topic Re: Voice quality improvement in Community Chat

Voice quality improvement

bonnielu — Sun, 11 Oct 2015 14:08:27 GMT

I will start off that I am not fond of my voice. I cannot remember names long term but never forget a face or a voice. So you could say I am wondering if voices can be improved so I can sound better.

In general I like what I hear when I tune in and hear the Hosts. In the case of the vendors sometimes I find their voices pleasing and sometimes not. This goes for guests on talk shows and news broadcasts as well. I guess there might be a training factor when they hire for broadcasts or for sales. Or they just might hire because of a great voice.

I am wondering if there is a way to improve the quality of your voice.

Re: Voice quality improvement

Moonchilde — Sun, 11 Oct 2015 14:16:55 GMT

Google "voice coach" and "speaking lessons." There are definitely voice coaches who work with people to change the way they speak. Most actors work with voice coaches. Small towns might not have any, but mid to large cities would.

Possible to do online/with recordings, but no instant feedback there.

Re: Voice quality improvement

house_cat — Sun, 11 Oct 2015 14:21:56 GMT

Great question, bonnielu. I've often wondered myself. I talk for a living, and sometimes I can't stand what I'm hearing. I've always wanted to take voice lessons. I know that most people in radio and t.v. have taken lessons. It's not accidental that Carolyn Gracie and David Venable, for instance, have beautiful diction and voice quality. It can be taught.

I've noticed the last few years, that there are MANY t.v. voices that offend my ears. I have to mute certain shows because the hosts voice irritates me. Case in point, Nancy Fuller from Farmhouse Rules cooking show. The minute I hear her speak it's like fingernails on a chalkboard. I simply cannot listen to her. There are many others, including a few of the QVC hosts.

My theory is that in 'the old days', when there were fewer t.v. shows and fewer hosts, one had to be formally trained to land such a job. Nowadays, there are so many reality shows and amateurs popping out of the woodwork, that we are seeing more average people and let's face it, most of us have voices that could use improvement.

Re: Voice quality improvement

bonnielu — Sun, 11 Oct 2015 14:28:14 GMT

I can only hear my voice if I am recorded as in leaving voice messages on my answering phone or if I am part of some video recordingon a camera or cellphone. Not happy. (of course I cannot carry a tune either).

I would love to sound better, be more pleasing in tone (and texture). What is interesting... what I can do... is imitate almost automatically without even thinking. I cannot tell you how many times people I talk to swear I am from their town or neck of the woods. Southern gals think I am southern, people from New Jersey think I am from New Jersey. I seem to fold right in to dialects without even trying. So I think I can be trained.

Re: Voice quality improvement

house_cat — Sun, 11 Oct 2015 14:39:48 GMT

Yes, I think that's important that you have an ear for it. My husband's family is from KY, even though he was raised in NY. When we visit them we both come home with the accent.

I moved to CA almost 15 years ago. I guess I've picked up the accent, because no one ever asks me if I'm from somewhere else. Dh on the other hand, still sounds like a NYer. Everywhere we go, people call him out for it, especially Starbucks when he asks for cawfee, lol.

We have a large Mexican community here in Los Angeles, no surprise. When I spend any amount of time talking with someone who has that accent, I start mimicking it without realizing. I have to be careful, because that can be interpreted as disrespect, but it happens naturally.

Re: Voice quality improvement

Q4u — Sun, 11 Oct 2015 14:44:57 GMT

There are voice coaches, or even classes that work on/train voice definition. I say this because I had several back in the day when I was doing Theater. The coaches will work with the individual to stop such things as glottal shock that is prevailant with a lot of speakers and singers~! Glottal Shock is a clicking in the voice that can be heard at the onset of words that do not begin with some sort of consonant. Also will help with timber and styling as well as pronunciation.

There ARE voice coaches out there that will evaluate your voice and have been trained to recognize and help the person correct unpleasant aspects.... good luck!

Re: Voice quality improvement

lolakimono — Sun, 11 Oct 2015 14:52:23 GMT

@bonnielu

A good speech therapist can help with this. I spent my summer in voice therapy, to learn how to project without causing laryngitis. It only required 4 sessions and was covered by insurance (although, like @house_cat I too use my voice to make a living).

Re: Voice quality improvement

house_cat — Sun, 11 Oct 2015 15:20:33 GMT

@lolakimono

I need to look into that. Every day, I go to my oldsters on the way home from school. Every day, my mom says, "What's the matter? You're so quiet." Every day, I have to explain to her again that I talk all day long. When I get home I just want to shut up and have everyone leave me alone. If anyone knew how many questions a teacher had to answer in a day, aside from the lesson, they would be surprised.

Re: Voice quality improvement

lolakimono — Sun, 11 Oct 2015 15:22:35 GMT

@house_cat wrote:
@lolakimono

I need to look into that. Every day, I go to my oldsters on the way home from school. Every day, my mom says, "What's the matter? You're so quiet." Every day, I have to explain to her again that I talk all day long. When I get home I just want to shut up and have everyone leave me alone. If anyone knew how many questions a teacher had to answer in a day, aside from the lesson, they would be surprised.

@house_cat

Four hours minimum, of talking/teaching a day, plus phone calls home to parents, talking on the phone when the office calls in the room looking for students, and talking to co-workers in planning.

Re: Voice quality improvement

house_cat — Sun, 11 Oct 2015 15:27:25 GMT

Make sure you have your first and last name and period on your paper.

Do we have to put our period on the paper?

Glue this worksheet to page 12 of your notebook?

Do we glue this to our notebook?

When you're finished, check over your work and put it in the turn-in basket.

What do we do when we're finished?

The assignment is due Tuesday.

When is the assignment due?

If you're not finished, you need to finish for homework.

Do we need to finish this for homework?

Make sure you use ONLY blue or black ink for the test.

Can we write in pencil?

Janey, you are missing several assignments.

My mom wants me to ask what I can do to bring up my grade.

AHHHHHHHHHHHH!

Re: Voice quality improvement

missy1 — Sun, 11 Oct 2015 15:54:07 GMT

The hosts voice generally determines if I watch the show.

I think the shopping channels should require the host to have a pleasant voice when hiring. Some hosts are monotoned, unpleasant, loud, annoying, too much of an accent, etc.

I understand hosts voice appeals to different people.

I think "most people" (sorry Pearly), find that Lisa M. and Lisa R. voice pleasant for the most part.

IMO

Re: Voice quality improvement

Maxine49 — Sun, 11 Oct 2015 15:47:45 GMT

@bonnielu wrote:

What is interesting... what I can do... is imitate almost automatically without even thinking. I cannot tell you how many times people I talk to swear I am from their town or neck of the woods. Southern gals think I am southern, people from New Jersey think I am from New Jersey. I seem to fold right in to dialects without even trying. So I think I can be trained.

***************

That is toooo funny! I am the same way. I think of it as a "talent" of sorts---but one of my sisters said "no, you're just too gullible!" LOL

Re: Voice quality improvement

sfnative — Sun, 11 Oct 2015 18:52:00 GMT

@bonnielu

You've been given some great advice and information. YouTube is one of those things that we tend not to think of when it comes to learning how to do something. I'd head over there and check it out.

I've taught vocal production, so will leave you with the following:

1. Hydrate: Always have a bottle or container of water with you. Heat and A/C draw the moisture out of our mucous membranes, which is not good.

2. Most people use their larynx, voice box, as their primary resonator. During a day in which the voice is used a lot, that's a lot of stress on the voice box. In some cases, that stress can result in laryngitis.

3. When being coached or working with a speech therapist, you'll learn to (1 )correctly use your diaphragm, which is the large muscle that goes under your lungs, side-to-side. In doing so, you will will no longer raise shoulders every time you take a breath. Rather, your diaphragm will pull in the air and your abdomen will distend, briefly; and, you will learn to stop using your voice box as your primary resonator.

4. Primary to Secondary Resonator: Example: When you decide to say the word, "Oh," you shape your mouth accordingly. Simultaneously your brain sends a message to your diaphragm to intake air, then exhale it. It is on the "exhale" that the voice box is engaged to make a tone. However, the tone should not stay there, especially for those whose professions or avocations require a great deal of their voice box. So what do you do and what is this secondary resonator?

5. Once the tone is generated in the voice box, it is immediately focused up to a "sweet spot" at a point where the hard and soft palette meet. This allows the tone you've just created to resonate throughout your sinuses and most of the front of your head. The tone thus created will be much richer and will sound different than the tone which stops dead in the voice box.

Ideally, I would be standing with you and we would do some hands-on, so that you could get a better feel for your anatomy. However, you can start by working with a mirror at home. Standing in front of the mirror(with your feet at least 6" apart), take 10 deep breaths like the doctor asks of you and look at your shoulders (are they going up and down?). Next, place your dominant thumb just below your breast bone and lay your hand, with fingers splayed and pointing to the side, over your stomach area. Now repeat those 10 deep breaths, but the goal here is to draw air in in a way that will raise your abdomen up and down. Once you get the hang of this and keeping that hand on your abdomen, recite a favorite childhood rhyme. The idea is to coordinate your breathing with talking.

Now that you've got that new skill in hand, it's time to address that secondary resonator. Insure your feet are at least 6" apart and your hand is on your abdomen as above. Now say, "ING." You'll notice that your tongue goes way up to your palette. Next say, "AH." Unlike, ING, when you say AH, everything opens up. Now I want you to chose a note that's comfortable for you to sing and sing ING, then immediately sing AH. The second time you do this and as you switch from ING to AH, FOCUS the TONE of AH to the middle of your palette. Once you can do this and realize a slight vibration or buzz on that spot, you've got it.

So you ask, "How in the heck does singing ING and AH and my palette have anything to do with my vocal quality?" Well, once you really get the hang of creating the little vibration or buzz in your palette, you'll know where to focus your voice, using your diaphragm and abdominal muscles properly. This should compliment your current speaking voice with body and richness, which is not currently present.

**No two people are born with the same shaped voice box and the same vocal folds inside the box. These are two knowns that we cannot change. But, we can strive to breathe healthier and stronger and learn how to focus the tones we say or sing.

This is a lot and may sound extremely confusing. Just thought I'd lay it down in words, because some folks need to see it in the written word, vice the visual form.

Good luck! ~Rebecca

Re: Voice quality improvement

Annabellethecat66 — Sun, 11 Oct 2015 19:02:57 GMT

My daughter lives in Denver, but I would expect that any large city would have voice coaches.

Before she had 1/2 her thyroid removed the surgeon sent her to a voice coach. The thyroid is near the vocal cords and she wanted to make sure my daughter's voice did not change (damaged) due to the operation. This guy was the voice coach to Tim McGraw and his wife and several other famous singers. I mention that because I don't know if all voice coaches have the same fancy equipment as this guy but I'd think it would be similar.

He put a video camera down her NOSE and took video of her cords as she made sounds. It was so neat to see them open and close and move.

After the operation she went back and he repeated the test. Luckily, all was good.

I had something similar (I had my entire thyroid removed).

I would think you could find someone similar to help you. You might have a nodule, etc on your cords.

I don't know much about it but if you suspect there might be a problem you should check it out.

Good luck.

Re: Voice quality improvement

Zita — Sun, 11 Oct 2015 20:23:41 GMT

Oh voices do matter! And can be helped! Wish the lock and lock lady and the awful Philosophy spokesperson (with the short dark hair) would take some lessons. Can't listen to them!

Re: Voice quality improvement

Burnsite — Sun, 11 Oct 2015 21:07:18 GMT

I briefly had a vocal coach, who told me to save my money. My voice is pleasant but very soft. I wanted to learn how to project it better as I often give public talks.

We did some exercises and stuff and she told me I had damaged vocal cords and was already doing the best I can.

Re: Voice quality improvement

foundinlv — Sun, 11 Oct 2015 21:18:19 GMT

I probably have damaged vocal cords as well. Having a soft voice plus one of my former jobs was with a cell phone company in tech support gave me laryngitis. I came to the conclusion I could not work at a job where I had to speak for 8 hrs a day. I always had water at my desk but I'm sure was in need of a vocal coach. Many years later, I get laryngitis maybe once a year when having to talk a lot, such as dealing with my stepmom in a tiring and emotional conversation which I try to avoid like the plague.

Re: Voice quality improvement

VanSleepy — Sun, 11 Oct 2015 21:23:14 GMT

Well, bonnielu, if you can easily imitate, save your money and just imitate someone you find pleasing to the ear lol

Re: Voice quality improvement

DoneTryin — Sun, 11 Oct 2015 21:24:44 GMT

I've been wondering lately if an increased annoyance at some voices is related to an average amount of hearing loss that occurs as a consequence of aging. I find myself wincing at the sound of mostly younger womens' voices; they all seem to sound like little girls. Too high pitched, & they seem "chattery" like squirrels. I like to blame that on them trying to emulate Britney Spears' singing voice when they were young teens:-)

There are several hosts & vendors on the home shopping channels that I just cannot listen to at all.

Re: Voice quality improvement

Texasmouse — Mon, 12 Oct 2015 00:33:41 GMT

I have observed some female T.V. personalities to be very nasal when they speak. Also, I find this to be the case with a blonde young lady who used to sell a slinky clothing line on HSN. I don't know if she still does or not, as I don't watch that channel very often. She's someone who would make me change the channel immediately!