YOUR VOICE PART 1 WRITTEN BY HUB

Do you love the sound of your own voice?  I doubt it as research shows that more than two thirds of us either strongly dislike or even hate the sound of our voice.  What is it we don’t like and can we change our voices so we become happier with what we hear?  Follow this little mini-series of blogs and you might learn some tips.

 

Although I don’t do as much of this now, I have had the pleasure of working with so many voices over the years, helping people to feel confident about what they say and how they say it.  Confidence is the key, as well as looking after that important instrument that is your voice.

 

Many approaches focus on the science of the voice and, as with all branches of science, you can imagine that there are thousands of interpretations and methods deployed by equally as many people to help you get the best out of your voice.  I would not presume to say mine is any better than others, but if you want to try some tips to feel more confident whether you are speaking or singing, try a few of these.

 

In this blog, let’s look at how we breathe.

 

Our vocal cords are one of the most delicate parts of our body, as are the lungs which act as the bellows to deliver sufficient air pressure to make the cords work.  Did you know that, if you live to 80, you are likely to take around 680 million breaths, processing 250 million litres of air? Isn’t it amazing to think that we do this and hardly notice, but we would certainly notice if we stopped!  A trained singer will often take in as much as double the air in a single breath, holding it to be released at precise pressures which can only be replicated by precision instruments under laboratory conditions.      

 

   We work very hard to breathe, are you working too hard?  When we get nervous or feel some stress, our breathing can become shallow and can double in frequency.  This is different to when we exercise when the frequency can also double but the air volume is also considerably increased to enable oxygen to enter your blood stream.

 

During public speaking or in unfamiliar situations, many of us feel a sense of panic and begin to take shorter breaths. This can tighten our throats and restrict how we use our voice so it feels and sounds tense.  If this is how you feel in these situations, try to take deeper, longer breaths through your nose, feeling the air penetrate deep down in to your chest.  Try taking in as much air as you can, think positively and take a little more, holding it for a few seconds before gently releasing it, noticing whether you feel your breath is steady or not.  Try to keep your breath as steady as possible as you try this exercise and do this for at least 2-3 minutes before you must take yourself out of your comfort zone and speak in public, for example.  Do this standing up as you will always be able to get more air in to your lungs in this position.

 

Longer, steadier breaths will slow your delivery when you speak, making you sound more confident and in control.  As you are taking in more oxygen, you are likely to feel more relaxed.

 

Most of us don’t think about when we take a breath while we are speaking.  Once you feel you have overall control of how you breathe, think about taking a breath when you really need one.  The following example will make you stressed.

“I went to (breath) the shops to buy (breathe) some milk but I found that they had run (breathe) out.” Yes, people really do speak like that.

And this one will help you to feel relaxed.

“I went to the shops to buy some milk, (breathe) but I found that they had run out.”

Try to imagine the punctuation in what you are saying and take a breath where you find it. Taking a breath will introduce the kind of natural pause you should find where there is punctuation and will help people to better understand what you are saying.

 

And finally, look after your lungs.  It goes without saying that smoking hugely reduces their capacity and changes how they work.  Of course, there are many great singers who are also heavy smokers but I wouldn’t recommend it!

Next time, pitch of your voice and how to control it, plus speed of delivery in different circumstances.