In this video, I am demonstrating several vocal cord exercises using a straw.
Whether you have a special Oovo straw necklace or any other type of straw, these exercises
will improve the function of the vocal folds.
I will also tell you how you can easily measure if the exercises is working for you or not.
Stay tuned and I will be right back.
Hi!
I am Katarina, speech language pathologist from How 2 Improve Singing and here on this
channel, I share practical tips about using your voice in a healthy way.
So, if this is a topic that interests you, consider subscribing to this channel and hitting
that bell notification icon so that you don’t miss any of my videos.
Before we start with straw exercises, let me tell you how you can easily assess changes
in your voice before and after any exercise you do.
Speech-language pathologists, or any therapists for that matter, usually measure a function
or a skill that they are trying to change or improve so that they know when the goal
is achieved or working.
And while this can be a complicated process, I have a simple way of assessing your voice
function for you.
I encourage you to observe your voice before the beginning of any exercise and then compare
it to your voice function after the exercise.
How do you assess your voice you ask?
If you are a singer, sing 4 to 8 measures of a song from your repertoire or sing Happy
birthday or any other easy song.
If you are not a singer (and by the way, I believe that there is a singer in all of us),
but if you don’t want to sing, you can count from 1 to 10, or you can read a short text.
Right after you do this, answer one or more questions like these:
How does my voice feel right now?
How easy was it to sing or speak?
How resonant is my voice?
How clear is my voice?
How loud is my voice?
How bright or dark is my voice?
Assign a number to that feeling.
For example, on a scale from 1 to 10, how free does your voice feel, where 1 is very
tense and 10 is completely free.
So, now pause the video and do your assessment.
Ok.
We are back.
You have your number or numbers.
Let’s start with the straw exercises.
I will be using an Oovo straw necklace, which I introduced to you in my last video.
If you haven’t seen it, I encourage you to watch it because I was sharing a story
of how a clever tool like this was created.
But, if you don’t have a tool like this, you can use any other straw.
I encourage you to use an environmentally friendly straw.
If you are completely new to straw phonation, watch this video first, in which I explain
the benefits of straw phonation and take you through the basics.
Here are 5 exercises for your vocal cords using a straw:
Exercise #1 On and Off.
We are going to turn the voice on and then off on 5 different pitches and we are going
to repeat it 5 times on each pitch.
If you are not a singer, then just chose one pitch or try to do it on a low note and high
note.
Let’s start.
Blow air through the straw without a sound, then turn the voice on but keep the ais constant.
Then turn it off again and repeat 5 times on each pitch.
Exercise #2 Soft Loud Soft.
We are going to start with a soft sound, then make it slowly louder, then back to soft on
5 different pitches.
Again, if you are not a singer, stick to one pitch or try to do it on 2 different pitch
levels. low and high.
Women can start here, men can start down here.
When doing this exercise, notice how you make the sound louder.
Are you squeezing your throat or do you drive more air from your lungs?
Which muscles are you engaging to drive the air?
Do you feel tension anywhere?
Exercise #3 Laughing.
Laughing is a natural and easy way of making sounds.
Your larynx widens when you laugh and tension is released from your throat.
So, put a straw in your mouth and laugh using sound in your upper register.
If you are not a singer, just laugh with ease at your comfortable pitch level.
Make the sounds short, like in a staccato rhythm.
Separate the sounds from each other.
Let’s try that.
Exercise #4 Intervals.
Chose a small or a big interval or chose them all.
But start with small intervals and slowly work your way up to an octave if you want.
If you are not a singer, just practice changing a pitch from low to high, it does not matter
the interval.
Repeat 5 times at each level.
Again, pay attention to how you produce sounds at different pitch levels.
What muscles are you engaging?
Do you feel any tension?
Ok. Let's start with a small interval.
Exercise #5 Sirens.
Finally, let’s do some sirens.
Start
at the low end of your range and move up in pitch or start at the upper end of your range
and come down.
Keep the airflow steady, don’t push and notice how you are making the sounds.
Are you tensing any muscles?
Do you feel pain when you go up or down?
Are you moving any body parts to change the pitch?
Great work!
So, now it’s time to re-assess your voice.
If you are a singer, sing the same 4 to 8 measures of a song.
If you are not a singer, count from 1 to 10, or read a short text and then answer the same
question or questions and rate them on a scale from 1 to 10.
Now, compare the numbers.
Any change?
Is your voice clearer, louder or darker?
Was it easier to talk or sing after the exercise?
Let me know in the comments below.
And while you are at it, click the like button and share this video with people who may benefit
from this information.
Check out my other videos on the topic of straw phonation and I will see you in the
next video.
Bye.