Semi-Occluded Vocal Tract Exercises
Semi-occluded vocal tract exercises (SOVTEs) are voice exercises that somewhat occlude (close off) the vocal tract somewhere around the lips. There are many different versions: lip trills, tongue trills, blow fish, cup bubbles, straw phonation, humming, and a “buzzy o.” Today’s post is going to briefly go over how these exercises work on the anatomy/physiology of the vocal tract, some options for use in a vocal warm-up for singing and speaking, and the video version of this post will also run you through a short SOVTE warm-up using blow fish – feel free to use your favorite production if blow fish isn’t your thing.
Disclaimer: While I am a speech pathologist, I am not your speech pathologist. The information provided below is my own experiences and opinions. If you have medical questions on a personal level, please seek guidance from your medical team.
What Happens in the Vocal Tract During SOVTEs?
The short, simple version: Air comes up through our wind pipe, past the vocal folds. This airflow sets the vocal folds into vibration. Then, usually the airflow would escape easily from our mouths. But, by somewhat closing off the airflow near the front of our mouths, some of that airflow feeds back toward the vocal folds. This makes the vocal folds close easier and vibrate easier without the need for increased muscle tension. Some might argue that this sends messages to the brain that extraneous muscle tension isn’t needed to help. After many repetitions, the brain learns to use airflow instead of muscle tension to make the voice happen.
For a more in-depth discussion of the scientific underpinnings of SOVTEs, check out this article by Dr. Ingo Titze. Check out my other blog posts to learn more about vocal tract anatomy and vocal tract physiology.
Options for Use of SOVTEs During Vocal Warm-ups for Singing and Speaking
There are lots of different kinds of semi-occlusion. My current favorite is blow fish, which I learned while attending an SLP conference in 2019. Wendy Leborgne, Marci Rosenberg, and Star Cookman (amazing women and SLPs!) taught a Master Class that included use of this oral posture. Essentially, you puff your cheeks up with air, and let a little air leak through the lips while voicing. Variations include tongue movement to produce “duh,” “guh,” or alternating both of these sounds. This additional variation option is one of the reasons I love it. Plus, during the class, a video of the vocal tract was shown doing this exercise, and it significantly widened the throat more than other SOVTEs.
Other production options include lip trills (buzzing at the lips while voicing), tongue trills (sustaining a “rolled r”), humming through straws of various sizes with attention to airflow coming out the end, humming through a straw in water and making sure bubbles are evenly sustained throughout the vocalization, and the use of a “buzzy o,” as seen in vocal function exercises (a discussion for another blog post in the future!)
Once you decide what SOVTE posture works best for you, it’s time to decide what the exercise should look like. I love using this exercise as a “reset button” of sorts for the speaking voice. It’s also a great way to start warming up the singing voice. I sometimes have my singers learn their entire songs using a semi-occluded vocal tract before they learn the song with words! There are so many uses of this vocal tract posture, and it makes singing/voicing feel easier during and after completion!
Bottom Line
SOVTEs are so versatile, and there is usually at least one type of SOVTE that works best for each person. I invite you to check out the video (above) to learn a few exercises for speech and then a few singing voice exercises as well. As always, I wish you success on your wellness journey!