This is a great tool for reminding me that I shouldn't be forcing any note or darting from note to note, but instead trusting my breath to carry it smoothly. Another great video, super helpful!!! Will do this daily
Lollipop sticks are very useful. I buy them in packs of 50 units here and they are quite OK. Whenever I drive or do nothing vocally speaking, I do this straw vocalising. They really bring me relaxation in my vocal tract and also clean flegm.
when i was going into falsetto i was getting super tight in the neck and actually was getting headaches. then i learnes this. i jad a big straw but i blew bubbles and pinches the straw for extra compression. it felt sooo amazing. i never sang better agter either.
Yay! Keep using straws as part of your daily vocal work. Find straws that are different diameters and experiment with which ones feel the best and provide the best results. Also, pay attention to your body alignment - specifically your head and neck - as you're singing.
This video is one of the best on clearly explaining the use of a straw as a very effective exercise for relaxing the vocal cords to create the "buzz" sensation. I'll definitely be practicing the exercises to release the muscle tension in my throat area (& hopefully clear the hoarseness). Thank you so much for a great tutorial!
I think another part of why it works so well is that, if it's small enough, it curbs the air flow to the low level that is optimal for most styles of singing. As a consequence, the vocal folds and the breathing muscles adapt to this optimal level of air flow, training them to maintain it even when the mouth is wide open.
I absolutely LOVE your anatomical approach to singing. I’ve been singing all my life but pursued kinesiology and fitness instead. In choir & honor choirs, I’ve learned a bunch of these tricks and warm ups you coach, but nobody ever explained to me what it was doing anatomically & I’ve got such a better understanding making application so much more straightforward for me. Took 27 years to find your coaching and I’m so thankful I finally did ❤️ you’re great at what you do & I appreciate you!
Thank you so much for this video! I am a singer with muscle tension dysphonia and there is such a small amount of info and help out there for it! Thank you for these! ❤️
You're most welcome. Dr. Dan's Voice Essentials and Jeff Alani Stanfill also have videos on this same topic that might be of interest to you. Let me know how you do with straw work.
Hi Lauren, my name is Illura and I just watched a video on straw exercises that you watched 3 years ago?! How is your muscle tension going these days? I would like to share this video with you that shares a very simple healing technique that I have been using on my throat. I am also exploring the straws which I also greatly appreciate. I hope my healing exercise is helpful for your throat as it is very nourishing! Bye for now - th-cam.com/video/2WPMmBHMk1k/w-d-xo.html
@@jadefo2433 what noticed first while doing it is how effortless everything is. i also found it because my throat was right and it loosened me up so much. also right after doing it you will noticed insane amounts of breath support and resonance to your speaking voice. its like yoir vody goes oh thats how.that works then just does it...
I’ve been doing the straw exercise for years, but never knew the science behind it!! 🤯❤️ This is a perfect exercise for those really “hard worker/doer” students that really tense and try almost too hard. This extra knowledge helps so much in addressing things with my students and why the straw warm-up can be incredibly effective. Love your videos - you’re a great teacher and incredibly knowledgeable! 🎶💕
I first found your channel with this video the other day. I bought a course almost a year ago, and it helped in some ways, but it ended up making me strain and sing too hard. Thank you so much for your videos. I've already watched several of your videos. Very informative! I heard of this exercise before, and I'm getting back to basics so I really need to try this.
You explain better than anyone else the function and efficacy of the straw exercises. I really enjoyed your tutorial. However, it takes a while to get into it. I ALMOST left the video because of the down time. Just FYI. In the end I really enjoyed your explanation. The width of the straw has never been in any explanation I’ve heard. Very appreciated.❤
Thank you, I have been diagnosed with Vocal Paresis and one side i have a little bot of an epiglottis enlargement most likely for over compensation...My voice has been creaky off and on for months...This feels like its is helping slowly
Same here (vocal paresis), Rafael. I've been doing the straw bit for a few months but just learned--through this video--that I was using too big a straw. Hope your condition improves.
Hi Rafael - I wonder how your vocal issues are going? I am writing to you as I also have issues with vocal tension and I just posted this healing technique for just that - let me know if it helps - Illura - th-cam.com/video/2WPMmBHMk1k/w-d-xo.html
I love this thanks l work it never tried before l only did as a kid but l thought was a childish thing but since it will help with my vocals l will try it out again thanks for opening my eyes
i find this useful also to overcome being self concious about being "too loud" or fearing your voice is going to crack if you attempt to hit a high note
You're welcome. See what happens if you make it a regular part of your day. Just a few sirens and/or scales might prove really therapeutic. Let me know how you do with it.
Discovered recently that flageolet with a tiny lip opening is an SOVT and accomplishes the same thing as a straw. It also trains the larynx to rise with pitch, which is necessary for belting. The pitch region matters, as well- E4 to A3 has medial compression in flageolet (falsetto's falsetto) which is absent above E4 and below A3. Also found an app that shows modes by harmonics- and it was not intended for this purpose. :D
True. As I was watching the beautifully demonstrated Video, I curled my lips and created a similar sound ( without straw) and LO! it was very effective.
singwisevocals thanks so much for your concern dear ..I was feeling so helpless but now I am feeling confident again .. waiting for lesson 2 ..god bless you angel .☺
Hi Karyn! I finally got round to subscribing!Yay! I enjoy your videos, thank-you so much for this one, it helped alot to know about those 'hiccups ' or breaks while using a straw and glides. Funny thing to say but you're just as I thought you'd be from Dr Dan's live chats= super friendly and helpful.😊 Love your sense of humour too! Cheers, Linda.
Karyn you are great. One of the very best of the more "traditional" vocal pedagogists on TH-cam. You are thorough, concise, clear and accurate, and excellent in demonstration. Thank you.
Wow I was today years old when i found out that humming into a straw could help the vocal chords!! Kinda reminds me of when we used to use the kazoos back in the day!! ☮️🎤
Welcome! I've slowed down a bit in recent months due to 'life,' but I'll be starting to get videos out again more regularly soon. I'm always open to suggestions for video topics (except reaction videos, please!).
Hi i enjoy your U tube very much and the straw exercise work for me BUT after a few minutes my voice returns to it usual type. how do i prolong the effect? thanks paul
Aside from shaping the vocal folds to make better use of reflected sound energy, this also helps you navigate your passaggio as it will be difficult to pull up F1 very far with such a closed mouth. Alternatively, if you do maintain F1/H2 coupling, it will require you to increase twang a lot and can therefore be useful for that as well.
I did Laryngoscopy. Report Result: Normal looking hypopharynx and larynx. but there is the failure of complete closure of both vocal cords during phonation. Can you suggest to me which treatment will be better for me?
Naturally a guy who sings about saving the ecology has half a dozen used straws on hand. Thanks to your engaging video, there's another fun special use besides packing one along to Starbucks. Great stuff, singwise!
I'll try n keep u posted … When I tried the straw technique something very interesting was going on and I don't know that much about the body to articulate what it was but I'll let you know and I'll ask my teacher I take one private a week about, if he notices ...thanks so much for posting these vids!
Yes. Sam Witwicky lives down my street. ;-) (Actually, there's a skydiving airport on the other side of the conservation land behind our house, so from the beginning of spring to the end of fall, we hear the airplane all day long.)
Quick question pls. How exactly are we doing this? Am i humming, or blowing into the straw. Ciuld u pls explain exactly what the muscles are doing in the throat as we do the straw warmup? Thanks alot
Is this an exercise that will just help anyone's overall voice for singing? I'm a 66 year old man who isn't trying to become a true vocalist. But, I would like to be able to improve my voice to sing along while playing my guitar.
Really useful, thank you. Am I correct in thinking that this is a similar effect to the use of lip trills? I can see how the straw would work better though because of needing less effort maybe?
Lip trills are also semi-occluded sounds, but you're correct in stating that they are slightly different from straw phonation. Lip bubbles/trills have a second set of vibrators involved (the lips) and this means that there is an opening and closing of the aperture (mouth opening), whereas the mouth opening in straw phonation is consistent and steady, which creates a consistent and steady pressure within the vocal tract. Both are beneficial, though.
From my experience, i would say they are not at all the same thing. You can do lip trills til the cows come home but it won't teach you want this straw technique can teach you. Lip trills feel great but still sang with a too breathy quality because my old teacher was hopeless teaching technique.
I have a question about the skips you mentioned. My problem is when using the straw I have a HUGE gap that isn’t there without the straw. I basically can’t make a sound anyway between C4-F4, in either m1 or m2. Should I just continue doing glissandos ignoring the skip and it will smooth out eventually?
Interesting. Usually the 'skip' or 'hiccup' is just a break on a given pitch, not a loss of phonation over several notes. See what happens when you sing a sustained OO vowel (/u/) with a very tiny (straw sized) mouth opening on the pitches within that range, then insert the straw. Basically, you're working in the reverse of what I did here. Do you still have sound on those pitches once you insert the straw?
singwisevocals if I sing a very small OO in m1 on around E4, but slightly larger than the straw and then insert the straw it just flips up to about an F#4 in m2. If I try to make my lips as small as the straw it does a similar thing. Sometimes it will stay in m1 and flatten instead. Also sometimes it will just go into some crazy distortion or crack all of over the place.
I suspect that you ordinarily over compress through that range. (This is, of course, an educated guess because I haven't actually heard you sing.) When you try the semioccluded vocal tract exercise, you're not able to compress as much (or in the same way) as you do without the straw. Straw phonation changes several things related to compression and which parts of the vocal folds are making the most contact during their vibration cycle - during phonation. Another possibility is a vocal fold lesion or mild swelling that prevents the vocal folds from making full contact. If you sing with heavy compression through that range, it might mask the symptoms of the underlying voice issue. Stick with straw phonation for a while and see if you notice a gradual improvement through this range. It may take some time to slowly add those notes. If not, I would encourage you to make an appointment with your ENT or laryngologist just to make sure that everything looks good.
singwisevocals so you mean that when I sing normally I may be over compressing which masks the break in the voice, but isn’t the healthy way to sing through that range? And when I use the straw I am not able to over compress and that is why the break is revealed? I am currently working on smoothing out the break at the moment and I can sometimes sing smoothly from m1 to m2, but not consistently. So it could be that I am going abut this with to much compression at the transition area?
Yes! Straw phonation helps to regulate airflow and builds overall consistency into the voice system. It's worth a try. Make straw phonation a regular part of your vocal practice for a while and then please share an update.
Hi Karyn, I understood that the straw VTS exercises teach the vocal cords to achieve coordination where they do not collide in a hard way and gradually remember more efficient ways to carry out emission tasks through the muscle memory of applying the exercise, that at the level of vocal cords and it seems to me that helps to breathing support, I was wondering that when using the voice without the instrument you have to feel the same coordination when using these straws? Personally I started to tighten the ropes for a while and what helped me a lot was these exercises, I feel that the emission changes at the chordal level, it happens to me that I notice how the vocal cords open slightly the way I used them hard but not to a point of airy if not to not be fluid not pressed but working in a different way less tight and I found it strange to work less hard, it happened to me at the beginning of this type of exercises that achieved that coordination with just the fact of using the straw unconsciously it happened after a few minutes using it and at the time of removing the straw everything was deconfigured and pressed the strings again but now in case it only regulates itself or is maintained, I don't know why and if it feels effectively that the strings are not tight, it means that it is a correct feeling that I must maintain at the emission level or it is a coordination that only happens in the straw but indirectly trains other issues ? Greetings and thank you very much for everything!!
You're very welcome. And yes, if the trumpet exercise is the one that I'm thinking of - in which we use a tight embouchure (lips barely part) - it's similar and has the same benefits, since both are semi-occluded vocal tract exercises.
Awesome video 😊 I struggle with tension and want to start straw exercises. If I warm up before a longer vocal session or a gig, how long would you suggest to do the straw exercises?
Hi, I managed to get a straw today and was trying vocal scales. I found that singing a long note and removing the straw, my voice was breaking up. Put the straw back in my mouth and the note was flowing again. I did this for about a minute and was surprised how it kept on happening.
Hello Roisin, my name is Illura and some time ago I actually had a lesson with singing teacher. She was great! I too suffer from vocal tension and just posted a video that shares a very simple healing technique is you are feeling frustrated and emotionally reactive in regards to your throat/singing/speaking issues. i share it here with you and feel free to let me know in the comments of the video i posted if it was helpful at all for you. i would love to know!Illura - th-cam.com/video/2WPMmBHMk1k/w-d-xo.html
Great lesson. Are you actively blowing through the straw when you phonate? Is it the same effort that you would use when phonating with the straw in water? Thank you!
Hello mam!! I m from Bangladesh. 😊 Kindly tell me, which types of straw I may use, can I use normal straw?? Given with soft drinks or juice in cafe/ restaurant..
Hi..I have had LPR for about 10 months now..the reflux is better due to low acid diet, elevated bed and lots of alkaline water. Also mild sleep apnea was diagnosed after a sleep study with possible tongue thrusting issues due to high anxiety over the last year or so....But I'm left with tight throat muscles and my voice is scratching and strained at times..with voice fatigue. I feel its improved some since my dr put me on cbd voice spray. I'm hoping I won't need to see a SLP but it's not been ruled out. Will these straw exercises help?.. btw I'm not a singer
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?
Yes! Straw phonation can help you find a better balance between the breath and how the vocal folds come together, as well as a better efficiency throughout the entire voice system. It's often used in speech language pathology to help speakers (and singers) heal from vocal injuries such as nodules, as well as other pathologies such as muscle tension dysphonia.
@@singwisevocals 🥺Thank you so much. It really means alot and please make a video on speaking technique for better efficiency and natural pitch to prevent injury in future.
currently post laryngitis however my voice isn't the same at the moment...2 weeks rest followed by different sets of exercise to bring it back to where I left off. Hopefully this is a normal healing process??? one side feels tight, breaks and sound raspy with some soreness left in it...anyone experienced the same or similar after an episode of viral laryngitis???
This is a great tool for reminding me that I shouldn't be forcing any note or darting from note to note, but instead trusting my breath to carry it smoothly. Another great video, super helpful!!! Will do this daily
How do I know it's working because it's so easy to breathe through the straw I don't feel anything
Lollipop sticks are very useful. I buy them in packs of 50 units here and they are quite OK. Whenever I drive or do nothing vocally speaking, I do this straw vocalising. They really bring me relaxation in my vocal tract and also clean flegm.
Great suggestion!
Be careful having things in your mouth when driving. Maybe use a shorter straw or one that is bent to face downward just in case something happens
when i was going into falsetto i was getting super tight in the neck and actually was getting headaches. then i learnes this. i jad a big straw but i blew bubbles and pinches the straw for extra compression. it felt sooo amazing. i never sang better agter either.
Yay! Keep using straws as part of your daily vocal work. Find straws that are different diameters and experiment with which ones feel the best and provide the best results. Also, pay attention to your body alignment - specifically your head and neck - as you're singing.
This video is one of the best on clearly explaining the use of a straw as a very effective exercise for relaxing the vocal cords to create the "buzz" sensation. I'll definitely be practicing the exercises to release the muscle tension in my throat area (& hopefully clear the hoarseness). Thank you so much for a great tutorial!
Oh my gosh! What a wonderful compliment! Thank you. Let me know how you do with it.
This was so helpful you have no idea! Also works great for vocal warmups and "singing" when you've got thin walls :)
Yes it does!
I think another part of why it works so well is that, if it's small enough, it curbs the air flow to the low level that is optimal for most styles of singing. As a consequence, the vocal folds and the breathing muscles adapt to this optimal level of air flow, training them to maintain it even when the mouth is wide open.
Yes! Very true.
Hi with this being true dose this mean the straw exercise is useless??
@@trigerhappy95x no, why should it?
I absolutely LOVE your anatomical approach to singing. I’ve been singing all my life but pursued kinesiology and fitness instead. In choir & honor choirs, I’ve learned a bunch of these tricks and warm ups you coach, but nobody ever explained to me what it was doing anatomically & I’ve got such a better understanding making application so much more straightforward for me. Took 27 years to find your coaching and I’m so thankful I finally did ❤️ you’re great at what you do & I appreciate you!
Thank you so much for this video! I am a singer with muscle tension dysphonia and there is such a small amount of info and help out there for it! Thank you for these! ❤️
You're most welcome. Dr. Dan's Voice Essentials and Jeff Alani Stanfill also have videos on this same topic that might be of interest to you. Let me know how you do with straw work.
Lauren, I also have MTD. How are you now? What worked, or didn’t work for you?
singwise r
Hi Lauren, my name is Illura and I just watched a video on straw exercises that you watched 3 years ago?! How is your muscle tension going these days? I would like to share this video with you that shares a very simple healing technique that I have been using on my throat. I am also exploring the straws which I also greatly appreciate. I hope my healing exercise is helpful for your throat as it is very nourishing! Bye for now - th-cam.com/video/2WPMmBHMk1k/w-d-xo.html
My teacher noticed an improvement immediately when I started to use exercises like these.
They're great, aren't they?
What kind of improvement can you notice?
Yes what kind?
@@jadefo2433 what noticed first while doing it is how effortless everything is. i also found it because my throat was right and it loosened me up so much. also right after doing it you will noticed insane amounts of breath support and resonance to your speaking voice. its like yoir vody goes oh thats how.that works then just does it...
Wow. You need to find a teacher who knows vocal science. Robbing you.
I’ve been doing the straw exercise for years, but never knew the science behind it!! 🤯❤️ This is a perfect exercise for those really “hard worker/doer” students that really tense and try almost too hard. This extra knowledge helps so much in addressing things with my students and why the straw warm-up can be incredibly effective. Love your videos - you’re a great teacher and incredibly knowledgeable! 🎶💕
I first found your channel with this video the other day. I bought a course almost a year ago, and it helped in some ways, but it ended up making me strain and sing too hard. Thank you so much for your videos. I've already watched several of your videos. Very informative! I heard of this exercise before, and I'm getting back to basics so I really need to try this.
I like the fundamental reason about pressure and the efficient and balance very good .best.explain and very useful.
Thanks greetings
You explain better than anyone else the function and efficacy of the straw exercises. I really enjoyed your tutorial. However, it takes a while to get into it. I ALMOST left the video because of the down time. Just FYI. In the end I really enjoyed your explanation. The width of the straw has never been in any explanation I’ve heard. Very appreciated.❤
With every video I watch, I fall in love with you more and more. Thank you very much for the advice.
Awww. You're most welcome.
This clears my throat in seconds. Thank you so much. 💜
This is such a great approach! Thank you.
Interesting technique for speakers and singers and I am anxious to try it today.
Please let me know how you do with it.
Thank you. I suffer from spasmodic dysphonia and am going to try these now !
Can you please post a vocal warm-up video using the straw. Many Thanks.
You post exactly what i need exactly when i need it i love you
Yay!!!
Thank you, I have been diagnosed with Vocal Paresis and one side i have a little bot of an epiglottis enlargement most likely for over compensation...My voice has been creaky off and on for months...This feels like its is helping slowly
I'm so glad to hear that. Straw phonation can be very therapeutic.
Same here (vocal paresis), Rafael. I've been doing the straw bit for a few months but just learned--through this video--that I was using too big a straw. Hope your condition improves.
Hi Rafael - I wonder how your vocal issues are going? I am writing to you as I also have issues with vocal tension and I just posted this healing technique for just that - let me know if it helps - Illura - th-cam.com/video/2WPMmBHMk1k/w-d-xo.html
I love this thanks l work it never tried before l only did as a kid but l thought was a childish thing but since it will help with my vocals l will try it out again thanks for opening my eyes
I find straws from juice boxes(specifically Mott's Apple Juice) are the perfect size. Anything smaller is difficult to draw air through.
i find this useful also to overcome being self concious about being "too loud" or fearing your voice is going to crack if you attempt to hit a high note
You are an excellent teacher.
Thank you so much!!!
That's very kind of you to say so.
I've tried this before, but didn't do it many times. I guess I should put it into my practice. Thanks for the video.
You're welcome. See what happens if you make it a regular part of your day. Just a few sirens and/or scales might prove really therapeutic. Let me know how you do with it.
thanks Karyn
You're welcome.
Awesome explanation and introduction to this technique, thank uuu
This is so cool! Great exercise to help me improve my cord closure!
You are a teaching GODDESS!
I do enjoy playing the straws. It is fun.
Yes! I need to play around with straw phonation more often.
Discovered recently that flageolet with a tiny lip opening is an SOVT and accomplishes the same thing as a straw. It also trains the larynx to rise with pitch, which is necessary for belting.
The pitch region matters, as well- E4 to A3 has medial compression in flageolet (falsetto's falsetto) which is absent above E4 and below A3.
Also found an app that shows modes by harmonics- and it was not intended for this purpose. :D
True. As I was watching the beautifully demonstrated Video, I curled my lips and created a similar sound ( without straw) and LO! it was very effective.
the deeper in the water the straw (half-full), the easier it feels.
thanks so much dear I hop it will help me in phonatory gap..☺
It just may! I'm working on trying to get Lesson 2 of How to Fix Breathy Singing posted within the next couple days. I appreciate your patience!
singwisevocals thanks so much for your concern dear ..I was feeling so helpless but now I am feeling confident again .. waiting for lesson 2 ..god bless you angel .☺
You're welcome.
Hi Karyn!
I finally got round to subscribing!Yay!
I enjoy your videos, thank-you so much for this one, it helped alot to know about those 'hiccups ' or breaks while using a straw and glides.
Funny thing to say but you're just as I thought you'd be from Dr Dan's live chats= super friendly and helpful.😊
Love your sense of humour too!
Cheers,
Linda.
Thanks so much for subscribing and for the kind and encouraging words, Linda! And welcome.
Karyn you are great. One of the very best of the more "traditional" vocal pedagogists on TH-cam. You are thorough, concise, clear and accurate, and excellent in demonstration. Thank you.
Wow I was today years old when i found out that humming into a straw could help the vocal chords!! Kinda reminds me of when we used to use the kazoos back in the day!! ☮️🎤
just joined the channel & excited to get started!
Welcome! I've slowed down a bit in recent months due to 'life,' but I'll be starting to get videos out again more regularly soon. I'm always open to suggestions for video topics (except reaction videos, please!).
LOVE this!!! Great advice and awesome video! Funny too... Thanks Karen :)
Thanks for watching and commenting!
Hi i enjoy your U tube very much and the straw exercise work for me BUT after a few minutes my voice returns to it usual type. how do i prolong the effect? thanks paul
I use the straw when I don't want to be heard and between sets.
That's a great idea!
That's a great idea.
great idea for people who have no opportunity to practice and live with grouchy people who seem to hate music. Thanks!
When i try to sing low notes my voice enters that creaky vocal fry How can i use the straw to fix that
Aside from shaping the vocal folds to make better use of reflected sound energy, this also helps you navigate your passaggio as it will be difficult to pull up F1 very far with such a closed mouth. Alternatively, if you do maintain F1/H2 coupling, it will require you to increase twang a lot and can therefore be useful for that as well.
I did Laryngoscopy.
Report Result: Normal looking hypopharynx and larynx. but there is the failure of complete closure of both vocal cords during phonation.
Can you suggest to me which treatment will be better for me?
I hope it helps me to release my vocal stress💙
I hope so, too! Please let me know how you do with it and if you need any more help.
Hello ma'am..will does help in hoarseness due to GERD and muscle tension dysphonia .
Naturally a guy who sings about saving the ecology has half a dozen used straws on hand. Thanks to your engaging video, there's another fun special use besides packing one along to Starbucks. Great stuff, singwise!
I'll try n keep u posted … When I tried the straw technique something very interesting was going on and I don't know that much about the body to articulate what it was but I'll let you know and I'll ask my teacher I take one private a week about, if he notices ...thanks so much for posting these vids!
You're most welcome. And please do let me know what kind of impact it has on your singing.
will it help to fix vocal nodule? thank you
Enjoyed the humor. Was that bumble bee we heard around 5:45?
Yes. Sam Witwicky lives down my street. ;-) (Actually, there's a skydiving airport on the other side of the conservation land behind our house, so from the beginning of spring to the end of fall, we hear the airplane all day long.)
Love the vid, Karyn! For me, a thicker straw into water was extremely helpful.
Thanks for watching and commenting, Jeff!
Into WATER!
Ive got bilateral sulcus and my voice therapist has given me this exercise I hope it helps
Thank you, that was very clear!
tysm
You are a really good teachef
That's sweet of you to say!
This is helpful mam to improve my vocal range mam when hitting the high notes?
Ty
great video
Does this help with improving vocal tone? Also, what sound are you making with the straw in your mouth?
Quick question pls. How exactly are we doing this? Am i humming, or blowing into the straw. Ciuld u pls explain exactly what the muscles are doing in the throat as we do the straw warmup? Thanks alot
Is this an exercise that will just help anyone's overall voice for singing? I'm a 66 year old man who isn't trying to become a true vocalist. But, I would like to be able to improve my voice to sing along while playing my guitar.
you are amazing! Thank you so much for your videos
thank you for sharing your knowledge. you sound like you're from the midwest. i'm from wisconsin!
Canada, actually. (Southern Ontario, more specifically.)
Thanks so much for this great advice. God bless yaah.
Really useful, thank you. Am I correct in thinking that this is a similar effect to the use of lip trills? I can see how the straw would work better though because of needing less effort maybe?
Lip trills are also semi-occluded sounds, but you're correct in stating that they are slightly different from straw phonation. Lip bubbles/trills have a second set of vibrators involved (the lips) and this means that there is an opening and closing of the aperture (mouth opening), whereas the mouth opening in straw phonation is consistent and steady, which creates a consistent and steady pressure within the vocal tract. Both are beneficial, though.
From my experience, i would say they are not at all the same thing. You can do lip trills til the cows come home but it won't teach you want this straw technique can teach you. Lip trills feel great but still sang with a too breathy quality because my old teacher was hopeless teaching technique.
I have a question about the skips you mentioned. My problem is when using the straw I have a HUGE gap that isn’t there without the straw. I basically can’t make a sound anyway between C4-F4, in either m1 or m2. Should I just continue doing glissandos ignoring the skip and it will smooth out eventually?
Interesting. Usually the 'skip' or 'hiccup' is just a break on a given pitch, not a loss of phonation over several notes. See what happens when you sing a sustained OO vowel (/u/) with a very tiny (straw sized) mouth opening on the pitches within that range, then insert the straw. Basically, you're working in the reverse of what I did here. Do you still have sound on those pitches once you insert the straw?
singwisevocals if I sing a very small OO in m1 on around E4, but slightly larger than the straw and then insert the straw it just flips up to about an F#4 in m2. If I try to make my lips as small as the straw it does a similar thing. Sometimes it will stay in m1 and flatten instead. Also sometimes it will just go into some crazy distortion or crack all of over the place.
I suspect that you ordinarily over compress through that range. (This is, of course, an educated guess because I haven't actually heard you sing.) When you try the semioccluded vocal tract exercise, you're not able to compress as much (or in the same way) as you do without the straw. Straw phonation changes several things related to compression and which parts of the vocal folds are making the most contact during their vibration cycle - during phonation. Another possibility is a vocal fold lesion or mild swelling that prevents the vocal folds from making full contact. If you sing with heavy compression through that range, it might mask the symptoms of the underlying voice issue. Stick with straw phonation for a while and see if you notice a gradual improvement through this range. It may take some time to slowly add those notes. If not, I would encourage you to make an appointment with your ENT or laryngologist just to make sure that everything looks good.
singwisevocals so you mean that when I sing normally I may be over compressing which masks the break in the voice, but isn’t the healthy way to sing through that range? And when I use the straw I am not able to over compress and that is why the break is revealed? I am currently working on smoothing out the break at the moment and I can sometimes sing smoothly from m1 to m2, but not consistently. So it could be that I am going abut this with to much compression at the transition area?
I'm thinking that this might be the case. (It's actually fairly common, especially for males, to over compress in the passaggio area.)
My air really fluctuates when I’m singing a straight note which causes shaky and wobbly notes .. do you think this will help ??
Yes! Straw phonation helps to regulate airflow and builds overall consistency into the voice system. It's worth a try. Make straw phonation a regular part of your vocal practice for a while and then please share an update.
Hi Karyn, I understood that the straw VTS exercises teach the vocal cords to achieve coordination where they do not collide in a hard way and gradually remember more efficient ways to carry out emission tasks through the muscle memory of applying the exercise, that at the level of vocal cords and it seems to me that helps to breathing support, I was wondering that when using the voice without the instrument you have to feel the same coordination when using these straws? Personally I started to tighten the ropes for a while and what helped me a lot was these exercises, I feel that the emission changes at the chordal level, it happens to me that I notice how the vocal cords open slightly the way I used them hard but not to a point of airy if not to not be fluid not pressed but working in a different way less tight and I found it strange to work less hard, it happened to me at the beginning of this type of exercises that achieved that coordination with just the fact of using the straw unconsciously it happened after a few minutes using it and at the time of removing the straw everything was deconfigured and pressed the strings again but now in case it only regulates itself or is maintained, I don't know why and if it feels effectively that the strings are not tight, it means that it is a correct feeling that I must maintain at the emission level or it is a coordination that only happens in the straw but indirectly trains other issues ? Greetings and thank you very much for everything!!
Thankyou so much this was fun n very helpful💕😌
Thanks so much for the great tips! Would like to ask if this is similar to the 'trumpet' excercise? Thanks!!
You're very welcome. And yes, if the trumpet exercise is the one that I'm thinking of - in which we use a tight embouchure (lips barely part) - it's similar and has the same benefits, since both are semi-occluded vocal tract exercises.
Thanks so much
Awesome video 😊 I struggle with tension and want to start straw exercises. If I warm up before a longer vocal session or a gig, how long would you suggest to do the straw exercises?
nice i like your video i will practice
Hi, I managed to get a straw today and was trying vocal scales. I found that singing a long note and removing the straw, my voice was breaking up. Put the straw back in my mouth and the note was flowing again. I did this for about a minute and was surprised how it kept on happening.
Thanks! When singing Falsetto with a straw, the air seems not able to flow from the lung. Any tips? Thanks!
Well, thank yuh for this video, I got a problem with the vocal adduction
Should I allow my cheeks to inflate with straw exercises or should I try to prevent this?
Thanks, this helped.
I had thyroid lobectomy mid-June 2019. My singing voice is very very poor. What advice would anyone give me please??
Hello Roisin, my name is Illura and some time ago I actually had a lesson with singing teacher. She was great! I too suffer from vocal tension and just posted a video that shares a very simple healing technique is you are feeling frustrated and emotionally reactive in regards to your throat/singing/speaking issues. i share it here with you and feel free to let me know in the comments of the video i posted if it was helpful at all for you. i would love to know!Illura - th-cam.com/video/2WPMmBHMk1k/w-d-xo.html
Fantastic video! Thankyou:)
If it will be useful for vocal chord paralysis. .please suggest
Great lesson. Are you actively blowing through the straw when you phonate? Is it the same effort that you would use when phonating with the straw in water? Thank you!
Great video.
Why does It create a tickling in the back of my throat, Is it supposed to do this?
fab lipstick and blouse, Karyn!
Thank you!
Hello mam!! I m from Bangladesh. 😊
Kindly tell me, which types of straw I may use, can I use normal straw?? Given with soft drinks or juice in cafe/ restaurant..
Very Helpful Thanks
I'm so glad to hear that!
Hi..I have had LPR for about 10 months now..the reflux is better due to low acid diet, elevated bed and lots of alkaline water. Also mild sleep apnea was diagnosed after a sleep study with possible tongue thrusting issues due to high anxiety over the last year or so....But I'm left with tight throat muscles and my voice is scratching and strained at times..with voice fatigue. I feel its improved some since my dr put me on cbd voice spray. I'm hoping I won't need to see a SLP but it's not been ruled out. Will these straw exercises help?.. btw I'm not a singer
Will this help is have a swollen vocal fold?
Is it possible to do these exercises too much or with too much force and actually hurt the vocal cords???
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?
is this helpful for vocal nodules?? please help!
Yes! Straw phonation can help you find a better balance between the breath and how the vocal folds come together, as well as a better efficiency throughout the entire voice system. It's often used in speech language pathology to help speakers (and singers) heal from vocal injuries such as nodules, as well as other pathologies such as muscle tension dysphonia.
@@singwisevocals 🥺Thank you so much. It really means alot and please make a video on speaking technique for better efficiency and natural pitch to prevent injury in future.
Whenever I try to sing, I feel like I have a sore throat, my voice cracks, and I can't go high and it vibrates..what should i do ma'm ?
Can I use a garden hose?
Does it help to reduce hoarseness of voice. ...after thyroidectomy I face voice problem. ....my surgery done 22 Aug 2019? Plz reply
I suffer from LPR, will the strasw phonation exercises be helpful?
Oh my gosh I kept trying to do it with water. It got everywhere but it’s so satisfying
Hi question, so is this a good way to warmup ur voice?
Yes, it's a very good way to warm up your voice! It's going to help 'set up' your vocal instruments for better balance in your technique.
currently post laryngitis however my voice isn't the same at the moment...2 weeks rest followed by different sets of exercise to bring it back to where I left off. Hopefully this is a normal healing process??? one side feels tight, breaks and sound raspy with some soreness left in it...anyone experienced the same or similar after an episode of viral laryngitis???
Tips and exercises on Messa di voce please!
Yes! I've thought about doing a video on that topic soon.