Most people don’t know they can have a really good speaking voice. Many are surprised when they hear themselves on a voice recorder. People often tell me they don’t like the sound of their voices. And they think they are stuck with the voice they have been used to using.
Having a beautiful voice quality is attainable and easy for most people. The secret is in learning to resonate the vocal sound waves so that they fill up the bones of the mouth, face and head. When you place the vocal vibrations properly in the mouth and face, your voice tones become rich and resonant.
Try this vocal experiment. Follow the steps below and record yourself through the process.
1. Create a large space in your mouth by dropping your jaw and stretching your face muscles forward. This should feel like you are making a forward stretching fish face.
2. Using your fish face forward posture, make the sound of HOOOO. Think Santa Claus here. Make long HO sounds.
3. Feel how the vibrations of your voice create a buzz on your hard palate which is the boney roof of your mouth. Feel how they also fill up the whole front of your facial bones.
4. Practice your HOs several times and get used to the feeling of your mouth and face filled with vibration.
5. Now speak a sentence that has lots of long “O” sounds. For instance, “Those old boats don’t float.” Or “Hold open those doors.”
6. Notice that you are retaining some strong vibratory sensation as you speak these sentences. Listen to your recorder to hear that your voice sounds fuller and more beautiful.
That is the gest of how you learn to have a rich and good voice for speaking in groups and for public speaking. Of course it takes a little more than this to use a good voice all the time when speaking. A good speaking voice teacher can teach you how to have a great speaking voice, but I want you to know it is very possible. With a little training and effort, you can have a great voice rather than just envying others who do.
Look for a voice teacher who specializes in speaking voice training. The method I teach is The Lessac Method, developed over 70 years ago by Arthur Lessac who was the top voice trainer for actors in the US. Arthur trained me personally to teach his method. He founded an institute where you can find Lessac teachers listed at www.lessacinstitute.com.
If you would like me to help you develop a great speaking voice, contact me for a complimentary consultation to determine if I am the right voice teacher for you. Learn more about voice training or request a consultation.
