Deus Ex Machina
02-26-2011, 07:24 PM
I realize there are a lot of other threads like this but another one can't hurt, right? Perhaps there is some information here that the others don't have. All I know is this has helped me and I hope the same for you.
MOST OF THESE TECHNIQUES WILL HELP FOR ANY TYPE OF VOICE YOU WANT TO ACHIEVE, BUT SOME OF THEM ARE SPECIFICALLY FOR THOSE WHO ARE TRYING TO WORK TOWARDS A DEEPER VOICE.
I will label them as such so please pay attention because you don't want to do the ones for a deeper voice if you're trying to get a cutesy feminine one.
--------------
Hello! I have taken note of a lot of things I found useful when voice acting and singing, and am posting them here to help you improve as well. I hope you find something useful when reading this and if you have anything you would like me to add PLEASE let me know! Also, if you don't mind, let me know how they are working for you. I would love to know that people took my advice and learned from it. Thanks!
--------------
PLEASE NOTE: Do NOT strain your voice! Reciting these little exercises too often may damage your voice. You need to give it a break every now and then. Do NOT continue talking if it starts to hurt or takes a lot of effort.
--------------
FOR ALL TYPES OF VOICES...
Drink room-temperature water. Cold water will tighten your muscles so don't do that. Other drinks will not be helpful at all so you should avoid them, at least the while around when you voice act. Besides, water is healthy!
Do not clear your throat and if you can help it, don't cough!
Unless you’re trying to be silly, avoid accents that you don’t have. A slight, little bit of one is OK, but if the person you are auditioning for wants an Australian sounding voice, chances are, they will just get someone from Australia. Strengthen your neck muscles. Just be careful, don’t crack it or anything, your neck is a sensitive area. Just massage it lightly.
Relax! Try to speak naturally and don't hold your breath or do anything that tires it.
Do simple breathing exercises. Your abs should not flex when doing this, just make it natural. There are many you can find by just searching on Google, but I will post some links that I found helpful at the bottom.
Keep your head up straight when you talk. This makes your voice louder, too.
Avoid shouting, screaming, or just talking loud when it's not needed. For times you need to talk to a large crowd or when trying to get attention in a noisy area it is best to have a microphone.
Avoid eating too many sweets. They bring bacteria to the throat which could potentially cause a sore throat, which is never good!
Allow your voice to rest. Don't talk a lot. Just be quiet for a little bit to give it a break.
SPEAK CLEARLY! Do not mumble or cram your words together.
Get input from others. Friends can often be biased and tell you it's perfect when it isn't. There is always room for improvement and what you need is constructive criticism and suggestions. There are plenty of websites and forums where voice actors and actresses, amateur and professional alike, gather to give feed back and advice. However it is also important that you don't let them discourage you. As long as you can talk, you can improve! So don't give up until you get the voice you want!
Record yourself! When we speak our voice can sound different than it really is, but if you hear it when you're not talking you can replay it over and over. When you listen, take note of parts that you don't like and want to change, but also take note of the good parts that you like.
--------------
FOR A DEEPER VOICE...
(I am a girl and these have worked for me, so give it a try!)
Listen to music with male singers! It is common for people to pick up little traits and mannerisms from others they spend time with. Even though you are just listening (and perhaps singing along) you can get used to that type of voice and it will start to grow on you.
Recite "Ding-dong, king-kong, bing-bong" a few times with your head tilted backwards. Hold onto the "ng" part of the words and make your voice go lower with each word. Doing this too often will damage your vocal cords so I recommend doing this only when you plan to have the voice for a little while. It is also a good idea to recite that for a few days with your head positioned normally (and that will not damage your vocal cords as much, if at all). DO NOT RECORD LINES LIKE THIS, JUST DO IT UNTIL YOU GET THE VOICE.
Try speaking slower.
Try speaking from your chest or bottom of your rib cage.
You can also try talking from the back of your throat (focus on your R's!). Don't overdo this though because you want your deep voice to seem natural and not obvious you're acting.
Try reciting the alphabet and make your voice go lower with each letter. Do not continue when it starts straining you. Just work on it every now and then and see how far you can get.
Drop your tongue down lower in your mouth. For girls it may feel funny but if you're gentle it won't strain you. Just keep practicing.
Speak with deep breaths, let the words come out full, and just let it be a chest voice.
--------------
I hope you found some helpful advice when reading this! If I find any other tips and tricks I will add them so you may want to check back another time. I got these from my personal experience, advice from others who love to sing and voice act, and various places on the internet. Also, if you have some things you would like me to add then please let me know! Thanks!
--------------
Here are some helpful links you may want to check out:
http://cas.umkc.edu/casww/brethexr.htm (http://cas.umkc.edu/casww/brethexr.htm)
http://proffate.deviantart.com/art/Voice-Acting-for-Morons-110120737 (http://proffate.deviantart.com/art/Voice-Acting-for-Morons-110120737)
http://ashleylange.deviantart.com/art/Online-Voice-Acting-Tips-10894093 (http://ashleylange.deviantart.com/art/Online-Voice-Acting-Tips-108940939?q=boost:popular%20voice%20acting&qo=2)
MOST OF THESE TECHNIQUES WILL HELP FOR ANY TYPE OF VOICE YOU WANT TO ACHIEVE, BUT SOME OF THEM ARE SPECIFICALLY FOR THOSE WHO ARE TRYING TO WORK TOWARDS A DEEPER VOICE.
I will label them as such so please pay attention because you don't want to do the ones for a deeper voice if you're trying to get a cutesy feminine one.
--------------
Hello! I have taken note of a lot of things I found useful when voice acting and singing, and am posting them here to help you improve as well. I hope you find something useful when reading this and if you have anything you would like me to add PLEASE let me know! Also, if you don't mind, let me know how they are working for you. I would love to know that people took my advice and learned from it. Thanks!
--------------
PLEASE NOTE: Do NOT strain your voice! Reciting these little exercises too often may damage your voice. You need to give it a break every now and then. Do NOT continue talking if it starts to hurt or takes a lot of effort.
--------------
FOR ALL TYPES OF VOICES...
Drink room-temperature water. Cold water will tighten your muscles so don't do that. Other drinks will not be helpful at all so you should avoid them, at least the while around when you voice act. Besides, water is healthy!
Do not clear your throat and if you can help it, don't cough!
Unless you’re trying to be silly, avoid accents that you don’t have. A slight, little bit of one is OK, but if the person you are auditioning for wants an Australian sounding voice, chances are, they will just get someone from Australia. Strengthen your neck muscles. Just be careful, don’t crack it or anything, your neck is a sensitive area. Just massage it lightly.
Relax! Try to speak naturally and don't hold your breath or do anything that tires it.
Do simple breathing exercises. Your abs should not flex when doing this, just make it natural. There are many you can find by just searching on Google, but I will post some links that I found helpful at the bottom.
Keep your head up straight when you talk. This makes your voice louder, too.
Avoid shouting, screaming, or just talking loud when it's not needed. For times you need to talk to a large crowd or when trying to get attention in a noisy area it is best to have a microphone.
Avoid eating too many sweets. They bring bacteria to the throat which could potentially cause a sore throat, which is never good!
Allow your voice to rest. Don't talk a lot. Just be quiet for a little bit to give it a break.
SPEAK CLEARLY! Do not mumble or cram your words together.
Get input from others. Friends can often be biased and tell you it's perfect when it isn't. There is always room for improvement and what you need is constructive criticism and suggestions. There are plenty of websites and forums where voice actors and actresses, amateur and professional alike, gather to give feed back and advice. However it is also important that you don't let them discourage you. As long as you can talk, you can improve! So don't give up until you get the voice you want!
Record yourself! When we speak our voice can sound different than it really is, but if you hear it when you're not talking you can replay it over and over. When you listen, take note of parts that you don't like and want to change, but also take note of the good parts that you like.
--------------
FOR A DEEPER VOICE...
(I am a girl and these have worked for me, so give it a try!)
Listen to music with male singers! It is common for people to pick up little traits and mannerisms from others they spend time with. Even though you are just listening (and perhaps singing along) you can get used to that type of voice and it will start to grow on you.
Recite "Ding-dong, king-kong, bing-bong" a few times with your head tilted backwards. Hold onto the "ng" part of the words and make your voice go lower with each word. Doing this too often will damage your vocal cords so I recommend doing this only when you plan to have the voice for a little while. It is also a good idea to recite that for a few days with your head positioned normally (and that will not damage your vocal cords as much, if at all). DO NOT RECORD LINES LIKE THIS, JUST DO IT UNTIL YOU GET THE VOICE.
Try speaking slower.
Try speaking from your chest or bottom of your rib cage.
You can also try talking from the back of your throat (focus on your R's!). Don't overdo this though because you want your deep voice to seem natural and not obvious you're acting.
Try reciting the alphabet and make your voice go lower with each letter. Do not continue when it starts straining you. Just work on it every now and then and see how far you can get.
Drop your tongue down lower in your mouth. For girls it may feel funny but if you're gentle it won't strain you. Just keep practicing.
Speak with deep breaths, let the words come out full, and just let it be a chest voice.
--------------
I hope you found some helpful advice when reading this! If I find any other tips and tricks I will add them so you may want to check back another time. I got these from my personal experience, advice from others who love to sing and voice act, and various places on the internet. Also, if you have some things you would like me to add then please let me know! Thanks!
--------------
Here are some helpful links you may want to check out:
http://cas.umkc.edu/casww/brethexr.htm (http://cas.umkc.edu/casww/brethexr.htm)
http://proffate.deviantart.com/art/Voice-Acting-for-Morons-110120737 (http://proffate.deviantart.com/art/Voice-Acting-for-Morons-110120737)
http://ashleylange.deviantart.com/art/Online-Voice-Acting-Tips-10894093 (http://ashleylange.deviantart.com/art/Online-Voice-Acting-Tips-108940939?q=boost:popular%20voice%20acting&qo=2)