Music Tip Monday #4 - Straw Phonation Part 2

It’s no secret that here at StagePage we are big fans of straw phonation.

Here are two more uses for your straw – and as always,  we encourage you to use a metal or bamboo straw rather than single use plastic or paper:

1. If you have reluctant singers in your primary music class they could be encouraged to use a straw to ‘play’ a song at first. That way they are barely heard by their peers and at the same time they are preparing to eventually sing with an unforced sound that is forward in placement.

2. All students can benefit from breathing in through a straw and feeling cool air touching the soft and hard palate in the mouth. This will encourage a more rounded choir singing tone.

Music Tip Mondays #1 - Straw Phonation

Voice getting fatigued as you head into the last week of the school term?  A quick restorative fix can be found by using a straw to warm your speaking and / or singing voice up before class. You could also use these warm-ups with your choir or school musical cast.

The exercises below can be done either with a straw in the air (hold straw parallel to the ground – or in a bottle of water. 

Maintain soft, slightly puffy cheeks throughout.

Don’t force your air  - let it be a consistent and comfortable air–flow from a sense of low abdominal release.

When blowing into a water bottle keep the bubbles consistent.

1. Blow air  gently through the straw.

2. Add sound to the airflow. This will feel like an ‘oo’ sound going into the straw on the breath flow.

3. Make a low sustained note in the straw.

4. Blow 5 note scales into the straw. Start from a comfortably low key.

5. Try descending 8 note scales – starting from a little higher in your vocal range.

6. Try sirens  - start in the middle of your range and then expand upwards and downwards in pitch.  If you sense a ‘gap’ in the line of sound, go back over that part of the siren gently until the siren moves more smoothly.

7. Try a section of a song in the straw – remember you cannot use words – just the melody on the ‘oo’ sound.

Of course it is always preferable to use a metal, bamboo, glass or silicone straw rather than single use plastic.

Liz Pascoe