Quick and easy ways to improve your speaking voice
The human voice is a beautiful and complex element of our being. Factors such as stress, health, geographic origin, genetics, upbringing, emotional and psychological influences all come into play when you open your mouth to speak. Your speaking voice is also very influential and one of the first impressions you make when meeting others.
So are you speaking the best you can? Is your voice clear and direct or do you have a muffled or choked feeling? Are you often hoarse after talking for a long period of time? Are you enunciating when you speak? You I like it your voice when speaking
Here are some simple and easy exercises to improve your speaking voice right now. Try them before an important meeting or interview. Better yet, start your day with some of the following exercises and you’ll find yourself a new, more organic and relaxed voice that evolves in no time:
Buzzer: One of the easiest and most accessible ways to improve the quality of your voice. It is rumored that Frank Sinatra used this technique as his only “warm-up” before singing on stage. To test its effectiveness, say a sentence before humming. Then hum for five minutes. Feel your lips vibrate. High buzz, low buzz. Then say the same sentence again. You will notice a cleaner and more direct sound. That is the natural sound and placement of your voice.
yawning: Could this be easier? That’s right, yawn with sound (that natural “slide” sound from a high note to a low note). Don’t feel like yawning? So pretend. Try this several times in a row. Notice the relaxed opening at the back of your throat. Most of us restrict this part of our throat due to stress and fatigue. The idea is to keep the same open “yawning” feeling when we talk throughout the day.
braying donkey: That’s right, bray donkey. (You may want to do this in private!) Bray like a donkey: Let your lips part and include a sound (similar to the yawn “slip”). Keep your lips loose and relaxed. Do this several times. Follow up with a little facelift: smile brightly, then relax. Open your face as if you are going to scream, hold for a second, and then relax. Finish off with some gentle head rolls. A relaxed face and neck are a necessary vessel for a relaxed and assertive voice.
weather: The enunciation is one of the weakest elements in most of our speech. Making a few small changes to the way you pronounce words can change the way you are perceived. True or not, people who enunciate correctly are often considered to be intelligent and well-spoken. So how do you start to clean up your speech? Say the words “note” or “little.” If “note” it probably means something closer to “nodice” and “liddle”. For one day, focus on your T’s. You don’t have to overdo it: small changes make a big difference.
let your words breathe: Most of us have a tendency to speak in a “suspended” manner, dodging one word for another. Pretty soon a whole sentence sounds like one word! Take your nearest magazine or newspaper and read from it. Exaggerate each word, focusing on the separate quality of each word. While you may not want to talk like this every day, you’ll get an idea of what true enunciation is.
Listen to the professionals: The next time you listen to a newscast, imitate the anchor. These professionals are trained to speak quickly, clearly and concisely. Look how much authority they radiate just by speaking well. Try it on for size.
breathing: In short, breathing is the “root” or support of our speaking voice. If you are an anxious or tense person, you need some extra help here. When you wake up in the morning, watch your breath. It is slow, steady, and seems to be coming from your abdominal area. Take a minute each day and breathe deeply. Place your hand on your abdomen and focus on your breath emanating from there. Keep your shoulders relaxed and your chest relatively still. This incredibly simple exercise not only changes the way you speak, it is relaxing and reminds you of your true natural breathing pattern.
These exercises are at your disposal throughout the day, so you have no excuse not to try them! Remember: your voice is one of the most essential aspects of you – keep it in tune and working well. It’s an easy way to improve your communication with others and ultimately your confidence.
