I want to improve my voice and tonality by speaking more clearly, deeper, and slower.

Does anybody have an idea how I can practice it (besides being more attentive when I speak)?

(06-22-2011 07:09 AM)8_ball Wrote:  I want to improve my voice and tonality by speaking more clearly, deeper, and slower.

Does anybody have an idea how I can practice it (besides being more attentive when I speak)?

Join Toastmasters.

You'll practice speaking in front of crowds, have missions with each speech, and get direct feedback. Membership is less than $100 for the year.

Find a club, click here.

(06-26-2011 05:27 AM)JTv1 Wrote:  Join Toastmasters.

You'll practice speaking in front of crowds, have missions with each speech, and get direct feedback. Membership is less than $100 for the year.

Find a club, click here.

Wow, I just spent a while reading up on Toastmasters and it blew my mind that something like this exists (and since 1924!). They even have 2 meetup groups in my tiny little country.

From what I read on wikipedia, most of what they teach has a lot of application to all areas of life (and thus pickup).

I began using the advice listed on this link and another site that has apparently vanished. It consists mainly of practicing diaphragm breathing, resonating from the gut or lower chest, and warming up the voice in all ranges.

http://highschoolpuas.proboards.com/inde...hread=3688

Quote:1) Inhale from your diaphragm. Push your stomach up like a balloon. Count silently 1-2-3-4 while inhaling. Count 4-3-2-1 silently while exhaling. This should not be done more than 6 times per day.
2) Inhale from the diaphragm deeply. Exhale slowly. So slowly that, if there was a candle in front of you, you wouldn’t blow it.
3) Keep a body language where you head stands still but you chest doesn't stick out.
Resonance
1) Inhale deeply again. Exhale slowly while resonating from you chest. You should feel the resonance down to your belly. Avoid the nose or the throat. Your exhale should be stable with no tone changes and with no added effort.
2) Perform the same, but this time start visualising that the resonance point looks like an elevator going up and down, as it travels from your nose to your chest.
3) Perform the same, but this time say all the different vocals in the alphabet, until all of them sound with the same tone. You may spot some that are less bass than others. Work them.
Speech rhythm
4) Try and find something to read. Read it out loud, while you are able to read at about 160 words per minute.
5) Give feelings to your words. Hit at least two tones. A monotone is *not* an EXCITING voice, to listen to.
EXTRA): To learn to articulate well you can do a series of exercises where you say every consonant with every vocal while speaking from your diaphragm and while you articulate slowly:ba bo bi bo bu, ca co ci co cu, da do di do du, ...., za zo zi zo zu. Then make sure when you speak to someone that you speak slowly.

I trust the exercises I quoted from the website more than the prior link I posted. The breathing is really important in voice training. Even the voice actor for Goku credits his ability to the breathing exercises he practiced for brass. Good luck.

Thanks for the tips guys!

@JT: Toastmasters are really a great thing! I was joining them for a couple of weeks, since I need good preparation for a very important presentation, and it worked really good. I think though, that it is not very usefull when you already know that you speak too fast and too low. I mean, they give you just feedback, but the homework (working on your voice) you have to do it yourself.

@Traindom: really interesting excercises! How often you should do them?

Personally, I do them about once a day for now. I want to build up to it so as to not strain my voice too much. If you ever feel your throat hurting too much, back off just a little. Know when to take breaks. Sorry for being redundant, but you never can be too careful when exercising vocals.

I imagine you could get to twice a day after a while. Once in the morning and then in the afternoon. Have fun! They are fun exercises all in all.

(06-22-2011 07:09 AM)8_ball Wrote:  I want to improve my voice and tonality by speaking more clearly, deeper, and slower.

Does anybody have an idea how I can practice it (besides being more attentive when I speak)?

If it is something you could like:

Join a (decent) choir.