Straw phonation is a great tool for anyone who performs on stage. It is beneficial to prepare before presenting on stage to find the perfect balance for your vocal tract. It also aids in preventing any damage to your vocal folds if used regularly in your vocal warm-ups. There are thick and thin straws, depending on your needs, and they usually come with a cleaning brush. I use these ones.
Steaming is the quick fix for your vocal folds! Although there are numerous steam inhalers to buy online varying in quality and price, a simple one such as this one is more than enough. You could even get the same result when putting a towel over your head while bent over and inhaling directly from the pan. Don't inhale when the water's too hot (it shouldn't burn your mouth and throat), and only inhale for about ten minutes. Important: after you've steamed, rest your voice for 15-20 minutes to allow your vocal tract to cool down. Talking or clearing your throat during this time would cause more harm than good!!
Please note: this is not a replacement for proper hydration, so still drink enough water!
This is not a tea pot. This is a neti pot to cleanse your nasal cavity with. Rinsing your sinuses has lots of benefits such as improving breathing and relieving cold symptoms - and, you guessed it, freeing the nose so your voice sounds less nasal. Be sure to use distilled or filtered water, however. For a full list of DOs and DON'Ts, click here.
For any of you who are really curious about practical phonetics, Praat is a free software to analyze speech. Whether you're a fellow linguist geek or simply want to have a tattoo similar to the one on singer Shawn Mendes' forearm, download the FREE software here to get started.
PS: This spectrogram right here is me saying my full name in my Swiss German dialect.
