VO C A L I N T E R P R E TAT I O N

UNIT 5

LESSON 1VOCAL TERMS

LESSON 1: VOCAL TERMSTerm DefinitionDiaphragm A large flat muscle that separates the lungs from the

stomach area and is used for breathing.Resonance The vibrant tone when sound waves strike the chambers

of the throat, head, nose and mouth.Tone The quality of the voice. Reflects emotion and

resonance.Nasality Vowel sounds are forced through the nasal cavity,

resulting in a flat voice and twangy sound.Pitch The relative highness or lowness of the voice.Inflection Variety in pitch.Monotone The lack of inflection in the voice.Volume The relative strength or intensity with which a sound is

made.Rate The speed at which words are spoken.Articulation The clarity of vocal sounds. Also called enunciation.Pronunciation Using correct sounds and syllabic stresses of words.Projection Controlling the voice’s volume and tone so that it can be

heard clearly.

LESSON 2BREATHING FROM THE DIAPHRAGM

LESSON 2: BREATHING FROM THE DIAPHRAGM

• An actor must learn to control their breathing through the diaphragm. It takes practice and training. Most people breathe through their lungs and speak through their throat. This is why a person will get a sore throat or lose their voice after constant screaming at a sporting event or concert.

• However, actors and singers train their body to breathe and project from the diaphragm so they can perform to large audiences night after night. A trained actor should be able to whisper on stage and the people in the back row can hear them and understand them.

ACTIVITY 1: FINDING THE DIAPHRAGM

• The diaphragm is a muscle located directly under the lungs. The easiest way to find your diaphragm is by lying on the floor on your back. While lying on your back, place your hands directly below your lungs, on the upper part of your abdomen. Then giggle. As you laugh, you will feel your abdomen moving up and down. This is your diaphragm.

• Breathe in deeply and breathe out slowly while keeping your hands on your diaphragm. • You should feel your abdomen move as you inhale

and exhale.

• Now stand and repeat this exercise to find your diaphragm while standing.• Using your diaphragm to breathe and project,

recite the alphabet together, slowly and deliberately. • You should be able to get through the entire

alphabet in one breath if you are using your diaphragm properly.

ACTIVITY 2: SLATING AND PROJECTING

• An actor auditioning for a play is often asked to “slate.” That is a term for a stage introduction. The black and white slate board used in film to introduce each scene or individual take is named after this process. A slate might include an actor’s name, age or grade, and the role for which they are auditioning.• Walk from the wings to the center of the stage

and using your diaphragm, slate. If you do not slate well enough, you will slate again until you can be heard.

• Please note, there is a difference in the quality or tone that is delivered through the throat, chest or diaphragm. • You can tell the difference between screaming

from the throat and projecting from the diaphragm. Plus, the first process may cause you to lose your voice.

LESSON 3VOCAL TONE

ACTIVITY 1: CHANGE AND REPEAT

• Students sit in a circle and are given a simple word:• Ah, no, yes, well, really, dear, fun, drive, okay, stinky,

funny, want, tell, dog, cat, soda, or money• Each person in the circle will say the same word,

but change the emotional tone behind it. Some examples may be:• Happy, sad, angry, confused, frightened, suspicious,

surprised, pleading, bored, in love, doubtful, prideful, irritated, distracted, sarcastic, fatigued, pained, disgusted, sickened, hungry, or hurried.

ACTIVITY 2: COLOR

• While still in the circle, each student gets a word. • The student states the word while recalling a

personal experience to give the word “color.”• The rest of the class interprets the emotion

behind the delivery.

LESSON 4VARIETY IN P ITCH, VOLUME, AND RATE

VARIETY IN PITCH, VOLUME AND RATE

• Actors use variety in pitch, volume, and rate of delivery for emphasis or meaning.• Vocal delivery is faster to convey happiness,

excitement, or hurry.• Pitch will rise at the end of a sentence for a

question and will lower at the end of a sentence to convey finality.• Volume is used for attention, command, strong or

weak intention.

ACTIVITY 1: VARIETY FOR EMPHASIS

• Say the sentences below. Each student emphasize a different word in the sentence. The emphasis on a different words will change the meaning or intention behind the delivery.• Was Dave going home?• Was Dave going home?• Was Dave going home?• Was Dave going home?

ACTIVITY 2: VARY THE RATE

• Look at the sentences. • Each of you choose a word to emphasize, change

pitch to convey meaning and speak at a rate to match the intention of the sentence.

A. They climbed the stairs slowly and wearily.B. What an exquisite formal gown you are wearing!C. The extra cheesy pizza is delicious.D. Hurray! We won the game!E. I am proud to accept this honor.F. I am so tired. I can barely move.G. I don’t want to listen to that again.H. I feel like I am going to be sick.I. I can’t wait for the weekend.J. I can’t believe you lost it!K. What do you mean by that?L. It’s never going to be okay again.M. That’s wonderful!N. Why would you say that?O. Do you think he’ll be okay?

LESSON 5ARTICULATION

ARTICULATION

• Articulation is crucial for an actor. If words are not clearly articulated on stage, the audience may misinterpret the words, which can change the entire meaning of the message being conveyed.• An actor on stage must over-articulate, in a

sense, much in the same way that movement needs to be bigger. This requires the inexperienced actor to open their mouths wider than they normally would in every day conversation.

ACTIVITY 1: TONGUE TWISTERS

• Tongue twisters help you learn to open your mouths wider for line delivery and helps you focus on the articulation of each word.• You may want to say the tongue twisters quickly,

but the purpose of the exercise is clear articulation, not speed.

• Sally sold sea shells at the sea shore• Tommy took two tulips• You know you need unique New York• Irish wristwatch• A box of biscuits, a box of mixed biscuits and a

biscuit mixer• A big black bug bit a big black bear• How can a clam cram in a clean cream can• Stupid superstition• Santa’s short suit shrunk• Eleven benevolent elephants• Six sleek swans swam swiftly southward• Private property of privileged pirates

ACTIVITY 2: SHAKESPEARE

• Students choose one of the Shakespeare quotes from the handout on page 43.• You will have 5 minutes to practice on your own

and then must present your quote with clear articulation.

SHAKESPEAREAN QUOTES

• Speak the speech, I pray you, as I pronounced it trippingly on the tongue; but if you mouth it, as many of your players do, I had as life the town crier spoke my lines. (Hamlet)• The raging rocks and shivering shocks shall break

the locks of prison gates; and Phibbus’ ear shall shine from far and make and mar the foolish fates. (A Midsummer Night’s Dream)• Fair is foul and foul is fair; hover through the fog

and filthy air. (Macbeth)

SHAKESPEAREAN QUOTES

• A cherry lip, a bonny eye, a passing pleasing tongue. (Richard III)• If it were done when ‘tis done, then ‘twere well, if

it were done quickly. If th’ assassination could trammel up the consequence, and catch with his surcease success, that but this blow might be the be-all and the end-all here, but here upon this bank and shoal of time, we’d jump the life to come. (Macbeth)

ACTIVITY 3: PRONUNCIATION AND DIALECT

• If you do not know a word, look up those words for meaning and pronunciation.• However, pronunciation of a word may vary,

depending on the dialect of a character. • Look at the Handout pg. 45 for some commonly

mispronounced words.• Say them aloud with class.

LESSON 6PUTTING IT TOGETHER

ACTIVITY 1: NURSERY RHYMES

• Students are given classic nursery rhymes for performance.

• Focus should be on all vocal skills including volume, rate, pitch, tone, articulation, breathing and projection.

• However, stay away from the sing-song rhythm that you are used to in rhymes.

• You will have 5-7 minutes to rehearse your nursery rhymes and then present them to the class.

• For a challenge, you may want to perform the rhymes without your script.

• You will be memorizing lines soon and this would be a good place to begin.

TWINKLE TWINKLE LITTLE STAR

Twinkle, twinkle, little star.How I wonder what you are.Up above the world so high,Like a diamond in the sky.

Twinkle, twinkle, little star.How I wonder what you are.How I wonder what you are.

JACK BE NIMBLE

Jack, be nimble,Jack, be quick,Jack, jump overThe candlestick. Jack jumped lowJack jumped overAnd burned his toe.

DO YOU KNOW THE MUFFIN MAN?

Do you know the Muffin Man,The Muffin Man,The Muffin Man?Do you know the Muffin ManWho lives in Drury Lane?Yes, I know the Muffin Man,The Muffin Man,The Muffin Man.Yes, I know the Muffin ManWho lives in Drury Lane.

LITTLE MISS MUFFET

Little Miss MuffetSat on a tuffet,Eating her curds and whey;Along came a spider,Who sat down beside herAnd frightened Miss Muffet away.

HUMPTY DUMPTY

Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall,Humpty Dumpty had a great fall.All the king’s horse and all the king’s menCouldn’t put Humpty together again.

MARY HAD A LITTLE LAMB

Mary had a little lamb, little lamb, little lamb,Mary had a little lamb, its fleece was white as snow.And everywhere that Mary went, Mary went, Mary went,And everywhere that Mary went, the lamb was sure to go.

ACTIVITY 2: A/B SCENES WITH MULTIPLE MEANINGS• Students are paired with a partner.• Each pairing will rehearse a neutral A/B scene.• The focus is combining the principles of

movement that you learned in the previous unit and the vocal skills you learned in this unit.

NEUTRAL A/B SCENE INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Decide who will be “A” and who will be “B”2. Choose who your characters will be (A grandma B

wolf)3. Create a conflict for the scene4. Create blocking for your scene, using the

principles of movement5. Highlight your lines6. Underline words you want to emphasize7. Rehearse the scene a minimum of 10 times with

blocking and vocal delivery8. Present your scene to the class.

UNIT 5 TEST

• Matching terms that you have learned throughout this unit. • Slide 2 in this PowerPoint!!

UNIT 5: PERFORMANCE

• Students in groups of 3-5.• Each group chooses a classic children’s story. • The group will choose a narrator with exceptional

vocal skills and the other actors will act out the story through movement while it is being told by the narrator.• Actors may each be a character in the story with

lines of dialogue or they may choose to mime the action of the story, but the narrator will be the only one with a book or script on stage.

CHILDREN’S STORY PERFORMANCE

1. Read through the story as a group.2. Choose a narrator for the group. This actor will

use the book to narrate the story to the audience.3. Decide if the remaining actors will play specific

roles or various roles.4. Narrator should study the script and choose

specific words for emphasis and choose pitch, volume, rate and tone to bring the story alive for the audience.

5. Groups should block the story for performance, using their principles of movement.

6. The only person in the group that should have a “script” is the narrator. The other actors, if they have lines, should memorize those lines for performance.

7. Rehearse the story a minimum of 15 times, with blocking and vocalization.

8. Everyone in the group should offer constructive criticism for improvement during the rehearsal process.

9. Costumes and props are not the focus, but you may use them if you are able to bring them in, or if we have what you need in our supply. However, the focus is bringing the story to life with vocalization and movement. Imagine that your audience is a large group of 5 year olds.

10.Present the children’s story to the class.