Let's train our voice. Exercised to improve our speech.

He there again! I'm here to tell you about some useful tasks which help you to deliver your speech effectively and improve your voice. Let's go!

Task 1. Check your diaphragmatic breathing with the following exercises:

a) on the floor, lie on your back and place a book over diaphragm area just above the waist. As you slowly inhale and exhale, the book should rise and fall. Work for this same action when you are standing up. Put your hand where the book was, and rapidly pant like a dog. Notice that you hand should move out as you inhale and in as you exhale;

b) standing up, place your hands just above your waistline, with the tips of the middle fingers touching each other. Slowly take a deep breath through the nose, and feel your hands being pushed outward and your fingertips gradually drawing away from each other;

c) inhale deeply. Hold your breath for five seconds, and then see how slowly you can exhale it trough rounded lips, keeping the breath stream smooth and under control;

d) repeat the above exercise, but exhale with a clear “ooooh” sound, being careful not to become “breathy”. Repeat with other vowels;

e) place a lighted candle a few inches from your mouth, and repeat the above exercise. The flame should barely flicker.

Task 2. Read the following so that a person standing fifty feet away can distinguish the two pairs of similar words.

Formally – formerly

Affect – effect

Conscious – conscience

Win – when

Statue – stature

Ladder – latter

Accept – except

Madder – matter

Ate – hate

Wandered – wondered

Adapt – adopt

Precede – proceed

Task 3. Do the following exercises for additional practice:

a) try the jaw waggling exercises;

b) practise saying tongue twisters.

Task 4. Try the exercise using this passage from Shakespeare's Julius Caesar.

Friends, Romans, countrymen, lend me your ears.

I come to bury Caesar, not to praise him.

Say it softly in a whisper, to begin with. Then speak as if addressing an audience of about 20 people. Finally, imagine a hall full of hundreds – try and fill the imaginary hall with your voice. (Wait until you have an empty house and try shouting).

Task 5. For an open throat, practice the following:

a) yawn: put the tip of your tongue behind the lower front teeth. Yawn and inhale deeply. Then stop and notice the open, relaxed throat as the air rushes in. Repeat until you have memorized this open throat feeling. Now say “Ah” as you exhale, keeping the throat open and relaxed. Repeat with other vowels;

b) with an open throat from the above exercise count slowly from one to twenty;

c) with open, relaxed throat, repeat the following:

Alone, alone, all, all alone,

Alone on a wide, wide sea!

And never a saint took pity on

My soul in agony.

Coleridge

Roll on, thou deep and dark blue ocean,–

roll!

Byron

For resonance, work on the exercises below:

d) do the above yawn exercise, and then slowly closing your mouth, add “mmmmmmm”. Push with your diaphragm for a strong flow of air. Work until you can feel your lips vibrate;

e) with the lips closed, hum. Place your hand on your head, then your nose, chin, chest. If you are resonating properly you should feel these areas vibrate.

Task 6. For greater pitch range, practice the following:

a) take a deep breath and count slowly from one to eight, saying each number on a pitch higher than the one before. Be sure you take rather than sing the numbers. Then talk down the note scale from eight to one;

b) try saying these sentences concentrating on bringing authority into your voice. Avoid sounding apologetic and consciously try to lower the pitch:

I want you to listen very carefully to what I am saying.

Under no circumstances are you to go into that room.

You will do exactly what I tell you to.

Now try saying this passage, varying the pitch of your voice. Don't force your voice: the change should be subtle.

Higher and higher until it reached the very top.

Down, down, down into the depths.

Lower and lower until it reached the very bottom.

And then up.

c) read aloud the sentences below in a pitch pattern that conveys the suggested emotional meaning:

1. I am terribly tired and discouraged.

2. What a beautiful view.

3. Watch out! He's got a gun.

4. Get out of here. I hate you.

5. Well! What do you think you're doing?

6. I know. It's the tenth time you've told me.

7. I am so lonely I can't stand it.

8. My brother is the best pitcher in the league.

9. I am so excited. We're going to Bermuda.

10. I am absolutely positive that I sent the letter.

d) using the sentence: “Oh, yes, you don't say”, vary the pitch according to the following notations which indicate steps – ‾ _ , and rising /, falling \, and circumflex /\ \/ inflections:

Task 7. Do the following exercises for rate flexibility:

a) count from 1 to 20 beginning very slowly and increasing your rate until you are speaking as rapidly as you can. Then reverse: begin at a rapid rate working down to a very slow pace;

b) while counting from 1 to 20 stretch out the vowel sounds at a slow rate but allow no pause between numbers. Repeat with short, clipped vowel sounds and long pauses between numbers. Shift between these two methods every six numbers;

c) say the following sentence according to the instructions below:

“The snow is falling down”:

1) use short quantity as if excited;

2) use long quantity as if you are sad;

3) use moderate rate to state a fact simply.

Task 8. Say the following sentence a) as a statement, and b) as a question.

You're going to France this year!

You're going to France this year?

Task 9. 

a) exercise: no!?

Try saying the word NO in different ways to convey each meaning simply by changing the intonation.

NO (meaning definitely not)

NO (meaning maybe YES)

NO (meaning I'm afraid)

NO (meaning you naughty person)

NO (meaning I don't believe it)

NO (meaning I am angry)

NO (meaning I am really surprised)

NO (meaning YES!)

b) exercise: extracting the meat

Now say the following words trying to get as much “meat” out of them as possible. Draw out the vowels and over – articulate the consonants. Make as much as you can of each word. (Some you may recognize from Rowan Atkinson's schoolmaster character in The Secret Policeman's Ball).

Blob

Blaire

Higginbottom

Pringle

Plectrum

Dollop

Mole

Mollusc

Undermanager

Splot

c) exercise: varying volume, pitch, speed and intonation

Here is another exercise designed to encourage you to vary volume, pitch, speed and intonation. And don't forget to make maximum use of pauses.

“He crept into the room cautiously, looked around and took in every detail. The furniture was thick with dust. An eerie silence pervaded the atmosphere. On the far wall was an image of a woman with black hair and a ghostly white pallor. His heart began to beat faster, faster and still faster. He felt his legs begin to move towards the stairs. Suddenly he found himself running down the oak staircase and then he felt his legs beginning to give way. He tumbled down and down and down to the hall below. Where was he? In a state of semi – consciousness, his head spinning, he heard the distinct sound of a loud gong – clang clang clang, echoing throughout the house – until the silence returned once more.”

Try these exercised to make your voce clearer and better! See you in the next post!

By CAMOMILE