jaw supposed to be opening or closing while pronouncing "L"s? I think the problem is that I've been practicing without moving my jaw or mouth at all, and that may be why I'm not making progress.

Again, not my field of study, but your tongue should contact the roof of your mouth, and come off the roof by way of lowering your jaw slightly. The 'l' sound comes from the fact that you begin vocalizing while your tongue is still touching the roof, and then lowered an instant afterwards.

[Woozie]

When I first started taking lessons with her, she was trying to 'fix' the Akron OH accent because most of the songs we learn are in Italian. After a while, she stopped trying so hard to change my accent too much, but there are certain things she says have to be changed, and the "L"s is one of them. Of all the stuff I've had to fix, that seems to be the only thing I can't fix on my own just by trying. She says this is affecting my vocal tone.

[Jaybar]

Sounds like she wants you to sing "Deck the Halls".

[Beckwin]

push your tongue against your top front teeth (and/or where the teeth meet the palette) and then pull it down as you open your mouth (this is for the initial L sound of a syllable). For a finishing L sound, it's roughly in reverse.

this is a little bit different from the hard TH sound in words like this. that sound typically has the tongue striking the teeth a little lower and the tongue is straighter.

[Mizango]

Don't feel bad Wooz, my southern roots wont allow me pronounce the latter "g" after any of my words either. Even when I try to say it on purpose it still sounds horrible.

[Lornkeit]

Not related to the intention of the OP, but what kind of singing style are you learning :D?

[Woozie]

Opera.

I grew up doing R&B singing/rap music, but my singing was never all that great. It was okay, but not great. I want to expand a little bit and do something completely different. And plus, I do like Opera. But I don't plan to stick to just that, I also want to sing contemporary urban gospel, and mostly I just want to improve my voice.

Also, R&B and especially gospel singers tend to have really sloppy technique so another benefit of learning opera is that I at least learn proper technique and breath control and sight-singing and such, which will make me much better if even if I choose to apply it to other styles.

I doubt that I'll ever get to perform in a real opera though D: I really want to.

[Lornkeit]

I recently started studying the same thing! I had an inkling when you mentioned Italian songs Hmm