Most people are unaware that they can improve their speaking voice, that they probably should improve their voice, and that the techniques for doing so are simple and basic. And while good voice training will actually improve many other aspects of your life, not all those who teach voice understand the two essentials.
Many of us who teach voice are classically-trained singers. While I don’t teach singing anymore, I use similar principles in teaching others how to find their ‘real’ speaking voice.
Good voice training involves teaching you, first and foremost, how to breathe with the support of your diaphragm because your ‘real’ voice must be powered or amplified from the chest.
If you are part of the 99% of the population who are renowned for using only the upper portion of the chest to breathe, then your speaking voice is being powered by means of your voice box, throat, mouth, and/or nose. What results is a voice which is probably higher in pitch than it should be and will not display a warm, resonant sound. Those who have had training use the chest cavity as well as the other four resonators to power the voice.
The next step is then to find the optimum pitch of your speaking voice. In most cases, the pitch (highness or lowness of sound) of your speaking voice will drop to some degree. It may be a slight change or it may be a significant drop in pitch. If you go to my website and click the Before & After tab in the top Menu Bar, you can watch Craig who had a tremendous change in the pitch of his voice.
When I discovered my real voice in graduate school, my drop was at least 4 whole steps. I went from sounding like a teenager to a mature woman – not old, not young – ageless. And, my speaking voice is improving as I get older which is interesting because after 40, nothing on your body improves with age!
Once you find your real voice, you will then learn how to increase your volume without shouting, eliminate nasality, speak in living color to your audience and not at them and control your nervousness in any form of public speaking.
Finding your real voice is a life-changing experience because you not only gain total control over your voice as well as an increase in your level of confidence but you will also discover tremendous benefits that have nothing to do with your voice or public speaking. You may find you sleep better at night, or hit a golf ball better, or even notice a drop in your blood pressure because breathing diaphragmatically means that you will be eliminating more of the toxins in your body. Shallow or lazy breathing, again typical of 99% of the population, actually increases your toxins as well as your level of stress.
It is truly amazing to discover the difference in your voice, in your business and in your life just by taking a breath!
Author’s Bio
The Voice Lady Nancy Daniels is a voice specialist and president of Voice Dynamic as well as the SelfGrowth Guide for Public Speaking. Holding corporate and 2-day workshops throughout the US and Canada, she launched Voicing It! in April of 2006, the only video training course on voice improvement. You can watch clips from her DVD on her website and ‘before’ & ‘after’ takes of her clients as well as download an audio presentation in which Nancy how voice training can improve your life both professionally and personally at: www.voicedynamic.com
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Nice article! Back when I was giving seminars in front of audiences, I found that dropping my pitch lent a power and dynamic to my voice that enhanced my student’s experience.
Never did forget that.
Happy Monday, Barbara
Finding your voice is such a vital tool. If you fail to breath and talk correctly, over time, you can do some pretty damaging stuff to your throat.
Sometimes, remembering how to breathe correctly is difficult.
Happy Monday to you as well!
Travis
Very interesting. My voice tends to raise in pitch when I get excited or really passionate about something. My challenge is to remember how to breathe & speak properly when I’m “jazzed up”.
Ian
Ian Brodie | Professional Services Consultant’s last blog post..Topgrading for Sales: A Review
In most cases, the pitch (highness or lowness of sound) of your speaking voice will drop to some degree
Good article - its amazing when listening to other people present and project themselves how either quiet or quickly they tend to talk. I studied drama when i was younger and have had to do more presentations than i can mention and i always talk in a manor that to me sounds stupid and slow but is actually at near perfect speed and volume!
I hardly can believe what I have read here and I am wondering that where my real voice is? Your blog started something very new in my life with which I was quite unfamiliar. To be very true, I don’t know how to do this and I am afraid but I’ll do it.