Voice Lessons: SOVT-Straw, Why, When and How (no ads)
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- čas přidán 11. 11. 2020
- Today we are taking about how to use a straw to make singing feel easier, more resonant, and more clear…
Here's my take on the why, when, and how to use it with the hope it becomes part of your vocal health routine.
Using the straw to vocalize is called an SOVT exercise… this acronym stands for Semi Occluded Vocal Tract. Just another way to say - your mouth is partially closed.
Why does it work?
Dr. Titze, the voice scientist that conducted the research and gave us this awesome exercise, explains it this way..."vocalizing through a straw puts our vocal folds in the best shape and position for vibration which encourages efficiency…”.
When the mouth is partially closed, increased back pressure reflects at the lips back to the vocal folds to help the folds vibrate with more ease and less effort.
So when should you use it?
If you have a breathy sound.
If your sound feels disconnected
If you feel the transitions in your voice from top to bottom are clunky or awkward.
If your sound is pressured or pushed.
If your voice feels tired or fatigued.
I love to use it as I begin to warm-up, in between teaching students, before and after a gig. It’s an awesome reset or cool down for my voice.
Add this in for 15 minutes a day and see how your voice improves…
Have fun with this exercise.
Let me know how it goes.
Please feel free to ask me any questions you have about this video.
Until next time,
Rejoice In You Voice!
Trica
DOWNLOAD your FREE vocal warm-up at www.tricialeines.com
Her vibrato is real nice 👌🏻
Put the video on double speed and listen at 5:45 it’s pretty as heck
Excellent. Thank you!
The ascending part and the arrival on the top note you can really hear a clear example of a "spin", where her voice goes into the mask. Also notice the subtle legato, even portamento, to reach the top note. It's elegant and necessary, prevents you from pushing as well. Amazing video, thank you so much!
Thank you for all of your fantastic videos!!
I currently am having problems talking and really can't sing at all. The speech pathologist I see got me started on straw exercises but you really take it to another level. I also use fricatives as you demonstrated at the end of the video. I carry a small straw with me everywhere because the exercise really helps when I feel my voice getting hoarse, tired or nasally. Thanks for demonstrating more ways to use the straw and identifying awareness needed during the exercises. It is very helpful!
I just found out about sovt this year good job
Excellent narrative presentation, teaching.
🎵🌹🙏❤🌹
Another great explanation and demo! Thank you!
Thank you so much, Cindy! I appreciate you watching :)
Thank you Tricia, this is very helpful ! I discovered your channel few days ago, and I already learnt a lot on it ! Hello from France !
Hello! You made my day! I am so glad you are here. Thank you for your kind words. All the best with your singing!
Great stuff. Carry all sizes in my gig bag.
Awesome!
I never been taught how to that but thanks for showing me how to do this
Hi Chelsea, thanks so much for watching. You are very welcome :)
Yes
Straw exercises No ads!
*starts video gets an ad straight away*
I’m using that exercises after my basic warmup and it’s smoothing my untrained voice 😁
Awesome! This is great news!
Awesome video! I had a slight concern regarding this exercise. When I blow out air through the straws, I experience discomfort and sensations of pain in my front teeth and gums. Is there any way to avoid that pain? Would it be sufficient if I practice humming on the straw instead of blowing out the air? Thanks in advance. 😊
Very nice and helpful. I am teaching online and this is so helpful for voice strain. I felt great right away.
Best wishes Melissa
This is great news, Melissa! I am so glad! All the best with your teaching :)
Any chance I can send a private email of what is going on and see if you have time for a session.
Do you have time for a lesson or two on FaceTime. I would rather write privately to find out your fees and talk. Best Melissa
@@melissaglaister8234 That would be great! My email is tricialeinesrejoice@gmail.com Looking forward to talking with you.
I have been singing since I was 16 (I'm 27 now). I recently got myself a vocal coach (last November) because I want to start taking singing seriously. She's been saying I need to resonate better, really send the sound backwards and up my head.
I have seen every breath support and vocal placement in the entirety of youtube and I wanted you to know that you are the only one who has actually made a difference on me. Your video on the "NG" sound and hearing that "ring" was the first time I could follow someone and understand what's going on. Now I'm kind of singing the songs I wanna sing using that "NG" sound to figure out how to feel the "ring" in both higher and lower notes.
I also have an SVOT trainer from the academy where I got my coach, it has pluggable holes like a flute for different difficulty levels. My question about that if I may, is: how is it you use the SVOT as a cooldown? I feel like using that is basically going to the gym for my vocal chords. If I do the exercises with that my coach told me to do daily, I don't have to think about singing for the next 2 hours in the very least because I'll be too exhausted vocally.
Anyway, I really wanted to write this because I have been struggling with how good breath support should feel, how I should sing and resonate correctly and all that. It's a lot about feeling and you've actually made me feel something so I'm super grateful! Thank you!
Hi! Thanks so much for your comment. I am so glad you are finding the ng helpful. So, with the straw, my teachers have always told me that it should feel easy... like I am not working at all. Of course when I started using the straw, because I was over singing it didn't feel easy... so I had to really learn how not to push too much air or tighten the jaw or tongue while I explored the feeling of the straw. I had to allow the voice to move into full head voice when I traveled up in my range. Now when I use the straw I am able to find a nice balance and I am not working too hard. I am a little concerned that you are feeling too exhausted to sing after doing your exercises. To answer your question, I use the straw as a cool down by making gentle sliding sounds up for down about 5-10 minutes. I'm mainly in my mid-range but if it feels good I will move lower and higher. If the straw is making things feel tight or restricted the lip trill, tongue roll or raspberry can be easier for some singers. For the ng and the straw... be okay with feeling a little less vibration than you think you want. We don't want to place or drive the sound. We may actually be blowing too much air up top as we try to "get a feeling". From c4 up the vibrations that we feel may decrease... so if we try to make our low register and high register feel the same we may be bringing too much weight to the top... Just an idea to ponder. In thinking about breath.. the straw can help me feel that I actually don't have to use as much breath as I think I do to get a clear resonant sound.... same with the lip trills, raspberries, and tongue rolls. I am so glad you have a singing teacher. Have fun as you learn to feel your voice...and listen to it in a new way. Let me know if you have any questions about what I wrote. I hope it helps :) All the best with your singing.
@@rejoiceinyourvoice-tricial3731 Thank you a bunch for replying! It's a rare thing here on CZcams :3
I don't wanna take advantage too much as Im sure you have hundreds and hundreds of people asking you tips (aside all your clients) but I did want to ask 1 more thing regarding breath support because I don't really seem to find a video on it that you made (you made quite a few on breathing but not the exact thing I'm kinda struggling with I think).
I keep looking for the "right thing to do" when it comes to breath support. I started off kinda pulling in my stomach but that left me without breath, I then started singing with an engaged core but that didn't help me out either. The most recent thing that I have found is that when I exhale, I can kinda push back against my diaphram to prevent it from rising up too quickly.
So the question is: is there any part of your body below the ribs that you actively engage, or tighten or anything of the sorts to "support" your breath? Or am I overthinking this and am I totally off?
The reason I ask is because I have a nice warm vibrato in my lower register, and because I have a naturally higher voice I seem to find it the easiest to sing in my head voice/falsetto. But when I belt from my chest voice, my vibrato completely disappears. My coach says it has to do with having enough support so that I would release tension that's currently preventing my vocal chords from relaxing but I can't seem to figure out this support thing to save my own life. And trust me when I say I have scoured the first two pages on CZcams for instructions that would make sense to me haha.
Anywho, if you happen to find the time to read this and have some tips I would greatly appreciate it! I already subscribed since you have a way of explaining things that really connects with me so I'm excited for future content ^^ Thanks heaps!
Hello! I am going to offer some ideas... use what you like and then forget the rest :) The first thing is that breath can be a little bit different for everyone... so I wouldn't say that there is a "right thing to do" but rather a "right thing for you" - which can be a frustrating statement when you are trying to understand the muscle coordination. Check out the book "What Every Singer Needs To Know About The Body" 4th edition. @www.amazon.com/Every-Singer-Needs-About-Fourth/dp/1635502616 This will give you a clear understanding of what is happening in your body as you breath and sing... plus a whole lot more. The vibrato can happen in the lower range as the vocal folds are shorter, thicker and more slack... they can oscillate more easily so the opportunity for the vibrato is more likely. As we head up the scale the vocal folds get longer, thinner and as you said the vibrato may lesson or even disappear. Vibrato happens because the vocal folds are relaxed... so many things can tighten them up... breath being one of them, but also posture, neck tension, jaw and tongue tension etc... If you are "belting" in your upper register and the vibrato is not there... but you have it in your head/falsetto... then breath is a factor but also making sure you don't have any tension in the extrinsic muscles (neck, constrictor muscles, tongue, jaw) can help as well. Sometimes the breath will regulate when the tension is taken away... sometimes the breath can release the tension...Soooo that said :) After years of singing, what works for me is a low breath in the body - shoulder and neck etc relaxed... even when belting, mixing or head voicing, I do not contract my pelvic floor, or my push abdominals one way or the other. My ribs are expanded open naturally with the inhale and because I have trained my exhalation muscles to move slowly on the exhale, my ribs are neither held nor collapse with when singing. I feel I found a good breath balance for my body, my voice and the different genres I like to sing. I am not driving or pushing... but when belting I know that I need to have more activity in the body. The breath pressure is more when I belt and there is more vocal fold closure when I belt. My body knows how to "support" this much as it would if I were to create a sustained call across a court yard... "hey, there!" I hope this helps a little bit. You can always ask me questions. I will answer you. :) Figuring out the muscle coordination takes time. You will get it. Trust the journey you are on with your teacher. Wishing you all the best! I did this video last week... see of any of it helps... czcams.com/video/LWkY3zUolYA/video.html
Thank you for asking these very important questions that were answered so beautifully.👌🏾
kazoos, people, kazoos! i just ordered a couple. i'll report back.
ps - just 'liked' and 'subscribed'. - you're the real deal!
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Hi Tricia. When you told us to do this for fifteen minutes a day, did you mean even during times of vocal rest? I'm on vocal rest right now because of some throat pain from overuse, and I'm trying to come back from it slowly. A friend of mine showed me this video, so I did it, and then subscribed to your channel, and now I'm wondering how best to make this a habit.
These are great! Only downside is the potential (long term) “smoker’s lines” around the lips 👄😅
Tricia,. Thank so much for this exercise, it's the very thing l need at the moment as my voice has become a little sticky. Take care. Regards. Jacqueline
You are so welcome! So glad!
This technique is really the best...Supercool for healing even d damaged vocal cords!!🎂. Thank u from India
You are so welcome! Thank you for watching.
I have a plastic straw that is like permanent hard plastic can I use that
Hi, I’ve been using straw techniques for a week now. Is it normal for what feels like either the velum or the back of throat (the area directly behind epiglottis), to feel tired/dry/sore/swollen? I mean the difference between damaged-sore, and the-muscles-experiencing-fatigue like when you’re lifting those final reps of dumbbells, for example, and feel it next day. Should I be easing into/scaling up this type of sovt much more slowly per day? Is the soreness I’m describing a result of trying to get results too quickly?
I am not a singer, but I have just learned about this technique and came here to see how it works. I have one reservation: you may unintentionally develop a smoker's pouch. What about something bigger with a small hole in it, like a cool drink bottle lid with a hole drilled into it?
Use may use whatever size straw works best for you. Some people use a smoothie or milkshake size straw, others use smaller straws or two straws at the same time. Other SOTV exercises without the straw will have benefit as well. Have fun!
Hi. I'm starting this today. I have a swollen vocal fold and I'm starting with a medium sized silicone straw, not the thin "juice box" width, I'll work my way up to that slowly. How often should you do this in a week and how long? I'm going to use a warm cup of water also.
Hi RhemaMusic, I like to think of swollen vocal folds like a swollen ankle. I wouldn't walk on a swollen ankle, so if it was me... I would rest the voice with no talking or singing until I felt like the swelling in the vocal folds had gone down. Then, I would begin to do just a few minutes of straw work. 3-5 minutes of gentle sliding each day. Maybe a couple times of a day to feel how the voice is responding. Every voice is different and every situation is different, so take your time and feel your way through letting the body and the voice guide you. I hope you feel 100% soon. Wishing you all the bets with your singing.
Thank you very much for this video, I have a baritone vocal range, in chest voice i can manage to feel the air coming up, but as I go higher up into the head the air is no longer coming out. Is this normal or is it bad technique ? Thanks
Hi! Thanks for your question...if you are making sound, if there is any sound at all, air is moving through your vocal folds. So some air is coming out as you sing higher but it may be less than in your lower range. Some singers like to use the straw and a cup of water... they blow into the water and see if they can keep the amount of bubbles consistent while they sing from the bottom of their range to the top and vice versa. Airflow is an interesting thing and every singer may experience it a little differently...and it also depends on the genre of music you like to sing... classical vs folk for example. I like to think of the airflow as being fairly consistent top to bottom but the vocal folds will function differently. When singing lower notes, the vocal folds are short and thicker so the airflow can feel different... higher the vocal folds are longer and thinner so the airflow can feel different. Most singers feel as if they need "more air" in the upper notes but this isn't necessarily true. I like to think of more "energy" in the upper rage. When exploring airflow and varying the amount of air... the voice may get louder or the opposite, breathy, in the higher range until the singer learns to coordinate exhalation muscles, airflow, and openness in the vocal mechanism. I would say explore making sound by moving from the straw in the mouth to straw out of the mouth and playing with different levels of volume to see what you notice. Hope this helps!
@@rejoiceinyourvoice-tricial3731 Thank you very much for your lenghtly reply, it is very helpful indeed, I have tried the cup indeed, on higher notes at times no bubbles come out, but that if I understood correctly is okay depending on the situation I believe? Thanks
Hi. I just subscribed. I have a paralyzed vocal cord. Will this " Wake up " my vocal cord?
Hi Roy, thanks for your question. Every voice is so different. By chance have you worked or are you working with a speech therapist? My fellow singer friends and clients that have had some vocal fold paresis have used the straw as part of their rehabilitation. The straw exercises were prescribed to them by a speech language therapist. If it were me, I would start there.
@@rejoiceinyourvoice-tricial3731 No I haven't worked with a speech therapist. I have seen an ENT and he suggested a speech therapist. I'm just waiting on my insurance to see if they will cover it. My vocal cord was damaged, I'm presuming from the ventilator or trachea from COVID. 😢😢😢😢😢
Oh, Roy, I am so sorry. What a challenging time you have had. Big hugs to you! I am glad you are on the other side of covid.
May I suggest a youtube channel by a lady who has been a speech-language pathologist for 20 years? She has several videos on the different straw exercises and many others that you may find helpful. I don't know her personally, but I like her info on her videos: czcams.com/users/KatarinaHowtoImproveSingingabout
Here are a couple of videos by the person that invented the straw exercises: Dr. Titze:
czcams.com/video/asDg7T-WT-0/video.html
czcams.com/video/BRJUwQW_3Gs/video.html
I hope the insurance comes through for you. I would feel better if you were in good hands working one-on-one. Please know I am cheering for your full recovery. Wishing you all the best!
@@rejoiceinyourvoice-tricial3731 Thank you! I know her, well not personally, LOL. I just subscribed to her page, right before I found your page. Thank you very much.
@@kameron95 That's funny! I'm glad you like her work as well.
Can you cut a paper straw in halve, easy to store.
Sure! Whatever works best for you!
When using straws blow out the cheeks or not while pushing out?
My suggestion would be to have your cheeks as they would be when you are singing.. just as you would sing an /u/ vowel.
I've recently been using a cup with a hole in the bottom because that allows me to articulate better. Do you have any tips specific to that?
I'm not much of a singer, but I do use my voice a lot as a teacher and voice actor.
I have seen this and have not tried it myself. The concept is similar as it creates that air flow of support for the vocal folds. Awesome that you are using it for your voice work. My teacher suggests that we use the straw and variation of as a warm-up AND cool down for the voice. My suggestions are to stay present and not go on autopilot while you use it. Don't push out the sound... find balance in the airflow and sound you are making. Focus on the feel then recreate that feel with the cup and straw. Wishing you all the best!
But when I do it I never get the vibrato like you. Why is that?
Hi there! Thanks for your question. The way I understand vibrato is that is naturally comes in when the vocal folds are relaxed enough to oscillate in pitch. Having relaxation in the throat can happen with breath balance, relaxing extrinsic muscles, playing with vowel shape etc... vibrato happens for me when the voice instrument is in balance. The straw exercise can help find balance but it isn't a cure all for everything. When doing the straw exercise it is still possible use too little or too much air, drive the sound, have throat, jaw or tongue tension and other things that may affect the freedom of the sound. I did a vide on vibrato... perhaps it will help... czcams.com/video/KZePVTsjrpY/video.html - let me know if you have any other questions. All the best with your singing!
Is the sound coming out of the abdomen during exercise from the straw and how to get it out?
The sound comes out the straw in the same way the sound comes out your mouth when you sing or sustain a tone. Here are two more videos that may help: czcams.com/video/asDg7T-WT-0/video.html
czcams.com/video/BRJUwQW_3Gs/video.html
@@rejoiceinyourvoice-tricial3731
Thank you so much, but I have a hard time being flexible and high notes.
there's ads
What I do not like is on most of the TV singing audition shows the winners are the loudest singers. I disagree with this. Even pros. use the mike for the volume.
Got adds lol
Why are you using such a large straw? Titze is using a thin straw