The Effect of Playing Instrument on Voice Training
Authors: Kar Tuğçem 
Published: December 2021

The present study is made with the purpose of assessing “The Effect of Playing Instrument on Voice Training”. As the first observation group, the groups of students have been chosen among the ones who have educated from the Fine Arts High Schools or conservatories’ high school levels that will be able to play various instruments but did not get voice education. In the contrary, the second observation group has been chosen among the students who neither got instrumental education nor voice education.
In the frame of the pre-test as the first phase, voice analysis via CSL voice analysis software and stroboscopic voice therapy have been applied to both groups and as a result actual situation in their voice characteristic have been detected. Taking into consideration the second phase of the pre-test voice physiology test has been applied to both groups and voice anatomy information were evaluated. The last and third phase covers the presentation of the volunteer students’ singing performances of a musical piece in Turkish accompanied by the piano and the evaluation of these recorded performances by the jury that consist of three field experts. Afterwards, applications have started and voice education program that covers six weeks have been applied to both groups. All these applications were applied as pre-tests and also as final tests to validate the entire process after six weeks.

Medical voice examinations results and voice analysis data were evaluated by the Çapa Faculty of Medicine Ear, Noise and Throat Department Chair and his team. And the performance recordings were assessed by the Istanbul University State Conservatory Opera Department Chair and the other jury members. Voice Physiology test was also evaluated by the researcher.
As a supportive approach to the research, the significance of the body awareness in instrumental and voice education and physical complaints arisen from playing instruments have been determined via interviews with the instrument educators. A questionnaire method has been used to measure the effect of instrumental educations of voice educators, the successful Turkish opera singers in national and international levels and students who had priority instrumental education at high school level and got voice education at university level to voice education.
The hypothesis of the research is that the samples who have received instrument training in Fine Arts High Schools or conservatories can perceive vocal training better, absorb music more easily, have no difficulty in “ensemble” studies, breathe and breathe during instrument training, compared to samples that have never received instrument training until their undergraduate education begins. If they were able to apply posture exercises correctly and naturally, it is that they can positively affect their voice training in terms of using the respiratory muscles, and for these reasons, playing an instrument can benefit voice training.
Research data have been collected via literature review, interview, questionnaire and application techniques, and was solved, interpreted and proposals have been presented via descriptive statistics.
Considering the performance results of the research, both the first sample group and the second sample group increased their success after applying. A significant difference was found in the first sample group who played an instrument. The first sample group consisting of students who play an instrument was found to be more successful than the second sample group who did not play an instrument. The analysis results for the 6 parameters selected in the MDVP sound analysis results were also graphed separately for the two groups. Videolaryngostroboscopic was applied to both sample groups as pre-test and post-test. The purpose of the method is to measure vocal cord health. Reflux was observed in 2 students in the first sample group and in 3 students in the second sample group. Each of these samples received a "better" evaluation from the three-person medical board, stating that they did not receive medical treatment, but thanks to lip trill exercise training and body awareness training. Apart from this, no other lesion was found in the samples. In the results of the physiology test, both sample groups were found to be more succesful in the post-test compared to the pre-test. It is seen that the second sample group is 3,125 percent more succesful than the first sample group.