Voice Straw Phonation

Voice · Grades 3–8 · 12 cards · about 8 min

Semi-occluded vocal tract exercise with straw.

Hum through the straw for 10 seconds. Easy and steady.
Say it out loud

What's in this activity

  • Hum through the straw for 10 seconds. Easy and steady.
  • Hum a siren up and down through the straw, 5 times.
  • Hum a familiar song through the straw for 20 seconds.
  • Hum through the straw, then take it out and hum. Feel the difference.
  • Straw in water: gentle bubbles, steady stream, 10 seconds.
  • Straw in water: siren up and down through the bubbles.
  • Hum through the straw, then say 'mmm-one, mmm-two, mmm-three'.
  • Straw hum 10 seconds, then say a sentence with the same feeling.
  • Do 5 sets: hum 10 seconds, rest 10 seconds.
  • Never push. If it feels tight or scratchy, stop and rest.
  • Use before singing or a long day of talking.
  • Use after heavy voice use as a cool-down.

About this activity

Twelve straw phonation steps: hum through the straw for ten seconds, easy and steady; hum a siren up and down; hum a familiar song for twenty seconds; hum through the straw, then take it out and hum, feeling the difference; straw in water with gentle bubbles; five sets of ten seconds on and ten seconds off; and one card that says never push — if it feels tight or scratchy, stop and rest.

How to use it in a session

Do the take-it-out comparison every time. The straw creates back pressure that eases the vocal folds' work, and the moment after removing it is when the student can feel what that gained them — without the comparison it is an exercise with no perceptible point. Water adds more resistance and is the harder version; start without it. The card that goes straw hum, then 'mmm-one, mmm-two, mmm-three' is the bridge from humming into speech and is the one most worth repeating. Eight minutes covers five sets with comparisons.

What to listen for

Listen for the sound after the straw comes out. A voice that is easier and more forward immediately afterwards is the outcome, and that carryover is what the student should learn to notice. Watch for pushing — the whole technique depends on a gentle, steady tone, and a student straining through the straw is doing something different and unhelpful. Straw phonation is well tolerated and it is still not a first step. A student hoarse for more than about four weeks should be examined by an ENT before this becomes the routine.

Carrying it home

Any drinking straw works and it takes two minutes. Humming through one before singing or a long day of talking is a habit that fits into a morning without anybody scheduling it.

Questions

Why does humming through a straw help?
The narrow opening creates back pressure in the vocal tract, which lets the vocal folds vibrate with less collision force. It is a semi-occluded vocal tract exercise, and the effect is usually noticeable the moment the straw comes out.
Is it free?
Yes, all twelve steps are free to use with no account.
What ages is this for?
Third through eighth grade, and the same exercise is used with adults.