Maybe you’ve heard of it, but you don’t quite understand what it’s all about … let’s talk about the straw exercise! It sounds ridiculous, but it’s a proven technique to help singers coordinate the muscles used for singing. If your voice feels tired, vocalizing through a straw can be an effective way to gently stretch and unpress your vocal folds. This is a Semi-Occluded Vocal Tract exercise. SOVT means that your mouth is partially closed. This creates resistance which sends energy back to the vocal folds and helps them vibrate more efficiently. There are many great articles online about SOVT exercises and the straw exercise specifically; I am fan of this one from Voice Science Works.
The straw exercise was invented by Ingo R. Titze, a voice scientist and executive director of the National Center for Voice and Speech. Watch the video below to hear his explanation of the technique.
P.S. Use up your supply of plastic straws and then invest in a reusable straw to use regularly for this exercise. Sustainability for the win!