VOCAL VARIETY

Using Your Voice

Psychologist Albert Mehrabian states that we are five times as likely to be influenced by voice than by spoken words as we listen to a speaker.  Thus, we are more influenced by how a speaker talks than by what a speaker says. A good speaking voice is loud enough to be heard, clear enough to be understood, expressive enough to be interesting, and pleasing enough to enjoyable.

A good speaking voice should be balanced between extremes of volume, pitch, and rate, while having a pleasing sound quality.  Let's examine each of these individually:

  1. Volume. Some people habitually speak loudly.  Perhaps their parents talked this way, or they may have an assertive nature.  Such people should make a special effort to speak more quietly.  At the other extreme are people who can barely be heard.  They need to concentrate on projecting their voices.  In any case, you should vary your voice volume to add emphasis or dramatic impact to your speeches.

  2. Pitch. Good speakers vary the pitch of their voices to convey emotion and conviction.  Avoid high pitches because they suggest immaturity and excitability.  The best approach is to be conversational in your speaking.

  3. Rate. The most effective speaking rate falls into the range of 125 - 160 words a minute.  You can easily keep within this range by speaking rapidly enough to avoid a boring drown, yet slowly enough to be clearly understood.  Vary your speaking rate during your talk to reflect mood changes and to emphasize points of the speech.

  4. Quality.The most important recommendation for voice quality is to relax your throat while you speak.  Try to convey friendliness, confidence, and a desire to communicate.  Relax, eliminating any tension from your voice.  A pleasing tonal quality will usually follow.

 

A Good Speaking Voice

By applying the above principles to your speech you'll find that a good speaking voice generally has the following characteristics:

  1. The tone is pleasant, conveying a sense of friendliness.
  2. It is natural, reflecting the true personality and sincerity of the speaker.
  3. It has vitality, giving the impression of force and strength, even when it isn't especially loud.
  4. It portrays various shades of meanings, never sounding monotonous and emotionless.
  5. It is easily heard, thanks to proper volume and clear articulation.

You can train your own voice to excel in all of these qualities if you listen closely to the way you speak and concentrate on improvement.  To learn more about how to build your vocal skills, read the manual Your Speaking Voice, which you received in your New Member Kit.  It also contains exercises for developing your voice control.

 

Try Your Voice

Begin by experimenting with a few short passages to discover the meanings you can project using different vocal values.  Read these passages aloud and create others using a tone of voice appropriate each passage:

"I appreciate the kindness you have shown me, and I hope to return the favor when I can." (Simple, honest statement, or perhaps sarcasm.)
"Kindness! Do you call that kindness? I wouldn't treat a stray dog the way you've treated me!(Resentment, anger, unfriendliness)
"If we all show a little kindness, a little concern for others' need as well as our own, we can help make the word what it should be."(Deep feeling of earnestness and conviction)

Notice how your tone and effect vary with the different thoughts you express.  See how easy it is to change the meaning by changing your emphasis.

As another experiment, call a friend on the telephone and talk for several minutes on some topic of mutual interest.  Vary your tone of voices as well as your rate, pitch, and volume.  Use pauses to emphasize a point or arouse interest in what you will say next.  At the same time, keep your vocal experimentation within the context of a normal conversation.

 

Your Speech Subject

For this speech, choose a subject that lends itself easily to voice variety.  Something of a narrative or descriptive nature would be good, as would be topic requiring a display of emotion.  Another idea is to select a subject that enables you to quote or imitate different tones of voice or manners of speaking.  Use your imagination in preparing your talk and remember to apply the principles you have learned in the first four projects.

 

Rehearsing Your Talk

You will need to rehearse until you've mastered the voices you'll be using in the speech.  Find a place where you can be alone, so you can speak without inhibitions or interruptions.  Bring your voice out of the common, monotonous routine by varying the pitch, volume, and quality.  Work especially on varying the delivery rate.  Speak clearly and project your voice.

Although you will be evaluated primarily on voice variety, don't neglect gestures and other body language.  All work together to bring sight and sound into harmony as you communicate.

A valuable aid in rehearsing your vocal variety is a tape recorder.  Record your voice and practice until the vocal variety satisfies you.  Then pay attention to your organization and sincerity as well as voice.  The sound of your recorded voice may surprise you at first, but it's closer to what may surprise you at first, but it's closer to what your audience hears than the voice you're used to hearing directly as you speak.

 

Your Evaluation

Your evaluator will be looking primarily for your skill in varying your voice while you speak.  Your voice should be pleasing to listen to, with proper balance of volume, pitch and rate.  Your manner of speaking should reflect the thoughts you are presenting, just as your body language should support your message.  Be sure to organize your talk and speak with meaning.  The vocal variety skills you learn in this project should be developed and refined in all your future speeches.