Unit 3 – Vocal Performance

Proper Breathing• Lungs should not do most of the work• The diaphragm is the muscle that keep the air

flowingo Separates the thoracic cavity from the abdominal cavity

• When contracted the diaphragm moves down• When relaxed the diaphragm it moves up• Stomach should push out when breathing in

o Diaphragm is pulling down, ribcage widening from bottom

• Stomach should suck in when breathing outo Stomach muscles are contracting

• Avoid thoracic breathing technique

Air Flow• Once the lungs fill, the air is push upward through

the trachea• Air then passes to the larynx and the vocal folds

o Vocal folds are relaxed and open in silenceo Vocal folds tighten and come together in speecho The air flow through the folds causes them to vibrate rapidly

• Air then goes through the trachea into the head and moutho Bones and sinuses in the head serve as resonatorso Parts of the mouth serve as articulators

Posture• When standing:• Feet apart• Weight slightly on balls of feet• Knees slightly flexed• Hips straight, Back straight• Chest and Shoulders should not rise• When seated:• Sit toward edge of chair• Feet flat• Back straight

Volume• Loudness or Softness of one’s voice• Contributes to energy and enthusiasm• Can be controlled by muscles and microphone

o A soft voice that is boosted will still be weak and lifeless

• Projection is the process of pushing sound out of your moutho Push with your stomach muscles to speak to the back of the room

• Variety between loud and soft helps the speaker to talk to the audience rather than at the audience

Pitch• Highness and lowness of your voice• Use your full pitch range with emphasis on lower

end of voiceo Don’t use an “announcer’s” voice

• Go about ¼ up from your lowest pitch

Rate• Number of words per minute you deliver during a

period of time• Typical rate is 160-180 wpm• The faster you go, the more mistakes you make

Tone• Quality of the sound made• Also known as timbre (tam-ber)• Affected most by the surrounding of the vibrators

o “Resonators”

• Relax enough to allow the sound to resonate• Humming

o Bridge of noseo Fingers on either side of nose under eyeso Say aho Move tongue to block

Articulation• Shaping sounds into recognizable words• Lips, teeth, tongue, jaw, hard palate, soft palate• Be clear, not overly precise• Most common issue is lazy mouth• “Let’s take the local bus to that market”

o Tongue positiono Relaxed jawo Unclenched teeth

• Exercise the articulators• Drink water

Pronunciation• The way words are spoken by uttering the proper sound

and stressing the proper syllable• Pronunciation = accent Enunciation = clarity• Determine the accepted form, make sure you get it right• Standard American English is the standard• Mispronunciations cause alienations and loss of

credibility• Use pronunciation guides, use practice• A = uh the = thu• Foreign names, places, lakes, are killers• Phonetic spelling

Substandard Pronunciation

• Omission – leave out part of wordo Dropping off g

• Additions – adding sound to wordo Warshington

• Substitution – replacing with wrong soundo Mudder, budder

• Distortion – slightly altering correct soundo Fergit, jist

• Slurring – running words togethero Whatcha doin’

Common Vocal Problems

• Filler: Unnecessary words used while thinking of messageo “um, uh, ya know”

• Monotone: lack of variance in pitcho Boring and uninteresting

• Sing-song: repeated pattern of pitch• Whiny: too high, nasal pitch, elongated vowels• Choppy: repeated pattern of pause•

Common Vocal Problems

• Nasality: air is blocked from resonators by tongue or soft palateo Relax Jaw

• Thin Voice: lacks resonance and is weako Diaphragmatic breathing

• Breathy Voice: lack of vibration, overly airyo Let air out slower

• Husky Voice: harsh and unpleasant, caused by misuse of voiceo Use higher pitch

Common Vocal Problems• Sibilance – fricative sounds (s, z, f,) are

overemphasized• Popping: plosive sounds (p, b, t, d, k) are

overemphasized

Voice Maintenance• Avoid screaming• Adequate moisture

o Avoid coffee, dairy, alcohol, caffeine

• You are using a microphone• Save your voice

Conversational Style• Difficult to achieve because:• No other people in booth• No immediate feedback from listener• Not using your words

Conversational Style• Must practice by:• Recording yourself (aircheck)• Be critical when you listen• Read it out loud as you rehearse

Conversational Style• Be flexible in your projection• Assume the audience is 18 inches away

(distance)• Address your immediate family (number)• “There are four people 2 feet in front of you”

Inflection• Ranges from low to high pitch• Gives life to the copy• Start by exaggerating, then adjust

Emphasis• Provides importance to words• Can use inflection, loudness, pause, etc.• Don’t over use

o Limit to 1 or 2 key words per sentence

Emphasis• Provides importance to words• Can use inflection, loudness, pause, etc.• Don’t over use

o Limit to 1 or 2 key words per sentence

Volume & Rate• Provide volume/rate variety in order to speak to

the listener and not at the listener

Pause• Break up copy, create interest, give audience a

chance to absorb• Avoid choppy delivery• Allow for breath, and avoid fading at the end of

sentences by planning your breath

Phrasing• Group words that form ideas and deliver them

smoothly together• Vary length of pause between each phrase, avoid

patterns

Flow• Don’t over enunciate, pause after each work, or

drop your pitch at each pause• Avoid stumbles and restarts by being familiar with

the copy and maintaining concentration

Mood• May need to change mood within same read• Serious, happy, elation, humor, etc

Energy• Must sound alive• Avoid holding back• Consider audience, message, and circumstances

when determining energy of read• Don’t overdo it, resulting in unprofessional,

inauthentic sound• May need to use your body language to create

Jargon, Slang, Cliches• Jargon: specialized language or words of a

specific profession or interest group• Slang: informal, common language used by a

specific social group• Cliches: overused, old, worn-out expressions that

usually started as slang

Redundant Expressions• Uses more words than necessary to convey idea• Abundant wealth, true fact, visible to the eye,

free gift, armed gunman, green in color, unexpected surprise, filled to capacity

Malapropism• Misuse of a word by giving it a mixed up

meaning, incorrect word that sounds like correct one

• Pineapple of politeness – pinnacle• Optical conclusions – illusions• Civil serpent – servant

Solecism• Word or phrase that is not grammatically

acceptable• Ain’t, you and I, they was

Spoonerism• Transposing syllables “bloopers”• Tip of the slung – slip of the tongue• Tasted two worms – wasted two terms

Political Correctness• Being sensitive to using language that may

offend• Gender, Race, Ethnicity, Age, Nationality

Amateur Delivery• Don’t hesitate when voicing a difficult word• Avoid filler• Avoid throw away “vocal fry”• Concentrate while reading• Avoid slurring or mumbling• Avoid improper rate, misplace emphasis, and

dead delivery • Develop audience rapport (relationship)• Be knowledgeable• Be flexible