Meet the Kazoo!
My voice clients know all too well my favorite voice tool for dysphonia: The Kazoo!
Why use it? Because it helps remind you what an open vocal tract feels like. And you should not feel tired after speaking or singing if you keep your vocal tract open.
Here’s my little routine:
|
1
|
Put the bigger end of the kazoo into your mouth and just breathe normally. Feel that air coming through freely. |
|
2
|
Then hum into the kazoo. If you have an open vocal tract, you will not feel your throat constrict when you hum. If you do, try again! You want to make sure your throat does not change positions when you are making noise. |
|
3
|
Try it again breathing through the kazoo and this time humming without it. Did your throat change positions? No? Great! |
|
4
|
Now try breathing through the kazoo and saying “ah.” Did your throat change positions? |
You can do this to help your speaking or singing voice with a straw, if you don’t have a kazoo. I also do it if I feel any anxiety during the day. It’s pretty centering!