Semi-Occluded Vocal Tract Exercises are nothing new, yet they are receiving new attention due to the proliferation of internet teachers and available information. Lip Trills, singing through a straw, blowing bubbles through a straw into a bottle of water, humming--all these are methods used to gently warm up the voice and reduce strain. Yes, they work! They work because closing the lips and singing results in less pressure on the vocal folds. SOVT works for rehabilitation, for warming up and for cooling down after a performance. 

I titled this post “New SOVT”  because I wanted to address the new gadget we are all talking about, which is the “Vocal Trainer” sold by BetterVoice.com.  I have one, I really like it, and as an 82 year old singer with a wobbly voice, I can tell you it has helped considerably.  It can teach singers who strain a different way to approach their placement and resonance, and it can help singers who push, back off.  I now recommend it right away to all my voice clients.  

I know this sounds like an ad, but you don't have to buy one of these to get the benefit of SOVT exercises. Do some sliding lip trills, hum a song you are working on with a lip buzz, find a medium straw and sing through it, then a narrower one, and you will find the same benefits. The point is, any vocalist benefits from SOVT's, and you can, too.

Sarah E. Baker, B.M., M.A., Ph.D.

Musician, Performer, Educator, Writer