Top 10 Exercises for Your Vocal Health

By John Henny | Posted July 31, 2009, 2:32 p.m.

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As a voice teacher, I've found certain exercises that work well for most singers and help get fast
results. Unless noted, they can be used with any scale. But a word of caution: Don't take any of
these exercises higher than is comfortable. You can listen to my podcasts at
www.speechlevelpodcast.com for some examples.
1. Glides Through a Straw
Blow air through a small stirring straw while phonating glides up and down through your range.
The backpressure created by the resistance of the straw presses down on the vocal cords and
helps decrease puffiness, a major source of vocal trouble.
2. Lip Trills
This is a variation of the straw exercise. Gently blow air through closed lips, keeping them
relaxed, and sing an uh vowel underneath. Your lips should start to trill. The resistance of the
bubbling lips helps maintain cord closure, an important element of good singing.
3. Creaky Doors

This is a great exercise to help build the coordination needed to maintain proper cord closure.
Make a little edgy sound, like a creaky door or a rusty gate opening. Do a scale on this sound
using very little air. The idea is to not let the sound get breathy or squeezed.
4. Ngs
Make the ng sound from the word hung. This sound is produced with the tongue and soft palate
together. This again provides backpressure, while also making the transition between the lower
and upper registers (chest voice and head voice) easier.
5. Nasty Nays
This is done using the word nay on a bratty or Wicked Witchtype sound. This exercise also
assists in cord closure, while the exaggerated sound makes it easier to ascend into the upper
register without cracking or flipping.
6. Hooty Gees
This is the opposite of the previous exercise, and it's quite useful for a singer experiencing excess
tension. Using a dopey cartoon voice (think Yogi Bear), say the word gee. You should feel your
larynx drop. The g consonant should also help with cord closure due to the backpressure it
creates, so you can experience accessing the upper register with a stable larynx and closed cords.
This coordination is extremely important in good, healthy singing. Once this exercise is
comfortable, you can drop the dopey imposition and sing on a more natural sound.
7. Coo Coos
This exercise is great for working the upper register. The coo can be made to sound hooty, like an
owl, for extra ease in working high notes.
8. Aahs
This is very useful for singers who are weak or breathy in their lower register. The sound is on
the aah of cat and can be exaggerated by sticking the tongue out slightly. Do this in your lower
register in a five-tone scale (12345 to 54321 of the major scale). Use very little air, as
you don't want any breathiness in the sound.
9. Googs and Mums
These are best used once the voice is experiencing proper cord closure and ease of production.
The word goog (the vowel sounds like the oo in good) has both a hard consonant for cord closure
and a vowel that will help stabilize the larynx. Be sure to maintain the vowel in the upper
register, as vowel widening (gaag) can cause tension. The vowel and consonant of mum provide
a bit less help than goog, making this a slightly more advanced exercise.

10. Ooh-Oh-Uh-Ahs
Going from a more closed or narrow vowel to a wider one on a sustain is a great way to balance
resonance. The more closed vowel will help you get into your upper register. Gradually open to
the wider vowel while keeping the resonance in the same place. If the tone gets shouty or
strained, go back to the narrow vowel to get the voice balanced again.