Using Semi-Occluded Vocal Tract Exercises as a Vocal Tract "Reset"

For decades, the benefits of semi-occluded vocal tract exercises (SOVTEs) in voice training and rehabilitation have been extolled, most especially how SOVTEs impact phonation. However, a second important, yet neglected aspect of SOVTEs identified in numerous research studies is how they affect the shape of the vocal tract. This article highlights how SOVTEs can passively expand the airway, alleviating unintended constrictions, freeing singers from attempting to "open the throat" through direct muscular activation. This expansion can serve as a vocal tract "reset," allowing singers to selectively shape the vocal tract, facilitatating the wide-narrow contrasts needed for singing in a variety of musical genres.