SOVT Exercises

What does "sovt" mean?

SOVT stands for Semi Occluded Vocal Tract. A fancy way to say - the mouth is partially closed.

what is the benefit?

Short answer
When the mouth is partially closed, back pressure reflects at the lips to help the folds vibrate with more ease and less muscular effort.

For a more in depth explanation on these benefits, visit our
Straw Phonation page

We highly encourage the exploration of non-petroleum based plastic straws. 8.3 billion single-use plastic straws end up in the ocean each year and will never biodegrade. We have had great success with paper straws, corn-based plastics that will break down over time, and metal straws. See www.thelaststraw.com.au for more information on plastic straws and what you can do to help mitigate the damage they are having on our world.

How do you use the straw?

Put the straw in your mouth and sing like you normally would!

Pretend your lips now end at the edge of the straw

helpful hints

Make sure no air is escaping around the lips or through the nose. You want to maximize the amount of air pressure the vocal folds recieve.

Think of a vowel like /u/ or /U/ to create a low/neutral laryngeal posture while you slide through the range.

Try different sized straws. Each person may be different. The straw is meant to mimic your vocal tract. Bass' may prefer large, sopranos may prefer small.

Put 2 straws together lengthwise or side by side to recieve even more back pressure.

Use for repetitions in rehearsal to avoid fatigue

Focus on the sensations of creating the sound rather than the volume of the sound. Singing through a straw will never be as loud as open mouth singing

sovt exercises

Slides, slides, slides, glides, glides, glides
any pitch, high to low, low to high

Octave leaps

Arpeggios

Scales

Vocal fry through the straw

Use as a Warm Up, Cool Down or Reset button

Prosody (follow the pitch pattern of how you speak)

Think of different vowel shapes

Start with the straw for an onset then go into an open mouth exercise

Alternate every other exercise or phrase with the straw

Sing rep through the straw

Research says for maximum benefit, use the straw
15 minutes a day -
Warm Up, Cool Down or Reset Button

can't find a straw?

These SOVT exercises work as well because the mouth is partially closed and back pressure will return to the vocal folds-

MMMMMMMM

NNNNNNNNNN

NNNGGGGGGG

VVVVVVVVVV

ZZZZZZZZZZZZ

DDDJJJJJJJJJJ

Lip Trill

Tongue Trill

when do you use Sovt exercises?

If you hear a breathy sound. The back pressure created helps the vocal folds come together preventing less air from escaping.

If you hear a disconnected sound. Sliding through the straw encourages legato in singing.

If you hear a break in the voice. The back pressure created also helps the fold line up during transitions in the voice.

If you hear a pressed sound. The back pressure created helps vocal fold vibration without muscular effort so muscles can be trained to engage less.

If you hear a tired sound. SOVT phonation is less fatiguing but still requires the focus and coordination of full volume singing.

First sound of the day, last sound of the day, warm up, cool down, or reset button

Start your day with straw phonation!
It's easy, it's subtle, you won't disturb your neighbors, and you can do it in the car or on the train

Visit our Free Handouts & Materials page for a printable handout on the benefits of straw phonation

Who is using straw phonation?

Renee Fleming told Ingo Titze and PAVA conference members this Fall that "Straw phonation changed my life".

Straw phonation is definitely helpful on the tour bus in between gigs

Holy Cross Choir members use straw phonation during concerts to reset the voice

The Holy Cross Choirs (HCC) straw is the most festive straw in our rehearsal room

Straws are the new business cards!

Watch Dr. Titze, the man who started it all, explain straw phonation application: