A few weeks ago, at my local Toastmasters club in London, I had the privilege of seeing a former member stand up and speak to us in an organizational capacity. I couldn’t help but notice how resonant, rich and, in the words of my old vocal coach, “fruity” his voice sounded.
It reminded me that I should do more to improve and maintain my range and vocal skills.
Imparting vocal tips and techniques is a bit difficult in the written word form, as it is a topic that has many aspects, such as voice development, voice warming, articulation exercises, vocal range stretching, etc. .
Then, of course, you have to deal with individual vocal problems that need to be resolved. The best way to experience vocal exercises is in person with a vocal coach. Or if that’s not possible, maybe on video or DVD.
Why is it important to exercise your voice? Well, fundamentally, it’s because the voice of a speaker, as well as that of an actor, is an important part of one’s instrument. It sounds a bit silly to refer to your body and voice as your instrument, but if you think of it as a speaker or presenter, you are using only yourself. It is your method of expression. Yes, you may have a presentation or accessories, but it is you that people listen to and if your voice is not clear and you use your full range of expression, your listeners will turn off.
Without getting too bogged down with the science of articulatory muscles and how they work, I’ll just quickly mention that they are the following: the tip of the tongue, the hard palate, the soft palate, the back of the tongue, the teeth and lips.
Now there are probably many professional vocal trainers who are ready to discuss these points with me and say that I should tell you what the correct categories are, whether they are active or passive articulators. But for the purposes of this post, I don’t think it’s necessary.
So here are some 5 pros and cons of vocal tips :
Do not consume dairyBefore speaking or making a presentation, be sure to keep your dairy intake to a minimum. Dairy products tend to produce excess mucus, which can make you constantly snort and feel like you need to clear your throat. Stay lubricated by drinking plenty of water or herbal tea. Too much caffeinated tea can dehydrate you. If you are drinking a lot of water before you speak, remember to use the toilet (bathroom).
Speak your words out loud: I’ve talked about the benefits of rehearsing your speech or presentation elsewhere on this blog. By saying the words out loud, your mouth gets used to saying the words and as a result, you are less likely to stumble over what you are saying because your body has a physical memory.
Hum before speaking: By humming softly, your voice becomes buzzing and lowers its range and warms up. In drama school we used to hum a very slow version of the children’s song “Pop Goes The Weasel.” As a quick review, here is the lyrics as I know it:
“Half a pound of tuppenny rice,
Half a pound of molasses.
This is how the money goes
Pop music! the weasel goes. “
Just go to Wikipedia, where they have alternate versions of the letters that you might know. There is also a melody notation for anyone unfamiliar with it. It’s a pretty cheery little jig, but you’ll want to slow it down when humming it. Also, make sure you don’t strain. Be gentle.
Use tongue twisters: Tongue twisters are a good way to exercise joint muscles. These are some of my favorites:
“Articulatory agility
is a desirable skill
deftly manipulating
the tongue, the palate and the lips “.
“Red leather, yellow leather.” (repeat 5 times)
“The tip of the tongue, the teeth, the lips.” (repeat 5 times)
“The back of the tongue and the tip of the tongue”. (repeat 5 times)
These exercises should be used regularly, every day if possible, as you cannot expect to feel any improvement if you only do everything once.
Be sure to articulate When I say this, you don’t have to articulate your words too much to make you sound like Richard Burton. What I mean is that you must be careful not to speak ill. Try to rehearse your speech out loud and record yourself. Listen to it a couple of times to get over that horrible feeling of hearing your own voice. Then listen to it to make sure your words are being spoken clearly and that you are touching all of your “Ts” and “Ds” in your words.
These tips are simply scratching the surface of a vast and constantly fascinating subject area. There are many great books on the subject. The techniques I was trained in come from former vocal trainers at The Royal Shakespeare Company and The Royal National Theater in the UK.
Try to implement these two and do not do it before giving your next speech or presentation and you will see a noticeable improvement in your vocal clarity.