Pull your lower jaw downward to stretch out your cheeks and give yourself more air to work with.

You should feel a short flow of air leave your mouth while you say this, even though you aren’t exhaling. If you know Russian, a certain vulgar three-letter word beginning with Х works even better.

You should feel a short flow of air leave your mouth while you say this, even though you aren’t exhaling. If you know Russian, a certain vulgar three-letter word beginning with Х works even better.

Some people find it easier to tap with the eraser end of a pencil, instead of a finger. This step often takes 45 minutes of dedicated practice, and can take days if you practice only occasionally. You can also try tapping the hollow between your teeth, the back of your lower jaw, the side of your front eyetooth, and anywhere in between.

If you’re sore simply from practicing for a long stretch of time, take a ten minute break.

If you’re lucky, you might even here a hollow whistling sound or even a faint water drop noise without the flick – then you’re definitely on the right track.