Transform Your Singing with This Surprising Straw Technique

Start using this SOVT exercise now to get the sound that you want!

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⏰ Timecodes ⏰
0:00 Intro
00:32 What is straw phonation?
00:42 Why is straw singing so good for the voice?
01:53 Straw singing benefits
02:22 Straw substitutions
03:03 Straw singing exercise

My Singgeek mission is to help singers get the voice they want through simple geeky step-by-step videos

[jasoncabral]

Sooo true!I've been using a straw for 10 minutes a day for a month. It works. It relaxed my..not sure what but my voice is more resonant...fuller throughout my range.

[ideapage]

Several years ago, after a neck surgery on my left-hand side, I was told some hoarseness would be a normal side effect of the surgery. This was supposed to go away after a few weeks. It didn't! An Ear, Nose, and Throat doctor told me that during the surgery they must have bumped the nerve to the muscle that controls that side of my larynx causing a muscle spasm which prevented the left side of my larynx from closing completely. The cure...

...Straw singing. 

She sent me to a speech therapist who had me do two variations of straw singing. The first involved gently blowing into a straw inserted into a cup with a few centimeters of water in it. The trick was to keep very steady blowing pressure by listening to the bubbles. The other technique was to then do straw singing also listening to the bubbles to keep the pressure the same. It too several months f doing this multiple times throughout the day for the hoarseness to go away.

[TimA-lsur]

I love the clear concise and useful way you present. I find the tone very positive and approachable. Your videos really are great!!

I think I am a baritone. When singing higher notes through the straw my vocal folds colapse and lose control. I try backing off the air steam to correct it.
That works sometimes.

[federicovandiest]

Hey Ronja, my cool substitution was an "bombilla" for "yerba mate", which is just a metallic straw used for drinking this traditional tea, very common in south american countries, like mine, Chile. Cheers, and thanks for another super useful video!

[LillianGreenHiLilly]

What a great idea. If only I could sing the words at the same time, but still love the straw affect.

[thebugacademy]

hello Ronja, it's quite amazing why other online singing instructors have never mentioned this method i learned this like 40 something years ago, oh cr-p I just give my age away, strangely the straw is maybe the best tool, and the fermentation device to use later when you have expanded on breathing, I absolutely back you up, anyone reading this, it is amazing for the resonance one creates as well as the other things you mention, and actually it also has other benefits, like if you suffer headaches migraine try it you might actually be very surprised, I'm glad I came across you Ronja, clever girl,

[k.sketchesmedia]

I always enjoy your teachings ❤. Thank you very much coach
Watching you from Ghana, west Africa

[LilPersey]

I'ma try this 1 hour a day, I hope it will being back my voice & enhance it further, there r songs I cannot complete coz one line requires a highest note but I can't reach it + I don't wanna remove the line😅.

[websitehandyman]

Thank you for this! I have a few of questions:
- How wide should be straw be? does it matter if i use a skinny straw or a big bubble tea one?
- Does it matter if the straw has a curve to it, or should it be straight?
- I've been told to do this into a cup half-full of water. Does that make any difference?

[jonathangoodman]

I will get backlash for pointing this out, but the Vader theme here has one wrong note, the next to last tonic, which is lower (to the leading tone); tougher to sing, yes, but so cool!

[vobavocal]

This might be helpful for beginners, but folks can also get stuck with a crotch, if they don't understand how to hold back the air without the straw. My experience: Rather than creating a back-pressure through a straw in order to combat the air-pressure from the lungs, we could just diminish the initial air-pressure through opening our rib cage and relaxing the belly, holding back the air in the lungs that way when we sing and practice. I feel like that goes more directly to the source of the problem and is a more long-term sustainable solution.

[MrsVelvetViolet]

I love the Kazoo! 🙌🏻🙏🏻🎉🎶It is SO funny!😄 Thanks Ronja for this new video!

[lkgreenwell]

I’ve got myself a really cheap, plastic kazoo. I’m very pleased with it, it plays very easily, with a pleasant tone! Now to try it with ‘Nail the Pitch’

[ralfstofer]

Creating a small opening with thumb and index finger like a tiny o. Then hold it on your lips like the mouse peace of a trumpet. While humming like singing let the lips buzz a bit like playing a trumpet. This way its maybe even better as a straw or other small tube solutions for back pressure .

[benking]

I've never been a great singer but I think I've gotten better as a side benifit of learning the didgeridoo. This video supports my theory!

[lovernotfighter]

I used to be a singer in a small band when I was younger. Now my voice cracks and I always feel like I have Phlegm in the back of my throat. Am I just to old, I'm 72, or is it something I can overcome? I really enjoy singing even if I am alone on a country road.

[musicislife]

Mam you techniques are amazing and practical also...some techniques fell weired but very effective..from India

[lavonnecarrick]

Will it help my singing voice by playing a harmonica?

[nicholaschristenson]

Interesting and easily explained. Thank you.