Effects of a three-week vocal exercise program using the Finnish Kuukka exercises on the speaking voice of Norwegian broadcast journalism students

Abstract

Nine broadcast journalism students attended 10 hours in Kuukka vocal exercises, which aims at producing a ringing vocal quality. Nine control subjects received no training. A text was read at habitual loudness before and after the course. Five speech specialists evaluated the text samples for perceptual voice quality and analyzed mean fundamental frequency (F0), equivalent sound level (Leq), and long-term average spectrum (LTAS). For the Training Group, voice quality improved and correlated negatively with firmness and timbre (less firm and darker qualities being considered more desirable), and F0 increased slightly. Leq increased significantly in both groups. The results show positive and perceivable differences after the course. However, the aimed ring was not reached, may be due to too short time.

Key words::

• F0
• Leq
• perceptual evaluation
• spectrum slope
• voice exercises

Declaration of interest: The authors report no conflicts of interest. The authors alone are responsible for the content and writing of the paper.

APPENDIX 1

The Kuukka exercise series

Summary of the exercise series by Niilo Kuukka; Academy of Dramatic Art, Helsinki, 1973. Summarizing and free translation were made by Anne-Maria Laukkanen on the basis of written material by Mr Niilo Kuukka and the practical instructions by one of the main Finnish teachers of Kuukka exercises, theater director Simeon Rabinowitsch, trained by Kuukka himself.

1. Relax.

2. Get activated.

3. Breathing:

   • Always start breathing exercises with a thorough exhalation.

   • Breathe slowly in and out four times, then make a pause for about 4 seconds and hereafter sigh the air out while letting the jaw relax.

   • Repeat the foregoing, but lengthen the pause to 5 seconds.

   • Breathe in slowly, then blow the air out:

     a) by imitating the departure of an old train ‘Huh-huh-huh-huh-huh- huh-huh-huh-huh’ (Silent ‘u’; the tempo and force increases during the last four puffs).

     b) as if you were blowing up a balloon (somewhat stronger blowing).

     c) as if you were blowing out candles (sharp, strong puffs).

   • Breathe in and out while counting silently to 4 (inspiration at 1, expiration during 2–4). Do this first slowly, then increase the tempo.

   • Breathe in and then let the air come out very slowly on [s].

   • Breathe in and then rapidly repeat the syllable string ‘mu-me-mu-me …’ for as long as possible. Repeat with other vowels.

4. Exercises to ‘open the upper resonance cavity’:

   • Long, relaxed, low-pitched [u:] resembling the sound of a ship's fog-horn.

   • Breathe in and then phonate long on (a) [v:]. The voice sounds like the buzzing of a bee, (b) [B:]; now both lips are together, (c) [m:].

5. Vocal exercises:

   • Repeat ‘vingun-vangun-vongun’, start in pianissimo. Lengthen the [η] and feel the resonance vibrations in the forehead and the head.

   • Repeat fast in soft but clear voice and with precise articulation: ‘bingo-bongo-bango …’, ‘dingo-dongo-dango …’, ‘gingo-gongo-gango …’

   • Repeat in soft but clear voice and with precise articulation: ‘vyngjy, vyngjy’, ‘vungju, vungju’, etc., on different vowels. Place a clear accent on the last syllable. Produce the same exercise louder. Let the voice ‘ring’.

   • A descending glide in soft voice on ‘mynnyngennym’, ‘mennengennem’, etc.

   • Louder and more like singing on ‘mymmy-mummu-mommo-mömmö-memme-mimmi-mamma-mämmääää’ letting the pitch fall in the last syllable of the last word. Aim at a ringing voice quality.

   • ‘Nynn'yn, nynnynny'n’, in soft voice, placing an accent on the last syllable ‘nyn-nyn-ny-ny-nyn’.

   • ‘Mymmy'm, mymmymmy'm’, louder, accent on the last syllable ‘mym-mym-my-my-mym’.

   • ‘Noin-näin-noin-näin …’ loud, in clear, ringing voice.

Vocal exercises are repeated in any order during the training session altering between soft and loud phonation. Long [u:] (fog-horn) and [v:, β:, m:] should be produced every now and then during the session.

The whole session lasts typically 20–45 minutes.

(From appendix in Laukkanen et al. 2004 p. 75 (12)).