Speak the SpeechVoice Production

amplify articulation articulators audibility cartilage circumflex diaphragm flexible

inflection intelligible palate phonation pitch resonance resonators respiration

What qualities should you develop in your voice?

How do you produce vocal sound? Why is diaphragmatic breathing important? What is meant by vocal quality, pitch, rate,

and force? What exercises can you do to achieve

flexibility in vocal quality, pitch, rate, and force?

What is the cause and cure of poor articulation?

What standard for pronunciation should you follow?

Oh—(That’s news to me.) Oh—(Don’t be so dumb.) Oh—(I never would have thought it possible.) Oh—(That’s a small item.) Oh—(That hurts!) Oh—(How beautiful.) Oh—(How revolting.) Oh—(I get the point.) Oh—(What a fish story.) Oh—(I’m so sorry.) Oh—(Look out!) Oh—(So you thought you could get away with

it.)

What qualities should you develop in your voice? Voice reveals background,

attitude, education, health, and personality

Develop a voice that is easily heard, pleasant, flexible, and intelligible

How do you produce vocal sound? Respiration (breathing) Phonation (vibrations of vocal cords) Resonance (amplification and

enrichment—bones and sinus cavities in nose, throat, mouth)

Articulation (molding sound into words—jaw, palate, lips, teeth, tongue)

In order to be easily heard, you need a forceful, controlled breath stream which comes form the first phase of voice production: proper breathing

Check your diaphragmatic breathing with the following exercises: Lie on floor, hands on diaphragm, pant Stand up with hands on diaphragm, feel

hands move Inhale deeply, hold for five seconds, exhale

breath slowly, again but say “oooooh,” repeat with other vowels

You can improve your tone and achieve greater flexibility when you have a relaxed, open throat and when you use the resonators to full extent.

For an open throat, practice the following exercises: Rag Doll: collapse, hang limp, slowly rise Head Roll: slowly circle head, dead weight,

mouth open. Keep the movement slow, smooth, continuous

Yawn: open throat feeling. Now say “Ah” as you exhale; repeat with other vowels; count to twenty. ▪ Roll on, thou deep and dark blue ocean, roll. –Byron

For resonance, practice the following exercises: Yawn: close mouth, add “mmmmmmmm.”

Push with diaphragm for strong air flow. Feel lips vibrate.

Hum: feel head, nose, chin, chest vibrate Change tone to suit meaning:▪ Grunt▪ Roar▪ Coo▪ Crackle▪ Bang▪ Swish▪ bubble

Tinkle Wheeze Buss Splash Gurgle Clang

Pitch Highness or lowness of voice 2-3 octave speaking voice, too often people only

use four or five note variance▪ High pitch—excitement, timidity, weakness,

extreme youth▪ Low pitch—assurance, strength, poise, disgust,

despair, sadness▪ General speaking, use lower half of range; medium-low

tone is most pleasing to listener.

Inflection–work toward flexibility▪ Inflection changes occur within syllables▪ Rising inflection suggests uncertainty or incomplete thought

yes

Should we go?

▪ Falling inflection suggests finality, conviction, completeness of thought

yesWe will stay here.

▪ Circumflex inflection suggests rich double meanings—sarcastic, subtle, humorous

oh oh

▪ Step changes occur between words not It’s

goHe

alwayshome.

will cold.

For an greater pitch range, practice the following exercises: On deep breath, count to eight, saying

each number on a higher pitch than the one before. Talk, don’t sing. Then talk down the scale from eight to one.

Begin high—a little higher still—now very low—now very high—speak at a medium pitch—again very low—can you make it lower—and back to a medium pitch

For an greater pitch range, practice the following exercises: I am terribly tired and discouraged What a beautiful view. Watch out! He’s got a gun. Get out of here. I hate you. Well! What do you think you’re doing? I know. It’s the tenth time you’ve told me. I am so lonely I can’t stand it. My brother is the best pitcher in the league. I am so excited. We’re going to Bermuda. I am absolutely positive that I sent the letter.

For an greater pitch range, practice the following exercises: “Oh, yes, you don’t say.”

1. 4.

2. 5.

3. 6.

Rate means the speed of your speaking Affected by pauses between words, length of vowel sounds▪ Slow rate—sorrow, deliberation, reverence, doubt▪ Fast rate—excitement, anger, nervousness, happiness

Flexibility of Rate Count 1-20 (shift every six numbers)▪ stretch out vowel sounds at slow rate but no pauses between

numbers▪ Repeat with short, clipped vowel, long pauses between

“The snow is falling down.”▪ Short quality—excited▪ Long quality—sad▪ Moderate rate—state a fact

Force refers to volume or energy with which you speak Force for audibility Force is varied to communicate meaning through word

emphasis▪ Put force on different word to evoke a different

meaning each time.▪ “He’s giving this package to Morris.”

▪ How many meanings can you get from these sentences?▪ Is Linda flying to New York this summer?▪ Did Tim promise Dave to meet him here at 3:00?▪ She gave him the blue book.

Tongue Twisters: Would Wheeler woo Wanda if Woody snoozed

woozily? Two teamsters tried to steal twenty-two keys. Six slim sleek saplings. A big black bug bit a big black bear. Better buy bigger rubber baby buggy

bumpers. Fill the sieve with thistles; then sift the

thistles through the sieve. Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers.

Read with clear articulation:

To sit in solemn silence in a dull, dark dock,

In a pestilential prison, with a lifelong lock,Awaiting the sensation of a short, sharp

shock,From a cheap and chippy chopper on a

big, black block!

--Gilbert and Sullivan

Enunciate the last sound:coming friend

singinggoing dead pastrunning across talking

Clearly articulate:gentlemen—(not gen’lmen)

city – (not cidy)government—(not gov-ment)geography--(not jog’phy)twenty—(not twenny)hundred—(not hunnard)don’t know—(not dunna)

Three definite pronunciation regions in the U.S. (New England, Southern, General American) National announcers Educated people in your community

weather—whether affect—effectformally—formerly which—witchconscious—conscience wear—wherestatue—stature what—wattaccept—except win—whenate—hate ladder—latterprecede—proceed madder—matterwandered—wondered whither—witheradapt—adopt

Three voice improvement exercisesWork on breath control, clear articulation,

correct pronunciation and all other elements of quality voice production

Fill out the activity sheetSelect two tongue twistersChoose four line nursery rhyme

Recite twice at a moderate speed on one breath ie “Mary had a little lamb” or “Twinkle Twinkle Little Star”

Write an original 50-80 word paragraph using the ten commonly mispronounced words:Just, get, for, again, any, poor, sure, your, our, can’t

Present the exercises in the order of your activity sheet▪ Tongue twister (from memory)▪ Nursery rhyme (from memory)▪ Original paragraph (read off activity sheet)