Abstract

GUZMAN, Marco et al. Immediate effects of a vocal exercise sequence with resonance tubes. Rev. CEFAC [online]. 2012, vol.14, n.3, pp. 471-480.  Epub Nov 16, 2011. ISSN 1982-0216.  http://dx.doi.org/10.1590/S1516-18462011005000127.

PURPOSE: the purpose of this study is to determine the immediately acoustic effect of phonatory exercise sequence using resonance tubes in a group of dysphonic subjects METHOD: a unique sequence of four phonatory tasks within resonance tubes was applied in twenty-four teachers with dysphonic voices, assessed perceptually with GRBAS scale. Voice samples were recorded before and after the exercise sequence. Acoustic analysis included the following items: Cepstrum, Jitter, Shimmer, noise-harmonic ratio (NHR). Subjects were asked to fill out a vocal self-assessment protocol after the exercise sequence in order to assess the subjective effects of these exercises. Acoustic parameters of voice samples pre and post training were compared. RESULTS: significant changes were obtained in the Cepstral analysis, jitter and harmonic-to-noise ratio. In the self-assessment, positive effects prevailed over the negative ones, being the main, as follows: more steady voice, more clear voice and more open throat sensation. CONCLUSION: the outcome indicates that the use of phonatory tasks with resonance tubes may have immediate therapeutic physiological effects on subjects with hoarse voices and a subjective perception of improvement in voice production after the therapy.

Keywords : Voice; Voice Training; Speech Acoustics.