Pitch and Inflection

*Vocal Acting

*Developing Voice

Your voice is one of the strongest instruments you have for creating a character. In addition to voice and diction, there are other vocal behaviors that affect characterization.

*Pitch

*Pitch: how high or low the sound.

*Pitch-up: high voice. These characters lack confidence and tend to be fearful, intimidated, or confused.

*Pitch-down: low voice. Pitch-down characters are self-assured, dominating, authoritative, and overbearing.

*Pitch patterns

*When you speak, your voice needs to change pitch pattern.

*Rise and Fall of the pitch creates interest, and emphasizes the subtext of your character.

*No rise and fall of pitch=monotone. This is the quickest way to lose your audience. Your character is not believable.

*Inflection

*There are 4 Pitch Pattern Inflections:

*Rising inflection

*Falling inflection

*Sustained inflection

*Circumflex inflection

*Rising Inflection

Rising inflection is used to indicate surprise, questions, or shock.

*Falling Inflection

Falling inflection usually indicates the end of a statement. It also is used to express depression, finality, or firmness.

*Sustained inflection

This means that your voice stays on the same note, or pitch, suggesting calmness, decisiveness, or steadiness of purpose.

*Circumflex inflection

This is the intonation of two or more vowel sounds for what ordinarily is a single vowel sound. This inflection allows an actor to suggest a change in meaning of a word or to stress a particular meaning. This twisting of sound can alter the literal meaning of a word and even reverse the meaning entirely.

*Exercises

*Say the Following lines, using the inflection in the parentheses.

• It was you! (rising inflection)

•What’s the use? (falling inflection)

• I have made up my mind. This is how we’re going to do it. (sustained inflection)

• Surely you’re not going to go out in this weather. (rising inflection)

• I’m sorry, but I just can’t allow you to copy my notes. (falling inflection).

*Scoring Your Script for Vocal Inflection

*Mark your script to include the 4 levels of vocal inflection.

*Rising inflection:

*Falling inflection:

*Sustained inflection:

*Circumflex inflection: vowel

*Script Scoring

*There is no wrong or right to scoring of the script.

*Look at the examples on pg. 111 of The Stage and School.

*Some scripts are RENTED from publishers and must be returned with ALL scoring marks removed.

*MAKE SURE YOU SCORE YOUR SCRIPTS IN PENCIL.