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This experimental study investigated the back pressure (p back ) versus flow (U) relationship for 10 different tubes commonly used for semi-occluded vocal tract exercises (SOVTE), i.e., 8 straws of different lengths and diameters, a resonance tube and a silicone tube similar to a Lax Vox tube. All tubes were assessed with the free end in air. The resonance tube and silicone tube were further assessed with the free end under water at the depths from 1 to 7 cm in steps of 1 cm. The results showed that relative changes in the diameter of straws affect p back considerably more compared to the same amount of relative change in length. Additionally, once tubes are submerged into water, p back needs to overcome the pressure generated by the water depth before flow can start. Under this condition, only a small increase in p back was observed as the flow was increased. Therefore, the wider tubes submerged into water produced an almost constant p back determined by the water depth, while the thinner straws in air produced relatively large changes to p back as flow was changed. These differences may be taken advantage of when customizing exercises for different users and diagnoses and optimizing the therapy outcome.

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This study provides data on the physical properties of resonance tube phonation with the tube end in water. This information will be useful in future research when looking into the possible effects of this type of voice training.

Objectives: Flow ball devices have been used as teaching tools to provide visual real-time feedback of airflow during singing. This study aims at exploring static back pressure and ball height as function of flow for two devices, marketed as flow ball and floating ball game. Study design: Comparative descriptive study. Method: A flow driven vocal tract simulator was used to investigate the aerodynamic properties of these two devices, testing them for four different ball sizes. The flow range investigated was between 0 and 0.5 L/s. Audio, flow, pressure and ball height were recorded. Results: The flow-pressure profiles for both tested devices were similar to those observed in previous studies on narrow tubes. For lifting the ball, both devices had a flow and a pressure threshold. The tested floating ball game required considerably higher back pressure for a given flow as compared with the flow ball. Conclusion: Both tested devices have similar effects on back pressure as straws of 3.7 and 3.0 mm diameter, for the flow ball and the floating ball game, respectively. One might argue that both devices could be used as tools for practicing semi-occluded vocal tract exercises, with the additional benefit of providing real-time visual feedback of airflow during phonation. The flow threshold, combined with the flow feedback, would increase awareness of flow, rather than of pressure, during exercises using a flow ball device.

Most non-classical singers in the sample elevated their heads for high notes while the classical singers were observed to keep it around the neutral position. This difference may be attributed to different singing techniques and phonatory system adjustments utilized by each group.

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