We have all heard, at least once in our life, the beautiful and full voice of a person, so pleasant and melodious that it was a joy to stay and hear it, regardless of the content of the speech. While developing perfect intonation and diction is a lifelong job, it is possible to achieve a beautiful voice in a relatively short amount of time. All you need are a few pointers and some regular practice. So, if you want to develop good speaking skills, keep reading this tutorial.
Steps
Part 1 of 2: Developing Good Speaking Habits
Step 1. Speak louder
When speaking it is important to make yourself audible, so turn up the volume of your voice! If you tend to whisper, mumble or talk with your head down, then it will very often happen that people ignore you or "talk over you".
- This does not mean, however, that you should shout, but that you should change the volume of your speech according to the situation. For example, if you are addressing a large group of people, then you will need to raise your voice to make yourself audible.
- However, remember that speaking too loud in a normal, everyday conversation is not necessary at all and could make a bad impression.
Step 2. Slow down
Speaking too fast is a bad habit that may also impair understanding of your words or prevent people from following your speech. This way people are more likely to get distracted and stop listening to you.
- For this reason, it is important to slow down the rhythm of the words, pronouncing them slowly and respecting the pauses between one sentence and another. By doing so you also add emphasis to the message and you have a chance to breathe!
- In any case, it is equally important to avoid speaking too slowly. An excessively calm rhythm makes the conversation monotonous for your interlocutor, so much so that it makes him impatient and induces him not to listen.
- The ideal speed of a dialogue is 120-160 words per minute. However, if you are giving a speech, it is worth changing the speed of the words; for example, you can slow down at one point to emphasize a concept or increase the speed to convey passion and enthusiasm.
Step 3. State
Speaking clearly is one of the most important aspects of developing a good voice. You must pay attention to every word you pronounce by vocalizing it fully and correctly.
Make sure you open your mouth wide, part your lips, and keep your tongue and teeth in the correct position as you speak. This detail allows you to eliminate or hide a blessing, if you suffer from this disorder. You may feel a little strange at first, but if you constantly strive to pronounce the words correctly, it will soon become completely natural
Step 4. Practice deep breathing
This is crucial for a full, resonant voice. Most people breathe too fast and shallowly while speaking, resulting in a shrill, nasal voice.
- Breathing should be regulated by the diaphragm and not by the chest. To understand if you are breathing correctly, place a fist on the abdomen, just below the last rib: you should feel your belly expand and your shoulders should rise as you inhale.
- Practice by inhaling deeply, allowing air to fill your belly. Inhale as you count to five and then exhale for another five seconds. Get used to this technique and then try to apply it when you speak.
- Remember to maintain an upright posture when standing, but also when sitting; your chin should be up and your shoulders back, so you can breathe more deeply and protect your voice with less difficulty. This position also conveys greater self-confidence when speaking.
- At the end of each sentence, try to breathe. If you use the deep breathing technique, you should have enough air to say the next sentence without stopping to breathe; however, if you stop, you give the listener time to internalize what you have said.
Step 5. Vary the tone
This characteristic of the voice has a real impact on the quality of your speech and is able to influence the audience. In general, speaking out loud gives the impression of being nervous, while a low pitch is more persuasive and conveys calm.
- While you shouldn't attempt to change the natural pitch of the voice (you don't want to speak like Dart Vader), you should still make an effort to control it. Don't let your emotion take over and try to get a deep, full and pleasant tone.
- You can practice controlling the pitch of your voice by humming a melody or reading a text aloud. Remember that it is not necessary to maintain a constant tone, some words should be pronounced with a higher nuance to underline and load them with emphasis.
Part 2 of 2: Practice the Speeches
Step 1. Do some vocalizations.
Vocal cord exercises are a great way to develop good speaking skills.
- Try to relax your mouth and vocal cords. You can achieve this by yawning widely, moving your jaw left and right, humming with your mouth closed, or massaging the throat muscles with your fingers.
- Increase lung capacity and volume by exhaling fully until you have no more air in your lungs. Next, inhale deeply and hold your breath for 15 seconds before exhaling again.
- Work on the pitch of the voice by singing the "ah" sound at first in your normal pitch and then trying to lower it further and further. You can use all the letters of the alphabet.
- Try some lengtheners
Step 2. Read aloud
To practice pronunciation, rhythm, and volume, you should read aloud.
- Choose a passage from a book or magazine or, better yet, choose a transcript of a famous speech (like that of Martin Luther King) and read it aloud, alone.
- Remember to keep an upright posture, breathe deeply, and open your mouth wide when you speak. If you train in front of a mirror, you can control yourself.
- Keep practicing until you are satisfied with what you feel. Then try to apply the same technique in everyday speech.
Step 3. Record your voice
While most people don't like hearing their own voice over, it's worth recording while you speak.
- This helps you understand mistakes you might not otherwise notice, such as incorrect pronunciation, speed or pitch problems.
- Currently, most cell phones allow you to record and listen to. You can also use the video camera which allows you to check other details such as posture, eye contact and mouth movements.
Step 4. Consult a diction teacher
If you really need to improve your speaking skills, for example to address a debate, speech or presentation, then you should consider making an appointment with a professional. He will be able to identify your pronunciation problems and correct them.
- A teacher is also a great help in case you have a very strong accent or a really conversational cadence that you are trying to eliminate or reduce. Losing your accent is a difficult job that requires professional support.
- If you feel like calling an diction teacher is too extreme a step, you may want to consider speaking in front of a friend or family member. An "external ear" can pick up on errors and problems and point them out to you. All of this will help you become more confident when speaking in front of people.
Step 5. Smile as you speak
People will judge you and your speech more positively if you use an open, friendly and encouraging tone instead of an aggressive, sarcastic or bored one.
- A good way to achieve this and convey warmth and empathy is to smile during the speech. Remember: it doesn't have to be a crazy grin, just the corners of the mouth are turned upwards for the sound of the voice to be more pleasant, even on the phone.
- Of course, smiling isn't appropriate for all occasions, especially if you're discussing serious topics. However, remember to impress emotions (whatever they are) in your voice to improve the quality of your prayer.
Advice
- Good posture is essential for a good voice; for this purpose you can read this article: How to Improve Posture.
- If possible, do the exercises in a closed room with no carpet so you can hear yourself better.
- Try different singing exercises, as they are great for learning proper breathing and vocalization techniques.
- When the vocal cords create a sound, you should feel a vibration in the chest, back, neck and head. The vibration generates a resonance and gives the voice a full and pleasant tone. This is just what you are trying to achieve, so spend a lot of time relaxing these areas of the body.
- If you are a girl, don't force your voice into high pitches. You should have a melodious and expressive sounding voice, but at the same time it should be pleasant, not piercing or whiny. Who said Marilyn Monroe's voice is sexier than Sade's?
- If you are a boy, remember that a forced baritone voice is terrible. Don't push yourself too low and at the same time don't try to relax your vocal cords to the point of achieving a low, monotonous buzz. Some men have a high-pitched voice that can still be very intriguing if the techniques explained above are used to achieve some low, resonant notes. We recall, by way of example, the voices of rapper Q-Tip, actors Marlon Brando and Christopher Walken (the original voices and not those of the Italian voice actors).
- The jaw and lips are the most important parts to relax because they form the sound box, just like the hole in the center of the guitar. If your mouth is too closed, you will have to exhale with more effort to get the same volume. If your jaw and lips are relaxed and free to move, then your voice will take on a more natural tone, less stressed or stifled.
