Have you heard of SOVT exercises?
What does it mean?
SOVT – Semi Occluded Vocal Tract. SOVT exercises are a group of vocal exercises where something partially closes the space at the mouth. Because the mouth is partially closed, some of the excited energy leaving the mouth while we sing, gets reflected back down to the vocal folds. The vocal folds now have pressure underneath them from the air passing through the trachea (subglottic pressure) and pressure coming from above them from the backpressure. This assists them to freely vibrate with much less effort and sets them into an optimal position.
How exactly does that help?
Because of the added pressure from both sides, the vocal folds benefit from a small cushion of air between them, meaning they suffer less vibratory stress (less collision). This can be very helpful in voice therapy when someone is recovering or suffering from a pathology such as nodules. SOVT’s also lower the Phonation Threshold pressure (the amount of air pressure required to set the vocal folds into vibration). This means SOVT’s are helpful in training our voice in a way which requires minimal effort, meaning we don’t burn out so quickly! They also assist in register balance assisting us to glide through the transition areas in our voice.
SOVT exercise list:
-Humming through a straw
-Lip Trill
-Tongue raspberry
-vvvvvv, zzz, sss, zzhh, mmm
-Ng
Which ones do I do?
Any of these exercises are great. My personal preference is the straw. The reason for this is because if I’m warming up for a gig, its quiet! I also feel you benefit from more of a back pressure with the straw. The Tongue raspberry is also a good option if you suffer from tongue root tension.
As always if you need any help or have any questions please feel free to contact me through the contact page.
