How to improve your voice – Music School 765

In order to achieve a certain result in such a difficult task as developing a singing voice, you need to accurately formulate a task for yourself.

If you want to reach a professional level and improve your singing voice, which is not inferior in strength and beauty of sound to world pop stars, then you cannot do without a competent vocal teacher. Of course, a teacher is not a guarantee of success, but without him you risk losing a lot of time on trial and error, harming your health and realizing only a fraction of the possible percentage of your potential.

But if you are a simple fan of singing along to the radio and a regular at karaoke bars, for whom the love of singing is gradually developing into a hobby, you can enroll in the “Fundamentals of Acting” course at the Benefis Theater School. At our school you will find regular classes, effective techniques and professional teachers who will help you develop the necessary skills.

Warm up before singing. Sing yourselves

Warm up before singing so as not to strain your voice. Sing "ee" softly and hold it for as long as you can. Repeat this exercise 2 times. Another warm-up is to sing the word "bump" as you slide from a low note to a high note, and repeat the exercise twice. Then do the opposite and move from a high note to a low note, performing the “bump” 3 times.

Sing "Do Re Mi" up and down. This is another great way to warm up your vocal cords and practice hitting successive notes. Start with C, then C#, and so on. Go slowly and hit each note immediately instead of rising to it. Focus on the basic scale: “Do Re Mi Fa Sol La Si Do.” If you move up and down the scale, you will sing both low and high sounds.

What determines the pitch and timbre of the voice?

Both in singing and in speech, the pitch and timbre of the voice depends on the structure of the organs of the speech apparatus:

length and thickness of ligaments;
volume and shape of resonators;
habitual movements of the muscles of the pharynx, lips, cheeks.

Therefore, it will not be possible to radically change the pitch of your voice and become a tenor from a bass or a soprano from a contralto. However, it is possible for everyone to enrich the timbre with overtones and expand the range of the voice towards higher notes. To do this, you need to be patient and persistent in training.

Sing every day

Try to sing for at least 30 minutes every day. This is long enough to warm up the vocal cords, but not long enough to strain them. It's best to use this as a time to practice. However, if you learn to sing, it can also give you the opportunity to develop your skills in public. Singing in public for a short time every day can teach you how to work with an audience. You can gain the skill of singing by going to places with small stages or performance areas, such as cafes. If this is not an option, you can also volunteer your skills by participating in a church choir or other group.

We teach academic, pop and jazz vocals to adults and children

More details

What role does the voice play for an actor?

For an actor, the voice is the most important professional instrument with which expression and expressiveness are achieved. Therefore, in classes at the Benefis theater studio, a lot of attention is paid to working with the voice.

From the very first lessons you receive a series of exercises for correct sound. The teacher will evaluate your skills and capabilities, tell you what you are missing and what you need to work on. Typical problems: voice is too quiet, problems with the pronunciation of vowels, consonants, hissing sounds, resonators do not turn on very well, etc.

At each lesson at the Benefis theater studio, 15-30 minutes are devoted to speech lessons, in addition, the teacher gives homework on speech for every day. It is very important to work on your speech regularly: every day for 10-20 minutes - only in this case the result will not be long in coming.

During the first lesson, the teacher listens to each student’s speech and notes the problems that need to be worked on. If a person really tries and regularly works on his speech, then already at the tenth, final lesson, his voice begins to sound very good - and this amazing result is noticeable to everyone.

Our teachers in the classroom provide students with all the necessary tools that enable such a transformation to take place. You just need to follow the recommendations of professionals step by step, and soon you will notice that your speech has become beautiful, clear and correct.

Do breathing exercises and exercises to develop the diaphragm

Do breathing exercises to strengthen your diaphragm. Starting position: stand straight, arms bent at the elbows and palms open and turned towards the viewer. Take noisy, rhythmic breaths through your nose and at the same time make grasping movements with your hands. Do this 4 times in a row, then rest for 3-4 seconds with your arms down. Then again 4 breaths and a pause. The shoulders are motionless at the moment of inhalation! Perform 24 times with 4 inhalations-movements.

6 RULES FOR PERFORMING BREATHING GYMNASTICS:

1. You only need to think about inhaling through your nose. Train only to inhale. Inhalation is active, loud and fast.
2. Exhalation is carried out after each inhalation through the mouth. It does not linger and is not pushed out. The exhalation should be such that it is neither visible nor audible. Exhalation should be silent!
3. Simultaneously with inhalation, movements are made. In gymnastics there is no inhalation without movement, and vice versa.
4. Inhalations and movements are made at the pace of the marching step.
5. There is a count in Strelnikov gymnastics - by 8. You need to count mentally.
6. Exercises can be performed in any position - standing, sitting and lying down.

Voice production

A beautiful voice is built on three pillars:

correct breathing (diaphragmatic);
proper functioning of the speech organs (aimed at maximizing the use of resonators);
correct posture (relieves internal tension and helps to breathe correctly).

Therefore, work on the voice begins with staging, which includes training in singing posture, articulation and breathing. Out of habit, proper singing may seem awkward for a beginning vocalist, so it is important that this training does not occur independently, but in vocal lessons, under the supervision of a specialist. After all, an incorrect posture is easily reinforced, and relearning is much more difficult than learning from scratch.

The delivered voice sounds strong, confident, and the timbre is rich in overtones.

Vocalize

Work on creating vocalizations using different parts of your vocal system. Singing is more than just noise coming from your throat and coming out of your mouth. Focus on singing the same song, but add vocal inflections by manipulating your tongue, mouth, diaphragm, throat, and even nose. Recording these vocalizations and playing them back can help you understand your body and the sounds it can make. For example, it is not surprising that pushing more air through the nose can create a higher-pitched nasal sound. If you gently apply pressure to the outside of your nostril while singing, your voice may also change. As you sing, move your tongue to the top of your mouth and see how it changes the sound. You can also try pressing your tongue against your cheek. Moving your jaw from side to side will also create different vocalizations.

That's all! Develop and improve your voice. Good luck!

Voice restoration after laryngectomy. Neurorehabilitation aspect

Introduction.

Removal (extirpation) of the larynx for a malignant tumor disrupts the natural respiratory tract and completely deprives the voice while the articulatory apparatus and neurophysiological mechanisms of speech are preserved. With the removal of the larynx, a severe psychotraumatic situation is created. The person is deprived of communication abilities, serious concerns arise about the prognosis of the disease and somatic weakness after surgery and radiation treatment. All this causes not only natural reactions to the disease, but also actual mental disorders caused by the disease and personality characteristics. The clinical picture of mental disorders is very diverse and polymorphic.

Common to all persons with a removed larynx is the awareness of their own inferiority, hopelessness and fear for their future life. The vast majority require treatment from a psychiatrist. Removal of the larynx entails a number of pathological changes - a person is deprived of the opportunity to communicate with others, breathing changes, and psychological changes occur. People who have undergone such operations become disabled and withdraw from work and active social life. Restoring the voice returns the lost communicative function, often allows one to return to work, and accelerates the process of psychological and social rehabilitation, which makes the problem very relevant today. Voice restoration classes are switched to active work, the opportunity to return to socially useful work appears, a social dominant is created, the significance of which contributes to the fact that manifestations of vital feelings fade into the background.

The problem of restoring the voice after removal of the larynx has existed since the operation itself was developed - extirpation of the larynx. While completely justifiable from an oncological point of view, it is completely unsatisfactory in the social aspect. The above facts determine the relevance of this study.

Purpose

This work is to analyze and study methods for restoring vocal function after removal of the larynx.

Object

research is vocal function after extirpation of the larynx.

Subject

The study is the specifics of the development of the vocal apparatus in people with laryngectomy of the larynx.

In accordance with the purpose, subject and object of the study, the following tasks

1. Describe the history of the issue, the current state;

2. To determine the theoretical basis for voice restoration after extirpation of the larynx using the esophagus;

3. Outline the practical anatomical and physiological mechanisms of voice restoration after removal of the larynx using the esophagus;

4. Consider the most common modern methods of voice restoration after laryngectomy;

5. Identify the main disadvantages of the most common voice restoration methods;

6. Analyze the neurorehabilitation aspect during voice restoration after laryngectomy.

History of the issue. Current status:

The first removal of the larynx was performed in 1873. From this moment on, it became necessary to look for a replacement mechanism for the formation of voice. Such a mechanism could be the esophagus, which has sufficiently mobile walls and is innervated by branches of the recurrent nerve. The voice that replaces phonation is called esophageal, that is, esophageal. At the beginning of the last century, the mechanism and techniques of the esophageal voice were described by M. Seeman.

In Russia, S. L. Taptapova in 1963 conducted a clinical and experimental study of this population and developed a method for teaching esophageal voice to patients after removal of the larynx.

Currently, the problem of treating malignant neoplasms is not only relevant in medicine, but also concerns many aspects of the social life of operated patients.

Around the world, about 6 million people become ill with malignant neoplasms every year, and there is a significant tendency towards an increase in the number of cancer diseases.

In Russia, about 55,000 patients with laryngeal cancer are diagnosed annually and require removal of the larynx. This operation, necessary from an oncological point of view, leads the patient to severe disability, causes him serious mental trauma, deprives him of full communication with others and is the main reason for the patient’s refusal of surgical intervention.

Theoretical basis for voice restoration after extirpation of the larynx using the esophagus:

Restoring the voice in people without a larynx is possible only with the creation of a compensatory voice-forming organ. This organ may be a physiological narrowing in the esophagus at the level of the IV-VI cervical vertebrae, called the pseudoglottis

.
During phonation, the walls of the esophagus, up to 3.5 cm in length, close. Below the pseudoglottis
there is an air bubble, which is the energy base for voice formation.
The voice formed in this way is usually called esophageal or pseudovoice
. However, only 40% of patients can master it. The voice restoration course consists of four stages:

First stage -

preparatory. The mental state of patients is clarified, rational psychotherapy, consultation and treatment by a psychiatrist are carried out. To train the upper and middle sections of the esophagus, use the “blowing into a harmonica” exercise for 30 seconds at a time, 10–12 times a day. During the same period, the student begins physical therapy classes to adapt to breathing through a tracheostomy.

Second phase -

formation of
a pseudoglottis
and evocation of esophageal voice. Special exercises help strengthen the first narrowing of the esophagus and the formation of a compensatory mechanism.

Exercises:

- Standing, slightly tilting your body forward, lowering your arms, holding your breath with your mouth open, imitate the vomiting movement 3 times in a row.

— Lying down, holding your breath and sucking in your stomach, with your mouth open, imitate gagging 3 times in a row. After several training sessions, an esophageal sound appears, which must be used in order to have time to say a short word starting with the sounds k or t. For example: like, skating rink, slippers

etc. The duration of classes should not exceed 5 minutes. At home, independent training can be done 5-8 times during the day.

Third stage -

automation of the esophageal voice.
Students are asked to say short phrases: The cat rolls a ball.
They bought a doll for Katya. Gradual training achieves fluency and intelligibility of speech.
Simultaneously with special voice exercises, the use of everyday words begins .
The speech material becomes more complex, including the pronunciation of tongue twisters, short poems, vowel sounds and their combinations.

Fourth stage

completes the formation of the esophageal voice. His exercises expand range, increase modulation and improve timbre. Vocal exercises are used for this. For a male voice they are carried out in the small octave, and for a female voice - in the first. The range of exercises is a fifth. The duration of the esophageal voice training session is 2–4 months.

Practical anatomical and physiological mechanisms of voice restoration after removal of the larynx using the esophagus:

The creation of a mechanism for sonorous phonation in patients after laryngectomy reveals a complex picture of this phenomenon. At the level of the upper narrowing of the esophagus, a new glottis appears - neoglottis

- a generator of a guttural voice, which can only act in conjunction with the functioning of the articulatory organs, the muscles of the hypopharynx and the anterior wall of the neck, the esophagus as a whole, with the emergence of a new state of breathing with a combination of the action of the diaphragm. The phenomenon of phonation without the larynx is somewhat similar to the complex process of normal voice formation, because in both cases the generation of sound belongs to the action of impulses of the same recurrent nerve, additional branches of which extend into the cervical esophagus and hypopharynx, and in addition, a new glottis and an air stream are formed. with this, work on the formation of the esophageal voice after removal of the larynx begins with the creation of a new functional basis not related to pulmonary breathing.

This work usually begins 10–15 days after the operation. The function of the removed larynx is taken over by the sphincter

(pulp) in the area of the entrance (orifice) to the esophagus. The function of the air chamber, instead of the lungs, is performed by the upper third of the esophagus. The volume of this air chamber is much smaller than the volume of the lungs. The patient is shown how to introduce air from the mouth and pharynx into the esophagus and squeeze it out of the air chamber of the esophagus into the oral cavity. This air is used for a new mechanism of the speech process. Thanks to systematic training, the sphincter at the entrance to the esophagus acquires the ability to voluntarily contract and relax. Together with contractions of the muscular walls of the air chamber of the esophagus, this sphincter takes part in the formation of the fundamental tone, which subsequently becomes higher, formed in the pharynx, and is used to pronounce individual words, and then sentences.

The esophageal voice has a communication function and has the necessary qualitative features inherent in the normal human voice, although its sound signals undergo changes in quantitative terms. Sound signals in patients after laryngectomy are formed through a new glottis located in the cricopharyngeal muscle of the upper narrowing of the esophagus and partially in its lower part.

During the rehabilitation process, the patient learns to produce individual sound impulses using the new glottis. At first, it is difficult to produce individual sounds: after all, the sphincter of the upper narrowing of the esophagus is not suitable for this. As it learns, the new generator begins to emit a series of pulses, the repetition rate of which remains largely random. Speech becomes quite loud and intelligible. At first, the intonation properties of speech are little expressed, but as the new voice improves, the patient begins to more accurately control the phase of the impulse sequence.

The most common modern methods of voice restoration after laryngectomy:

Along with the above-described method of voice restoration using the esophagus and the formation of a pseudovoice, there are also other methods of voice rehabilitation. The most famous of them are:

- voice apparatus ( electric larynx

). Unfortunately, they do not solve the overall problem. The patient acquires a “robot voice.” He is perceived skeptically by others.

— tracheoesophageal bypass. With the development of modern medicine, a relatively new method of restoring vocal function has emerged - tracheoesophageal bypass with valve replacement (TEV).

This operation is a modified surgical technique for creating an anastomosis between the trachea and esophagus using a special silicone valve - a voice prosthesis. The valve allows air toward the esophagus, but does not allow the contents of the esophagus into the trachea. Thus, a person, by closing the tracheostomy, can redirect the flow of air from the lungs to the esophagus. At the same time, the walls of the esophagus vibrate, and then a completely loud, even and controlled voice is created. To obtain this voice, it is enough to lightly cover the tracheostomy with your finger.

For greater convenience, special air filters have been created, which, in addition to the filtration function itself, also have valve devices for closing the tracheostomy. Recently, filters have been developed that allow you to speak without holding the external valve with your hand - the so-called “hands-free” filters.

One of the promising areas in voice rehabilitation after removal of the larynx at the moment is voice prosthetics itself. The most advanced endoprostheses in terms of quality and acoustic characteristics are Provox (Sweden) and Singer-Blom (USA). Prosthetics are performed both during surgery to remove the larynx and some time after this intervention. The prostheses are made of biologically inert types of medical silicone; the timbre and acoustic characteristics of the patient’s voice resemble his previous one. An individual prosthesis is selected for each patient. Only specially trained personnel can assess the patient’s functional capabilities, recommend the required type and size of prosthesis, and install or replace it. Typically, this operation is performed by specialists from the Academy of Surgery of Head and Neck Neoplasms. The cost of a voice prosthesis for 2012 is $500. It is important to say here that in practical terms, not all patients can afford to purchase this type of prosthesis, and therefore in the Russian Federation the method of voice rehabilitation using the esophagus is still the leading one.

The main disadvantages of the most common voice restoration methods:

Esophageal voice

- is essentially a masterly extraction of air from the stomach. The disadvantages of the method are unsatisfactory voice quality, scantiness, intermittent speech, which requires a long phonopedic course, while complications associated with the reflux of gastric contents into the esophagus are common (patients suffer from heartburn). Disadvantages also include the far from 100% learning ability of esophageal speech. According to various authors, the percentage of those trained ranged from 40% to 60% of those who underwent surgery.

Electrolarynx

— is a sound generator that is applied to the submandibular area and thus creates carrier vibrations. By articulating, the patient creates modulations at this carrier frequency. However, when using devices of this type, the voice turns out to be monotonous, accompanied by constant noise with a metallic, robot-like tint. Speech is not always intelligible. And patients themselves, as a rule, prefer not to use the device.

Tracheoesophageal

shunting. It has significant disadvantages: leakage of food and liquid from the esophagus into the respiratory tract with the development of pneumonia. The shunt often becomes scarred.

Neurorehabilitation aspect during voice restoration after laryngectomy:

The result of working with such a contingent of patients over many years showed that more than half of those who sought help for hair restoration discovered mental disorders, which are the result of the total influence of somatogenic and psychogenic factors.

The presence of psychopathological disorders requires significant modifications of the neurorehabilitation method for voice restoration. For a phonopedic rehabilitation course, it is necessary to slow down the pace of logotherapy, introduce preparatory exercises, and reduce the daily load.

Neurorehabilitation of a patient also takes into account his diverse social connections in the family, in everyday life, and his relationship with the environment in the broad sense of the word. In this regard, the attitude towards such patients from their immediate environment is of significant importance. The level of voice condition plays an important role in this, along with the characteristics of the patient’s physical condition and behavior.

In the process of work and follow-up observations, many studies identified various factors and conditions that both facilitate and hinder the successful rehabilitation of patients; In accordance with this, a set of activities was determined that were combined with the creation and development of the voice. These activities can be designated as a brief neurorehabilitation program. It consists of the following components:

1. Phonopedic classes;

2. Psychotherapy - varies depending on the patient’s condition and the stage of restorative logotherapy;

3. Work with the patient’s relatives and friends to develop the correct attitude towards his illness, the need to restore voice function, and, if possible, return to his previous work activity;

4. Recommendations to the patient on the work and rest schedule, as well as his immediate behavior in the social environment;

5. Physiotherapy.

The success of the work directly depends on the choice of optimal methods of corrective action, rational ways of rehabilitation, allowing to achieve the most complete restoration of voice function in the shortest possible time. The main thing is that they are all aimed at restoring the unity of interaction between the articulatory, respiratory, and vocal functions of the body, as well as at normalizing the psycho-emotional state of patients.

Neurorehabilitation of this group of patients must be considered as a system of speech therapy, psychological, psychotherapeutic and social influence, aimed not only at preserving or restoring health, but also the personal and social status of the patient.

During rehabilitation after surgical treatment, psychological and pedagogical measures for the prevention and correction of stress reactions and a system of targeted work to improve psychosocial adaptation come to the fore. The will, persistence and motivation to work of patients also play a decisive role. If the patient is interested in achieving a positive result, then the rehabilitation time is shortened.

At the Moscow Oncology Hospital No. 62, during the writing of the presented work, 35 patients were analyzed who underwent surgery to remove the larynx, followed by a neurorehabilitation course to restore voice function. All patients who have completed a course of rehabilitation training currently communicate freely with others in all public places. The 10 youngest patients returned to work without experiencing any difficulties.

Literature:

1. Antonova M. M. - Education of sonorous speech in patients with an exposed larynx Bulletin of Otorhinolaryngology. - 1945. - No. 5. 36

2. Bukov V. Adrennova K. A., On the participation of the human upper respiratory tract in the regulation of breathing. Pathology archive. 1951, No. 2. 4. Blyoskina D. P. Guidelines for the education of pseudovoice in patients who have undergone surgery to remove the larynx. In the book: Methodological materials for the treatment of speech disorders. L. 1966. 63–67.

3. Vrtichka K.. Principles of phoniatric work with patients after laryngectomy. Bulletin of otorhinolaryngology. No. 6.-1965. 126 Correlation of phonation and breathing during esophageal speech Bulletin of Otolaryngology. No. 2.

4. Gerasimenko V. N. Rehabilitation of cancer patients. M.: Medicine, 1977. -143 p.

5. Dobrogaev SM. Speech in patients with extirpated larynx. L. 1

6. Dmitriev L. B. Telelyaeva L. M., Taptapova L., Ermakova I. I. Phoniatry and phonopedia. M.: Medicine. 1990. 272 p.

7. Ivanov A.F. Voice and speech without larynx Vestn. ear throat and nasal diseases. No. 3. 1910.

8. Katsug N. G. The influence of personal characteristics and social environment on the rehabilitation of cancer patients. - M.: Moscow State University. M. V. Lomonosov. 1990. 20 p.

9. Kaplan V. M. Device for breathing through the nose after tracheotomy and after complete removal of the larynx. Bulletin of otorhinolaryngectomy. No. 3. 1967. 53–55.

10. Krapukhin A.V. Restoration of sonorous speech in persons with a removed larynx. Collection of scientific papers. Moscow State Pedagogical Institute named after. V.I. Lenin. M. 1980. P 78 86.

11. Lebedinsky M. S. Psychotherapy for speech disorders. Neuropathology and psychiatry. vol. 14. No. 6

12. Maksimov I. Phoniatrics. M. Medicine. 1987.235

13. Psychogenic reactions in cancer patients. Methodological recommendations. L. - 1983. 33 p. Popova M. S. Neurosis-like disorders that occur in patients after extirpation of the larynx for a malignant neoplasm - M. 1971. 88. 215–219. 33.

14. Pravdina O. V. Voice and its disorders From the collection. Essays on pathology of speech and voice. Ed. Lyapidevsky S. M. 1963.-S. 66–70. 34.

15. Romasenko V. A. Skvortsov K. A., Neuropsychiatric disorders in cancer. - M.-1961.- 56 p.

16. Taptapova L. Restoration of sonorous speech in patients after resection or removal of the larynx. - M. - Medicine. 1985.-Cl-93.

17. Speech therapy: Textbook for students of defectology. fak. ped. universities / Ed. L. S. Volkova, S. N. Shakhovskaya. — M.: Humanite. ed. VLADOS center, 1998. - 680 p.

18. https://oncodome.narod.ru

19. https://www.lood.ru/reabilitation/Protezirovanie_golosa_posle_udalenija_gortani.html

How to make your voice higher

It is useless to argue with nature, so no teacher will help you radically “reforge” your voice. However, you can expand the range of your voice towards the higher frequencies. This means that in addition to the usual notes that are comfortable for you, you will be able to confidently play those that are above the current limit. This is achieved through persistent and regular training, again under the guidance of a teacher - otherwise there is a risk of harming your voice.

Lessons can be structured as follows:

chanting, which necessarily includes singing the lower notes of the range - to stretch the ligaments before class;
working on vocal tension associated with uncertainty about successfully hitting a high note;
practicing the “vocal yawn” - to “put” the voice “on support”.

It is important to pay attention to the feeling in your throat during vocal lessons. Pain, soreness - any discomfort can signal errors that harm the ligaments. In this case, you must immediately interrupt the exercise and report your condition to the teacher. This will help avoid serious problems with your voice, which can even put an end to your dream of singing.

How to develop your voice for vocals

Breathing . Vocal breathing is different from the way we are used to breathing. In life, a person breathes more often with his chest, while his shoulders are mobile and it is not easy to control the air flow. Vocalists use diaphragmatic-lower costal breathing, during which the muscles of the diaphragm and abdomen tense. During inhalation, the stomach protrudes and the shoulders remain motionless. With the help of muscles, the vocalist regulates the strength of the air flow and distributes the air when singing.

To develop your vocal voice, do special breathing exercises for at least twenty minutes a day.

Sound formation . Sound production involves the vocal cords, respiratory system, facial muscles and other parts of the singing apparatus. By controlling them, you change the sound of your voice and achieve the desired result. To analyze your vocal weaknesses, take a vocal class. Voice production is a complex process, and if you do not naturally have the correct voice production (which rarely happens), then you need to consult a teacher. He will diagnose your singing, listen to you for clips, singing through your nose and other defects that you will not find out about on your own.

Several sessions with a teacher will give you an understanding of which exercises are right for you. You will receive an individually selected set of exercises suitable specifically for your situation. This includes exercises to develop the activity of the muscles of the face, mouth, tongue; tongue twisters (include work on breathing and sound production) and other exercises.

Spending ten minutes a day working out will get you more results than just attending a class once or twice a week. But it is necessary to carry out home lessons under the guidance of a vocal teacher, i.e. consulting in class.

By practicing on your own without prior preparation, there is a high probability of damaging ligaments, learning incorrect breathing movements and aggravating vocal tension.

Learn to control your voice . Record recordings of singing on a voice recorder, listen to yourself and correct any shortcomings.