clear speech practical speech correction and voice improvement, 4th edition
TRANSCRIPT
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C L E A R
S P E E C H
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C L E A R
S P E E C H
Practical Speech Correction
and Voice Improvement
Malcolm Morrison
Fourthedition
A a c B l a c k - L ondon
[I
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Fourthedition 2001
5 7 9 10 8 6 4
A & C B l a c kP ublishers L imited
36S oho S quare
L ondonW 1D 3QY
www.acblack.com
ISBN:978 07136 57937
C opyright2001,1996,1989,1977Malcolm Morrison
Third edition 1996
S e c o n dedition 1989
Originally published 1977 by P itman P ublishing L td
A C I P catalogue recordfo rthis booki savailablef r om th eBritish L ibrary
P rintedinG r ea tBritainbyGood News Digital Books, Ongar
A llrights reserved.Nopartofthis publicationmay bereproducedin any fo r m
o rby anymeans-graphic, electronicormechanical, including photocopying,
recording, tapingorinformation storageandretrieval systems-withoutthe
written permission o f A & CB l a c kP ublishers L imited.
This bookisproduced using paper thatismade
from
wood growninmanaged,
sustainableforests .It isnatural, renewableandrecyclable.Theloggingand
m a n u f a c t u r i n gprocessesc o n f o r m t o t heenvironmental regulationso f t hecountry
oforigin.
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on t nts
Preface
UsingthisBook
S peechas aH abit
TheNatureand A nalysis ofFaults
A nalysis
of
faults
C orrection
of
problems
A ttitude to correction P rinciples ofcorrection
R elaxation
S omecommon causes oftension E xercises
P osture
C ommon faults R ecommended standing position
E xercises
to improve general posture
PROBLEMS OF V OICEP R ODUC TION
FaultyBreathing
R ecommendedmethods Mainfaults P opular
misconceptions about breathing E xercises fo r
breathing
To
establish
the
movement
o f
ribs
and
diaphragm E xercises fo r capacity and control
E xercises fo rpower P ractice material fo r
breathingand phrasing
Inadequate P itch R ange in the Voice
Main faults C orrection E xercises P ractice
pieces
FaultyTone
C orrection Balanced use of the resonators
E xercises
R outines fo r E stablishment ofForward P lacing
of theVoice
vii
1
4
5
10
14
17
28
33
40
V
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Contents
S P E E C H FA UL TS
Introductory
The E nglish R S ound
Mainfaults C orrection E xercises Forming R
WordstopractiseR S entences topractiseR
TheS S ound
Main
faults
C orrection
Forming
S
Words
to
practiseS S entences topractiseS
C learand DarkL
Mainfaults C orrection E xercises P ractice
words S entences
The TH S ound
Main
faults
C orrection
Forming
TH
P ractice
words S entences
The Glottal S top
Mainfaults C orrection E xercises
Indistinct S peech
E xercises for the lips E xercises for the tongue
E xercises
for the
soft
palate
and
back
of the
tongue C onsonant exercises E xercises fo r
general agilityof theorgansofspeech
Noteto Teachers
45
47
53
59
64
67
72
79
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P r e f a c e
Being m indfu l of the title and intent o fthis book, Ihave
considerably revised and enhanced the chapter on Indistinct
S peech.I have attempted to provide an improved explana-
tion for this 'catch-all' term. In addition Ihave included
exercisesfor the articulationof finalconsonants and some
moreexercisesfor thegeneral agilityof theorgansofspeech.
I
am genuinely pleased that this book has had such an
enduring impact and hope that this new edition with its
improvements may prove to be equally helpful.
VII
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Using this B ook
'Ido not much dislike the matter, but the manner of
hisspeech/
S hakespeare,Antony and Cleopatra
H owmanypeople,in allwalksoflife,havehadtheir career,
even their personal relationships, marred by some little
quirk of voice or speech that reduces their ability to
communicate fully what they want to express?Yet it is
surprising how easily and effectively such habits can be
changed, given the necessary information.
There are thousands ofpeople who need this kindof
help: they may be dissatisfied with the quality of their
voice, or they may feel that there are certain intrusive
elements in their speech which are so distinctive as to draw
attention totheir modeofdelivery rather than what they
are trying to say. These areusually faults whichcan be
corrected.
This is not to saythatourvoiceor ourmannerofspeech
isnot ahighly personal expression ofpersonality - it is.
Forthatreason,this book makesnoattempttopass judge-
ment on distinctions of dialect, nor to lay down some
artificialdefinitionof'correctspeech'.Itleavesthereader
free tomakehis or her individual decisionson thevoice
that he or she wants. H aving made those decisions the tech-
niques described here may be used to take the appropriate
correctiveaction.
For example, the actor who has an unusual 'R ' sound
will very probably
feel
that that particular sound is not
adequatetomeettheneedsof thevarietyofcharactershe
orshe mustrepresent.S o a change is made and the most
common formation of thesound isacquired- he or she
can also learn how to produce faulty formations if they
best represent the character to be played. L ikewise the
public speaker who finds that the voice lacks strength or
the authority to make the point may make a choice to
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Using this Book
developthe required characteristicsin his or hervoice.In
each of these cases, changes arebeing made inhabitsof
voiceor speech which may have beenfound perfectlysatis-
factory in ordinary conversation but are obviously
unsatisfactory forspecific
situations.
The study ofvoiceand speechcan be complex.It is a
subject besetby attitudes ranging from fear to bewilder-
ment at its mystique.The aim ofthis book is toremove
some of the
fears
and to unravel the mystique. Truly
scientific study of the nature of voice and speech is a
recentdevelopment,since only recently havewe had the
technology to provide sophisticated machinery which
canmeasure with any exactitude the activities involved in
producing speech. Overavery short periodoftimealarge
amount of knowledge has been accumulated on the
formation of speech, and in these pages I have tried to
present someofthat knowledge,assimplyanddirectlyas
possible. Ihavenot attempted toproduce an exhaustive
textbook onphonetics,nor astudyofthose complex,often
physiological problems ofspeech whicharemore appro-
priately dealt withby aqualified speech therapist.WhatI
have covered are the problems I have most commonly met
in along periodofprofessional voice teaching, with partic-
ular attention to those which respond to well-directed
self-help.
Inthe sections thatfollow,therefore, you will first find
the facts necessary to
understand
a
particular problem
-
whatis itscause, whatis thecorrect formationfollowed
bytested,practical exercises to help bring about the correc-
tion required.
Ihave deliberately avoidedthe use ofcomplexandunfa-
miliar technicalterms,tokeep thebook readable and to
enable eventheinexperienced readertofollowitsdescrip-
tions. This doesnotmean thatthebook rendersateacher
superfluous.The teacher who reads this book will find a
wealth ofcorrective exercisesonwhich to draw, and be
awareof the simplifications of terminology and analysis
which have been made in order to stress the practical
elementinretrainingthehabit. Whereverpossible,thenon-
expert should consult a teacher on the best use of this book
and its exercise material. If, however, such help is not avail-
able,youshouldfindthatyou canachieveagreat dealfor
yourself by patient and ca reful application to the princi-
plesandexercises given here.
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Using this Book
Noneof thefaultsanalysed hereisattributableto aphysi-
cal
or
structural
fault
in the
speech-mechanism
-
these must
be theconcernoftrained professionals.We areconcerned
withthemisunderstandingormismanagementof another-
wise healthy instrument. Thewhole emphasis is on the
readjustment ofhabits- areadjustment anyonecanmake
through thorough, frequent, andinformed practiceof the
materialinthese pages.
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Speech as a Habit
S peechand the use ofvoicearehabits whicharebuilt up
andconsolidated duringthelifetimeof anindividual. From
an early age oneexperiences the necessity and valueof
making verbal communication with another individual,
and through agradual processofimitation and selection
thehabitisformed.Justas ababy recognises thattopoint
at something denotes interest in the
object
so he or she
learns thattoidentify itverballyhas thesameeffect.This
involves the child in a serious studyofrecognition;first,
ofotherpeople'scapacity to verbalise, and then his or her
own physical ability to form all the constituent sounds
which accumulate intoamessage.Inattemptingtocorre-
spond with theverbal habitsof theenvironment achild
graduallybegins to gain control over his or her voice and
speech and to learn its value in bringing satisfaction to the
appetites,whether physicaloremotional.
Naturally,indeveloping thehabitofvoiceand speech,
only those featureswhich ensure maximum effectiveness
within theenvironmentareacquired.Forexample where
theintellectual demands arevery smallin the firstyears
of
life
a
child will require little subtlety
of
intonation
or
definition of sounds. A s the demands for precision in
thought and articulation are increased, so the habitof
speechismodified andextended accordingly.
S incethehabitofspeechisacquiredin specific response
to the environment he or she will gradually build a habit
tooperate mosteffectivelywithin that limited area.It may
well be, and
often
is the case, that as a person grows older
and his or her horizons, geographical, social and emotional,
areextended he or she will find that certain early habit-
patternsare oflimited,or no,use.
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T he Nature and
Analysis of Faults
Voiceand speech problems dividethemselves,simply,into
three basic categories:
1. Those causedby some structural deficiency in the
mechanism,
for
example
cleft
palate speech
or
hare
U
2. E motionalandpsychological problems.
3. A dequate mechanismbutbasic mismanagementof
it.
Itis not the scope of this book to deal with 1 and 2. These
requiretheskillsofS peech Therapistsandsuitably quali-
fiedmedicalpractitioners.
Inorder to establish what a'fault'in voice and speech
is it is necessary to establish a Norm by which all other
assumptions as to speech adequacy are relative.
These'norms'are notuniversaland thediscretionof the
speaker or teacher has to be sensitively exercised to deter-
minethe relative acceptabilityof aproblem.For instance
theuvularR heard inFrenchandGermanis not ausual
elementofE nglish speech.A s aresult the use ofsuchan
RinE nglish, althoughnot inhibitingtheunderstandingof
the message conveyed by the speaker, would normally
draw attention to itself and the waythat the speaker is
communicating. It is this element of conspicuous diction
with which this bookisconcerned.
Normal, or rather adequate, speech is that
fo rm
of
verbalcommunication which may be anticipated in any
given environment.Itdrawstheleast attentionto the way
inwhich a speaker communicates while expressing the
messageof the speakerwithmaximumcontrol overhis
environment;and therealisation of all hisobjectives in
termsofresponse f rom his audience.
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T he Nature and Analysis of Faults
It iseasy to see the application of the foregoing state-
ments in relation to
speech,
where the chances of a child
speaking with a defective fo rm of R sound are greaterif
thewholeof his or herimmediatefamilyuse thesame kind
ofsound, but these principles apply equally to the produc-
tionofvoice. E xamplesare thefamilywhich permanently
uses a high pitched voice, or the worker who develops an
habitual loud volume as a result of competing with noisy
machinery in his or her job.
Given that voice and speech are developed by habit it
followsthat,inordertoeffect acorrectionormodification,
it isnecessarytobuildup a newhabit.
ANALY SIS OF FAULTS
In order to establish a clear understanding of the prob-
lemsof aspeakerit isnecessarytoapproachtheproblem
analytically. In general, given that the speaker possesses
a healthy vocal instrument with no organic defect,
the problems divide themselves into the following cate-
gories:
1. P roblemsofvoice production. Theseareconcerned
with thebasic sound which the speaker produces. Voice
is the means by which we recognise the identity of a
speaker.
2. P roblems of articulation. These are the difficulties
experienced inmaking specific speech sounds, individu-
ally and in combination, in any given language. S peech
may bedefinedas the
pattern
ofsound whichwecreateby
movementsof the tongue, lipsand
soft palate.
3. P roblemsofdelivery. Oncethevoiceis adequately
produced and the speech pattern is acceptable it is still
possible that the delivery does notefficientlycommunicate
theattitudeof thespeakerto thelistener or to the subject
matter. For example: the voice and speech may be techni-
callyexact,
but the
rate
of
delivery
is too
fast
either
for the
listener to assimilate or for the speaker to express
adequately thefeeling implied.
The following list may provide a reasonable means of
assessing theadequacyofvoiceand speech:
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Attitude to correction
ARTICULATION
S ounds omitted
S ounds added
S ounds substituted
S ounds defective
DELIVERY
Generallytoo slow
Generallytoo fast
H esitant and confused
CORRECTIONOF
PROBLEM S
In order to establish a new habit of voice production or
speech certain thingsarenecessary:
1. Recognit ion of the problem.
2. Information concerningthe fault and where it devi-
ates f rom thedesired model.
3.
Discr imination
eitherbyhearing or
feeling
between
the
undesiredhabit
and thecorrect one.
4. Repetitionofexercisestoestablishtheeasyuse of the
new habit.
5. Appl icat ion of achievement f rom exercises to
everydayspeech.
ATTITUDE TO CORRECTION
Theeffec tof theattitudeof thespeaker,inachieving correc-
tion, cannot be under-estimated. Very often it is possible
toachieveastate where the speaker is capable ofmaking
thenew sound but is hesitant about its actual use in an
everyday situation.It isthis most important bridging activity
between technical consideration and practical use which
7
VOICE PRODUCTION
Quality
Nasal
Breathy
H oarse
Thin and
S trident
P itch
Generallytoo high
Generallytoo low
E rratic
Monotonous
Volume
Generallytoo loud
Generallytooquiet
E rratic
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T he Nature and Analysis of Faults
causesthemost problemsandplacesaninhibiting respon-
sibilityon the speaker.Thelogicof the situation isthatif
one has recognised and attempted to correct some element
of speech it follows that it ismore desirable not only to
speakthatway butalsoto beheard.It isimportanttodevelop
the f r a m e of mind where one concentrates on what a
listener would normally hear andthereforefind acceptable,
rather thanonwhatthespeaker findsmost usual.
Itmay be a truism, but it
needs
constantly bearing in
mind, that if one is going to speak differently then for a
time it will feel and sound different. B ut with constant,
conscious practicea newhabitisformedand theacquired
habit will feel andsound perfectlynormalto thespeaker.
P R INC IP L E S OF C OR R E C TION
There are various ways of approaching the problemof
correctingfaults.It isdifficultto saywhichof themethods
described below will be most successful. Generally any
result will depend upon the perception and application of
the speaker.Thefollowingare suggested as fairly broad
principles on which to base the work.
1. Where there is a problem on a specific sound in
speechit isutterly pointless merelytoprovide apieceof
practicematerialor a set ofexercisesin which repetition
of the sound is involved. This only serves toexaggerate
theproblem and, withtoomuch practice,toconsolidatean
already undesirable speech habit. To provide a person
who has
difficulties
inmakinga
satisfactory
S sound with
jinglesof the 'S isterS usie sewing socksforsailors'variety,
has absolutely no validity on its own. It is essential to
approach the problem methodically, with graduatedexer-
cises encouraging the development of the movements
required, culminatingin thearticulationof thesounditself.
2. Itshouldberemembered thattheappealof asound
to a speaker is not only auditory but is very
often
the
product of sensations in the mouth, nose and throat. While
theimitative kindofteachingmayproduce quickresultsit
mayalso serve only toconfusethe speaker, who then has
to hear thedifferenceinsounds,when the very reason why
he or she is producing inadequate voice and speech is
precisely because the hearing is limited in some way. This
is
not to
condemn entirely
the use of
imitation
- but it is
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Principles of correc tion
only efficient if it works R emember that listening and
speaking
may
create
different
perceptions.
For
example,
a
speaker may feel that he or she is making extra effort
whereasthelistener will only perceivetheadditional effort
asincreased volume.
3. It may be that a visual approach will assist the
speakertomakeacorrection.Forexample,aclear diagram
of thepositionrequired for the tongue in thearticulation
of
the
sounds,
or
some kind
of
visual representation
of the
changes in pitch level in the voice, may well be helpful.
4. A clear account of the sensations involved in
producingthesound,coupled withthespeaker'sabilityto
store and then reproduce that exact sensation each time, is
also helpful.
5. Moreoften thannot acombinationof the Imitative,
VisualandTactile approaches mentionedin 2, 3 and 4will
be needed.
6. It is impossible to bring about correction without
constant andfrequent practice.This cannotbeemphasised too
strongly.
It is not sufficient topractice
for a
long time once
aweek. R egular daily practiceiscalled for. S incethe object
of correction is tobuild a newhabit, like other habits it
must eventually become subconscious; and this can only
beachieved if it isused oftenenough. Once the object of
correction has been achieved then it requiresfrequen tprac-
ticetomaintainit.
7. Where more thanoneproblemisinvolved-which
arenot inter-related - it isadvisable totackle eachone
separately and cumulatively. R ather than coping with
several problemsatonce,try todetermineapriority and
deal with the most apparent and conspicuous difficulty
first
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Relaxation
One of thegreatest impedimentstoadequate voice produc-
tionis theunnecessaryuse ofmusclesnotdirectly required
to assist in producing the sound. These muscles may be
contracted andtensed toinhibit their effectivenessor may
bedeployed with an energy greater than is necessary to
achievethe desired result.
A sapreliminaryto allwork concerned withthevoice,
it is important to begin with simple limbering and relax-
ing exercises, in which the posture is adjusted and an
appropriate elimination ofunnecessary muscular effort is
achieved.
There arevarious interpretationsof theword'relaxation'
and it isimportanttomake some definitionof thetermas
it isapplied to theproduction ofvoice- indeed of any
physical activity. R elaxation, in this sense, is not that
profound mentalandphysical state often associated with
meditation, or near-sleep. It is simply the awareness and
adjustment of thephysical attitudeof thebodytoensure
acorrectly aligned posture withaminimal involvementof
those partsof theanatomynotdirectly involvedin thetask.
For
example, screwing up the hands into tight fists while
speakingis atypical signalofunnecessary tension. S incethe
activityof allmuscles is related, the tendency is for this
tension to communicateitselfto the arms, the shoulders and
theneck.A s aresulttheefficiencyofbreathingisimpaired
and thequalityof thetoneof thevoiceisliabletoreflec tthis
tension. S imilarly to stick the chin forward, so that the
undersideof the jaw isshowing, will produceastretching
and tensionin thethroataswellas a stiffness of thejaw,
whichinterferewiththespeaker'sability bothtoarticulate
individual sounds and to produce voice adequately.
This is not to suggest that the problem of tension is
exclusively physical.Themuscular signsmaywellbeattrib-
utabletostatesofanxiety.By thevery natureof the act of
communicating verbally with other people, there is likely
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Exercisesfor ph ysical relaxation leading to good posture
to be an inherent attitude of apprehension, even extending
as far asdeep
fear .
It isneither theprovinceofthis book,
nor thatof the teacher,to accountfor anddeal with the
complicated emotional states which are attendant on speech
situations,beyond making some fundamental suggestions
fo rcoping withthe fam iliar and c o m m o n problemsofanxiety
which most people experience at some time or another.
Thesuggestions offeredbeloware anattempttohelpthe
speaker in rationalising his or her anxiety, followed by
somesuggestions to analyse what form the tension takes
physically.
1. A lways make sure that you understand and believe
in what you are saying. This applies equally to conversa-
tionas to aprepared speechorlecture.
2.
R emember that most listeners want to hear you
speakpersonally,fluently andarticulately.Infac tthey wish
you to do well. It is amazing how much patience and
goodwill a listener will exercise to hear someone else's
ideas.
3. S peak simply, using only vocabularyand fac tsof
which you are sure.
4.
Wherever necessary and possible, prepare the
material to be spoken.
SOME COMMONCAUSESOFTENSION
1. Fearof ahostilereceptionby the listener.
2. Doubts aboutthesuitabilityof thesubjectmatter.
3. Unfamiliarvocabulary and doubts about
one's
capa-
bilitytoexpress ideas adequately.
4. Fearofforgetting memorised speechesorquotations.
5. Uncertainty aboutone'sappearance.
6. Feelings ofinadequacy in the production of Voice
and S peech.
Ineach case forethought, preparation and a positive atti-
tude towards these
fears
will go some way towards
alleviating them.
EXERCISESFORPH YSICAL RELAXATIONLEADING
TO GOODPOSTURE
These areuseful exercisesto do at thebeginning ofvoice
practice. R emember that concentration
is
important
- try
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Relaxation
not to let theattention wander. Note clearlyand carefully
thephysical sensationsoftensionandreleaseasthey
occur.
1. L ie on the floor andstretch out, tryingtomake your-
self aslongaspossible. R elease this position untilyou are
lying on your back, with the hands palms up at the side
of you. R epeat this several times, feeling the contrast
betweenthesenseoftautnessin thebodyand itseasy slow
release intoarelaxedand
comfortable
position.
2. L ying on the back, check each part of the body
consciously, ensuring that there is no unnecessary effort
anywhere.Try to bemethodical, thinkingofeach part f rom
thetoes upwards, throughthelegs,thespine,thestomach,
the torso, shoulders, arms, hands andfin allythe neck, head
and face. If in doubt, deliberately tighten and tense that
part
of you and
then release
it.
3. In astanding position, raisethearms abovethehead
andstretch towardstheceiling. H old this tight positionfor
amomentor two andthen allowthebodytobreakat the
waist, releasing the effort in the upper partof thebody.
Thearms should flop down with the hands almost touching
the floor and thehead hanging freely between the arms.
Graduallyandvery slowly bring yourself intoa standing
position,
lettingthehead andshoulders hang down until
you are
almost erect.
The
sensation should
be of the
spine
gradually uncurling f romthebase.Thehands should hang
easily and freely by your sides as you stand erect. This
standing position should beachieved with theminimum
of effort.
4.
Tocheckfor
tension around
the
arms
and
shoulders,
imagineyou arepushing againstawall aboutone foot in
f ron tofyou,atshoulder height. Gradually releasethe effort
andallowthearmsto fallheavilybyyour sides.
5. S tanding with the feet slightly apart, release the
neck, sothat your head fallsheavilyon toyour chest.R aise
itslowly until thehead feelswell balancedon the shoul-
ders. Note the sensation as the head is raised with the
minimumofeffo rt.R epeat this exercise several times, imag-
ining thatthehead gets heavieras it fallsandlighteras it
rises.
6. L et thehead fall to thebackand then to the sides
asdescribedinexercise5. Ineach case there shouldbe no
sensationofplacing thehead,but thatitachievestheposi-
tion on its own volition.
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Exercisesfor ph ysical relaxation leading to good posture
7. S tretchthearmsout to thesides,extending themas
far
as
possible. H old this wide, stretched position
for a
moment or two and then release the arms, allowing them
to fall heavilybyyour sides. R epeat thisfivetimes.
8. R aisetheshoulders and try totouchtheears. H old
thisposition,notethetension,andthen release them.
9. P ush the shoulders fo rward , as if you were
attempting to cause them to touch each other. H old this
position then let them spring
back
easily and
effortlessly.
R epeatthis five times.
10. Liftthechestfo rwa rdand up,untilyoufeelahollow
in thecentreof theback. H old ittherefor amoment and
then release the chest.
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Posture
Frequently the quality ofvoice,or the ability to support
the voice with adequate breathing, is impaired by unsuit-
able posture. The problem of unnecessary tension has
been dealt with previously and its effectupon the general
postureof the speakerisobvious.
In addition to faults in position being brought about
by tension there are certain common
faults
which may
occurdue to anynumberofreasons,ranging fro m laziness
to the effects ofoccupation on the habitual stance of an
individual.
C O M M O N FAULTS
1.
'S lumping'.
Where the rib cage is allowed to sink
towards the pelvis and the spine is rounded. This can affect
the efficiency ofbreathing.
2. R ound shoulders. Wherethebackisrounded later-
allyand the shoulders stick forward.
3. P ushing the torsoforwardand upwards. This is the
kindofstance popularly associated with themilitary and
tends to encourage shallow breathing.
4. S houlders raised towards the ears and pushed
inwards towards the neck. This produces tension in the
throatand affects the qualityofvoice.
5. L eaning back. H ere the weight of the body is
distributed over the heels with consequent tighteningof
abdominal and other muscles to compensate.
6.
Thehead pushed
forward
in advanceof the torso,
with eitheraraisingof theheadtoshowtheundersideof
thechin,or asinkingof thechin intothechest.
7. A pulling back of the head, with the chin back
against the chest. The tensions produced in 6 and 7 again
havean effect on thequalityof thevoice.
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Recommended s tanding p osit ion
The correct posture on the right avoids
the extremes oftension
(left) andslackness or slumping (centre)
RECOMMENDED STANDING POSITION
1. The feetmay beslightly apart.
2. The general disposition of the weight should be
slightly forwards.
3. Thepelvis shouldbeabovethe instep.
4. Thetorso shouldbedirectly abovethepelvis; neither
in f ron t of norbehind it.
5. Theabdominal muscles should feelbraced without
tension.
6. Thetorso should feelraised,but notstretched, away
f rom
thepelvis.
7. The shoulders should be directly above the pelvis
andshouldbe inline withthebreast boneat the f ron t .
8. The head should feel well balanced immediately
above the shoulders. It should be neither in advanceof
them nor behind them.
9. The chin should be in a medial position, neither
showingtheundersideof thejaw,norpulledbackallowing
a'double-chin'to fo rm-
Wherebad posture ishabitual, the desired alignmentof
thebodymayfeelvery strangeandtendtoproduce tension
at first. Itrequiresagood dealofconsciouseffo r ttoachieve
theposition and then deliberate decision to retainit. A ll
unnecessary tension employed to achieve that position
shouldbe eliminated.
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Posture
EXERCISESTO IM PROVE GENERALPOSTURE
1. S tandon theballsof the feet,lettingthearms hang
loosely by the sides. Gradually lower the heels, keeping
the weight slightly forward. Try to retain the feelingof
being tall and well balanced as the heels are lowered.
2. P lacea finger on top of theheadand feelthe spine
lengthening to push against the finger. The sensation
should be that one is growing taller without tension. The
head shouldbewell balancedon top of theshoulders, with
nofeelingoftension roundthethroatin anattempttopush
against the finger. Thewhole effort of stretching should
appeartocome f rom the spine.
3. Bend f rom the waist, allowing the arms to swing
freely, almost touching the floor. Gradually come to a
standing position imagining that eachof thevertebraein
thespineisplaced slowlyandcarefully,one on top of the
other, in a vertical position, rather like making a tower with
building blocks.Thehead shouldbeplacedon top of the
last vertebra.
4. Deliberately slump, allowingtheribstosink towards
the pelvis and the shoulders to round. Graduallyfeelyour-
self
growing outwardsandupwardsas youcometo agood
standing position feeling tallerandwider.
5. S tand againstawalland feel thebackof the head
and the whole length of the spine contacting the wall.
Graduallymove away, tryingtoretainthe senseofalign-
mentin thespine andhead.
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PROBLEMS OF V OIC E
P R ODUC TION
Faulty Breathing
A nadequate breathing methodisfundamentalto allgood
voiceproduction. A high percentageofvocal difficulty is
attributable to breathing which is undeveloped or erratic
in application to voice.
Itshouldberemembered that breathingcanprovidethe
voice with either
Power
or
Duration.
Theseare alternatives
- you should not speak at your very loudest while
sustaining long phrases; it will surely lead to strain. A n
adequate breathing method will developthecapacityof the
breath, with an increase in control over the muscles, in
order that longer phrasing may be sustained. It will also
develop the strengthof themuscles toallowthe speaker
to produce voice at varying volumes with ease.
R E C OMME N DE D ME T HODS
Themost popularly accepted formofbreathingforspeech
is known as central, or more technically, intercostal-
diaphragmatic breathing.
Inthis method the following sequence is employed:
1. The lower ribs swing outwards and upwards
increasingthesizeof thechest(Thorax)laterally.Breathis
drawn intothe lungs.
2. Thediaphragm(adouble-dome shaped muscle sepa-
ratingthethorax f rom theabdomen)iscausedtodescend
and the chest increases in capacity vertically, and further
breath is drawn into the lungs.
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Faulty Breathing
Schematicdiagram of the rib cage,
seenfrom the front, showing
the position of thediaphragm
3. The diaphragm is allowed to rise, while the ribs are
retainedin theraisedposition,and air isexpelled.
4. Theribs descendand further air isexpelled.
Itis
important alwaystoworkinthis sequence.
MA INFA UL TS
Clavicularbreathing
Wherevery shallow breaths are taken into the upper part
of thechest, providing very little capacityorcontrol.It is
often accompaniedby a
raising
of the
shoulders
and a
thrusting
forward
of theupper chest.Itmanifests
itself
in
breathy toneandshort phrasing f rom thespeaker.
Abdominalbreathing
Thisismore commonlyfound inmen, wheretheribsare
hardly raised at all and the breath is taken immediately by
the diaphragm.Thewholeof the lower abdomen, below
the navel,isallowedtodistend. A gaintheresultisdimin-
ished capacityandlittle control overit.
Noisy breathing
A ny adequate breathing method should provide for a
noiseless inspiration ofair.Byconstricting in the throat,
through tension, or sucking the air in through partially
closed teeth,astrictureisformed causinganaudible fric-
tionas air isdrawn intothebody.
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Ex ercises for breathing
Lack ofcapacity
This manifests itself as an inability to sustain longer
phrases. The speaker runs out of breath and the voice trails
away. This may be due to insufficient control over the
breathing muscles or a breathing method which does not
successfully employ the use ofboth ribsand diaphragm.
It could be that the speaker has an adequate supply but
habitually taxes him- or herself to speak very long phrasing
well beyondhis or hernatural capacity.
Lack ofcontrol
Breathytoneorerraticuse of thevolumeof thevoicemay
result f romalackofcontrol overthebreathing.Inthis case
the most frequent cause is where the ribs are allowed to
collapse at the same time as the diaphragm ascends. It may
also be due to
insufficient
muscular control over the
diaphragmandribs causing themtocollapse hastily and
producea'heavyattack' on the firstwordsin anyphrase,
withtherestof thephrase trailing away.
Lack ofpower
The speaker frequently feels that he is incapable of
producing a loud enough volume. This is attributable to
thestrengthofattack when expellingtheair.Themuscles
maybe weak and under-developed.
POPULARMISCONCEPTIONS ABOUT
BREATHING
1. A ir taken into the lungs does not push the ribs out.
Itis completely the reverse. The ribs are raised outwards
and upwards and air rushes into the lungs to equalise the
pressure.
2. Intakingabreath the lungsdo not fillseparately,
one after the other. When the air isdrawn in it fills the
lungs simultaneously.
EXERCISESFORBRE ATHING
Whenpractising these exercises it is important to:
1. Keeprelaxed (seep.ll).
2. Takeinonlytheamountof airnecessarytocomplete
the exercise.
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Faulty B reath ing
3. Workevenlyandrhythmically.
4.
E nsure thattheshouldersandupper partof thechest
arenot raised.
5. Keepthelower abdominal muscles braced-without
tension.
TO ESTABLISH THE MOVE ME N T OFRIBS
A ND
DIAPHRAGM
Methodone
L ieon the floor andrelax. C heck that each partof thebody,
particularly the arms, shoulders and back, is not tense.
P lace onehandon thestomach, just belowthe end of the
breastbone, and onehand on the lower ribs. Breathein
deeplyandgently. During this ingoing breaththeribs will
rise outwards and upwards, followed by the stomach
rising. Do this very s lowly .Breatheout and the stomach
will descend followed by the ribs. Do this ten times slowly,
feelingadefiniteseparation betweenthemovementof the
stomach and the ribs. A t first theymay appear towork
together,butwith patienceandconcentrationtheseparate
movements can be developed.
It
isimportant toremain calmand relaxed during this
exercise. The exercise may be developed by gently
sounding an OO sound as the air is expelled f rom the
diaphragm and an A H sound when the ribs take over.
Methodtwo
S tanding up, breathe in and raise the arms outwards and
upwards until they are stretched above the
head.
The move-
mentof thearms willassistthemovementof theribsand
help to sustain them in a raised position during the second
partof theexercise. Whilethearmsareraised pantin and
out three times. The stomach will move in and out. The
arms should thenbe lowered slowly asfurther breathis
exhaled.
Theexercise may be extended by slowing the inspiration
and expirationof thebreath whilethearmsareraised.
EXERCISES FOR CAPACITY AND CONTROL
The object ofthese exercisesis to assist in increasing the
amountofbreath takenand thecontrolto sustain longer
phrasing inspeech.
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Exerc ises for capacity and control
1. Usingtheribs only. Breathein for aslow countof
three. P ause for amoment and then breathe out gently,
withanopenmouth,for acountofsix. R aisethearmsout
to thesides,reaching shoulder height,onbreathingin and
lower them slowly while breathing out. This exercise
should be done slowly and gently.
2. Do thesame exercisebut whisper thenumberson
breathing out.
3.
E xtendthecountingtonine,twelve,
fifteen
etc.Only
add the additional numbers when the preceding stage can
beachieved easilyand comfor tably.
4. P lacethebacksof thehandson thelower ribsand
breathe in easily. Feel the ribs swing out. Gently blow the
airout on an OOsound and feel theribs swing in.
5. R epeat exercise 4 sustaining the OO sound for a
count
of
ten.
6. S ay thefollowing, takingaslightly bigger breathon
theribsbefo reeach line.A t the endthere shouldbeenough
breath left to speak the sentence twice without taking a
further breath:
I
I can
I cancontrol
Icancontrolmy
Icancontrolmybreath
Icancontrolmybreathand
Icancontrolmybreathand sustain
Icancontrolmybreathandsustainmy
Icancontrolmybreathandsustainmyphrasing.
7. S wing the arms backwards, forwards, backwards
while breathing in and then swing them forward to
shoulder height breathingout on alongA H sound.
8. Breathein,raisingthearmstoshoulder heightat the
side. Breatheout over a count of six, keeping the arms
extended. Breatheinagain, raisingthearms abovethehead.
Breathe out to a
count
of
twelve, lowering
the
arms
bac k
to thesideof thebody.
9. Breathein,raisingtheribs,andwhisper the follow-
ing:
One and one are two
(Breathe in again)
Two and two are four
Fourand
four
are
eight
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Faulty Breathing
(Breathe in again)
E ightandeightaresixteen
S ixteen andsixteenarethirtytwo
(Breathe in again)
Thirty two andthirtytwo aresixty four
S ixty four and sixty fourare onehundred and twenty
eight.
10.
R epeat number9withvoice,beginning quietlyand
graduallyincreasing the volume as the exercise progresses.
11. Using the ribs and the diaphragm. Breathe in on the
ribsandkeep them expanded. Breathein on thediaphragm
and say'January'.Followthiswith furtherbreathson the
diaphragm before saying eachof themonthsof theyear.
The
reserveof air in theribs shouldberetained until the
last diaphragmatic breath has been used on speaking
'December'. The exercise should then be completed by
speakingall themonthsof theyear usingthe air retained
by theribs.
12. L ie on thegroundandplaceabookon thestomach,
justbelowthesternum, orbreast bone. Breathein on the
ribsand retain the breath. Breathe in and out, slowly, on
the diaphragm and watch the book rising and falling.
13.Breathein on the ribs, then in on the diaphragm.
Usingthebreath from thediaphragm speakthefollowing
quietly. R enew
the
breath
on the
diaphragm
at
each
/, but
retainthe air in theribsas areserve.
I/
12/
123/
12347
123457
12347
1237
127
1
After
completing thisexercise with diaphragmatic breath
donottakea furtherbreath after thecountof 1 butspeak
the whole sequence through, smoothly and rhythmically,
using the air retained by the ribs.
14.
S peakthefollowing quietly. Takeabreathin on the
ribs and then a breath in on the diaphragm. R enew the
breath on the diaphragm at the end ofeach line, while
retainingtheraisedribposition.
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Exercisesfor c p c i t y and control
I
I sa w
I sawthree
I saw three snowmen
I saw three snowmen melting
Isawthree snowmen melting away
Oncompletionof thesentencedo nottake another breath
onthediaphragmbut use thereserve retainedin theribs
to say 'away' as many times as you can comfor tably
manage.
15. Takeabreathin on theribsand thediaphragmand
speak using the breath as shown:
From thediaphragm: A B C
From theribs: D E F G H I J K L M
Brea the
inagainon theribsanddiaphragm.
From thediaphragm: N O P Q R S T U V W
From theribs: X Y Z
16.R epeat exercise15 butspeak quite loudly on A B C
and X Y Z. Thelonger phrases should bespoken quietly.
17.Takeabreathin on theribsand thediaphragmand
then speak using the breath as shown:
From t h ediaphragm: A B C D E F G H I J K L M
From theribs: N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
18. S peakthewholeof theA lphabet twice- firstusing
the a i r from thediaphragm followed by the air from the
ribs.
19.R etainthereserveof air in theribsand useonlythe
breath from the diaphragm. S peak the following with a
pause inplace of therhythmic count of four, d o n o ttake
a breath.A fterthethird phrase breatheandrepeattheexer-
cise:
Onetwothree
onetwothree
20.Takeabreathon theribsanddiaphragm. C ountas
high as you can, using thebreath from the diaphragm.
Then begin at 1 again and use the breath from the ribs to
countashighas youcan.Do notattempt more thanyou
can c o m f o r t b l y achieve.
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Faulty Breathing
EX ERCISES FOR POWER
The object ofthese exercisesis todevelop the strengthof
themusclestodevelop volumeofvoice.
1. P lacethehandson thelower ribs, pressfirmly and
breatheinagainsttheresistanceof thehandsto acountof
three. R etainingthepressureof thehands breatheout to a
slow countofnine.
2. Bend
over withthebodyatright anglesto thelegs
and the backas flat aspossible. Breathein and outgently
andrhythmicallyon thelower ribs.
3. S itcross leggedon the floor,keepthebackasstraight
aspossibleandbreathein and outgentlytocountsofsix.
4. Breathein on theribs, breathein on thediaphragm.
Usingthe air from thediaphragm countup to tenslowly,
gradually increasing the volume. Once the air
from
the
diaphragmhasbeen used thenuse the air from theribsto
count back,fro m 10 to 1,decreasingthevolume.The exer-
ciseshould endwith a whispered count of1.
5. S peak the following, taking a breath on the
diaphragm ateach/.Thesingle countof oneshould be
spoken loudly, employing all of the breath from the
diaphragm. The longer phrases should be much quieter:
I/
12345678910/
I/
12345678910.
R epeatthis severaltimes.
6. S peakthefollowing sentence, using breath from the
diaphragm.B eginquietlyandincreasethevolume towards
the end of the sentence:
Icanbreathe quite freely andeasily with good control,
alarge capacityand noapparent strain.
7.
P lace
the
palm
of the
hand approximately three
inches from themouth. Using breath from thediaphragm,
speakthealphabetas the arm isgradually extended. Think
ofplacing each letterin thepalmof the hand.
8. Brea thein on theribsanddiaphragm.L et thebreath
go from thediaphragmon aloud,open, sighon an OO
sound. Follow this with
an E E
sound using
the air from
the ribs.
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P ractice m aterial for breathing and phrasing
9. R epeat number 8making the OO sound a quiet,
gentle sound and the E E longand loud.
10.Take abreath on the ribs and diaphragm. S peak
three loud, short OO sounds on the diaphragm, then let
the air go f rom the ribson a long, sustained and steady
A H sound.
PRACTICE M ATERIALFORBRE ATHING
AND PHRASING
R eadthefollowingpassagesand mark in where you intend
to breathe. Test your practical accomplishment in breathing
by varying the length of phrase. Whisper them through
first,then speak them with appropriate variationsofpitch,
paceand volume.
Thewind stung themasthey walkedout of thehotel into
thebiting air. Thiswas not a day fordallyingandtheyset
off, at abrisk pace, crunching their heels intothepacked
snow.Theparkwasonlya fewhundred yards away,and
asthey passed through the huge iron gates they saw chil-
drenof allsortsofshapes andsizes skatingon thepond.
With their scarves wrapped round them they looked like
avast gatheringofmobile barrels with legs. Therewas a
lot ofnoiseand it cutthroughthewintryairwithakeen-
ness likethe frost.James began tohurry, clinging to the
hand of his little girl, and they whooped, whistled and
laughed astheyhalf ran, half slid towards thepond. A t
the edge the pair of them stopped with that instinctive
caution reserved for first
steps
on toice. Tentatively each
put a foo tforward and,inspiteof the fac tthat there were
hundredsonthere skatingandsliding already, theypressed
on to the ice and established its security,before totally
committing themselvesto thefrozenwater. Once that ritual
was over they parted hands and began to walk round the
pond with heavyfeet,almostas ifthey were tryingtoburn
their footprints into it. Ice is not to be walked on, and
before
long, the two of them were in the middleslidingandslip-
ping and, needless to say, falling on the vast wet, shiny
Januarymiracle.
The firm, slow beat of the drums, the creaking of the
soaking planksof theshipand thesteady rhythmiclap of
the sea against the
vessel,
were the only things to be heard.
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Faulty Breathing
TheC aptain listened to the silence and clenchedhis tele-
scope in his
hands
with a firmness that expressed his
anxiety, butalsothethrill thathe feltas he saw theenemy
sailing towards them. The gunners were all loyal, and well
trained men. They had been with himbeforewhen, with
his usual combination of impudence and cunning, he had
scuttled other wayward galleons unfortunate enough to
come
within firing range. The gulls circled above,
remindinghim of thenearnessof theenemy coastlineand
heknewhe wastakingagreat risk. From somewhere below
heheard thebuzzofconversation aseverythingwas set
readyfor hiscommandto fire.
Thepaceof the gamewas fierce. E very spectator in the
stands knew that these were the last few minutes and the
players sensedit.They wereallmakingadetermined
effort
to win the day. The ball was passed down the right wing
and O'Keefe took it deftly; he turned andbegan to run
down towards the enemy's net. H e neatly ducked and
avoided the desperate tackleof his red-shirted opponent
and started toveerintowardsthecentre.In f r on t of him
he saw aclusterofthreemenconvergingon him and he
realisedhewould losetheball.H eclungto it for a
f rac -
tionof asecondandthen kicked, lobbingtheball overthe
headsof the three.Itbounced wherehe had hoped and
Marshran in tosettle itwithhisbody.Itbounced again
and then Marsh smashed it with his right foo t and the
crowdroared and screamed and sang. Their hero had done
it again and they yelled their passionate anthem to him
withall the
fervour
of anation victoriousinwar.The
turf
seemed greener,theweather seemedfiner, theplayers were
giants,notmen
'It'sabout timeweweremoving,'shesaid,leaning over
andpickinghershoppingbag up f rom the floor.S omeof
the crumpled magazines fell f rom the bag, but shejust
cursedand gave the dog a
push
with her
foot.
S lowly she
hauled herselfto herfeet,feelingalittle better fo rtherest,
andambledoffin thedirectionof thechurch.Thesad, wiry
animal yawnedandheaved itselfoffin thedirectionof his
slowly disappearing mistress. S he turned and shouted,
'R usty 'and the dogmovedalittlefaster.Theleaves were
blowing downtheguttersand the air wasfresh. Itstung
her
face.
S hegazed intotheshopsandcaughtthe
whiff
of
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Practice material for breathing and phrasing
bread, freshlybrought fromtheoven,in thebaker'sacross
the road. H er hands involuntarily rummaged in her pockets
fo r money but there was nothing except a foreign coin
whichshe'd found some three months before.
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Inadequate Pi tch Range
in the
Voice
Manyspeakers do not use anything like the potential range
of
voice which is available to them.The tendency is to
restrictthevoiceto a fewnotes and, inconsequence, the
delivery is monotonous and boring.
MA INFAULTS
H abitual high or low pitch
H ere the speaker uses either the high or the low notes
of the voiceto the exclusionof the others.The use of an
unchanging high pitch is also associated with tension,
particularlywhen speaking in a demanding public situa-
tion.
R epeatedtunes
E qually
monotonous is thevoice which repeats thesame
intonation pattern, usually with a fall at the end of the
phrase. This has the effect of apparently concluding the
statement.
E rraticpitch levels
Where the voice shoots up and down the pitch range,
without any association with the thoughts expressed.
Babytunes
Artif ic ia luse ofpitchchangesinspeech, suchas isassoci-
ated with adults speaking to small children. Once again
there is very littleassociationbetween the subjectmatter
and therangeofvoice employed.
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Exerc ises
C OR R E C TION
1. It isimportantnot tostrainthevoicetoreach notes
at theupperandlower extremes whichareexcessivelydiffi-
cult tomake.
2. A nadequateandplentifulbreath supply shouldbe
established.
3. There should be a constant support for thevoice
from
thebreath during these exercises.
4. While doingtheexercises attention shouldbepaid
to the position and movementof thehead,asthere is a
tendency to raise the head and thrust the chin fo rward
when producing the high notes, and to pull the chin
towardsthechestfor lownotes.
5. Pe r form theexercisesatvarying volumes.
EXERCISES
1. H um any tune, listening to the various notes
produced.
2. C ontinue humming the tune but stop at various
points and countfrom1 to 10 using the note on which you
stop.
3. S ingatuneon thefollowingvowel sounds:
O O OH A W A H A Y EE
4. S ing againand stopatvarious points tospeak the
sixvowels on the one note.
5. Using the vowels, speak one on a high pitch, one on
a
middle pitchand one on a lowpitch; precede them with
H :
HOO HOH HAW HAH HAY HEE
HOO HOH HAW HAH HAY HEE
HOO HOH HAW HAH HAY HEE
6.
R epeat exercise5 but do itquicklysothatitsounds
likelaughter.
7. R epeat exercise5 but begin on the low note and
travelup to the high note:
HOO HOH HAW HAH HAY HEE
HOO HOH HAW HAH HAY HEE
HOO HOH HAW HAH HAY HEE
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Inadequate P i tch Range in the Vo ice
8. S peak each of the vowel sounds as if you were
asking a question.
9. R epeatthevowelsas if youwere givingtheanswer
tothe question.
10.C ombinethe two.A sk thequestion on the vowel,
then repeat it giving the answer. Do this very slowly,
extending the range.
11.S peakthefollowing takinganew, higher notefor
eachword.
higher,
and
higher
climb
voice
my
make
can
I
12.S peakthe following takinga new, lower note for
eachword.
I
can
make
my
voice
g
lower
and
lower.
13. S igh out on each of the vowels and count 1 to 5
when your voice settles on its lowest note.
14.R everse this and run up the scaleon the vowels,
speaking from 1 to 5 on thehighest note.
15.R epeat exercise14 but stopatvarious placeson the
way
up thescaleandcount
from
1 to 5 onthat note.
PRACTICEPIECES
The following passages have been written to provide
opportunities forusingtherangeof thevoice extensively.
For the purposes of exercise it is helpful to exaggerate
slightly the range used. R emember, in addition, that variety
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Practice pieces
of volume an d pace help considerably to relieve the
monotony
of
delivery.
(C ontrastthegeneral pitch levelof the firstpartof the
piecewith the second part. Determine whether you think
ahigh or low level is more appropriate.)
Witha low moan the wind wound round thehouse,rattling
the windows and shaking the massive oak door, until
the iron bolts gave way with a resounding shudder. The
sicklyspectre, now quite clearlyd efinedunder the yellow
moon, appeared from the forest and glided towards the
house. . .
meanwhile. . .
in thedrawing roomL a d y
P enelope languidly sipped along, cool glassoflemonade
while listening to thedulcet tonesof the fluteplayedby
her elegant companion.
(Noticethatinaddition tochangesofpitchthevarietyof
pace andvolume will contributeto the effectivenessof the
deliveryof thepiece.)
The footballstadiumwaspacked with thousandsofeager
fans,
boisterously brandishing programmes, rattles and
bells - all insupport oftheir hero,who atthis moment
wascareering down the wing, the ball apparently stuck to
histoes;pastoneopponent, then anotherandanother, until,
withamighty effort, hekickedtheball intotheenemy's
net... GOAL
later. . .
backin the
dressing room, with the deep satisfactionof conquerors,
the men laysubmerged in thewarm relaxing water.The
steamrose like mist around them as their aching and tense
musclesthawed.
A way from thenoiseof thecrowd, with
only the lowmurmursofcongratulations, many succumbed
tosleep.
Grahamwas not in the least upset by the sight. H e just
stared at the wreckage and wondered what could have
happened. P eople grow giant plants - yes. They water
them, they watch them and plants grow. But this was, to
saytheleast,alittleout of theordinary.Thegiant chrysan-
themumwhichhad beenthe subject of hisevery waking
thought and the
object
ofunprecedented devotion in his
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Inadequate PitchRange in the V o i c e
life(this year anyway)hadwithered. Witheredwashardly
theexpression
- it had
grown smaller. What
had
been
a
huge goldensun in his lifehad nowshrunkto thesizeof
anunambitious dandelion.Itwasn'tdead, indeeditwasn't
evendying, it wassmaller.H erubbedhishand acrosshis
chest and bent towards it. H e knew it was the same flower
because thishadrather unusualredtipsto thepetals.H e
peeredat it for awhile, halfbelieving itwasn'ttrue, and
half
expecting thatat anymoment itwould rise againto
its full round glorious self.But itdidn't.Ittiptoedon the
top of thesoil withall theperkinessof a fiveyearold in
adancing display. Graham lookedround,hewasn'tquite
sure why, maybeforhelp,maybeforconsolation - none
wasthere; onlytheironyof the sunbeating downon the
glass, golden rich and life-giving.
S hesatswingingherlegson thepark benchandmunching
her sandwiches. They wereherfavourites - cucumber.It
was aperfec tday and shegazed intothedistance savouring
the
warmth
of the sun and the
sensation
of the
gentle breeze
on her face.H er dogdashed between trees, panting madly
and tearing off again in pursuit of a white butterfly. It
seemedtohoverin the airjust long enoughfor the dog to
catchup with it and then flickered away again, drawing
the dog after itlikeamad, infatuated slave. Jenny eased
backon her seatand shifted hergaze overto acornerof
the park where an old oak tree stood basking in the
sunlight. A s she stared aimlessly she thought she saw a
long sallowfac epeerout frombehindthetrunkof thetree.
A nold
face.
S he
blinked
and
looked away.
A
moment
or
twolatershelooked again, justtosa tisfyherself thatit was
her imagination, but just at that moment the head bobbed
out again. There was no question about it, there was
someone behind thetree.Buttherewasmore thana face,
therewas a long thin neckandbony shoulders and the
neckwasattachedto abody. Af terlooking round onceor
twice theangularfigureteetered out
f rom
behind thetree
and stood for awhile gazing into thesky. Jenny realised
thatthe figure was an oldlady wearingalong thincloak
ofdark green downto herankles.The oldwoman raised
herarms towardsthe sky andwithavoice likethesound
of a brass gong she yelled 'R ain' into the air and then
hitched up her cape, revealing what looked like blue and
white
footbal l
socks,and ranbehind thetree again.
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Faulty Tone
Tone is the term used to define the quality of voice
employedby aspeaker.It isdifficulttopredict what quality
of voice is the most desirable, since the matter ishighly
subjective, and will, to a large extent, depend upon the
individual speaker'srequirements within anygiven envi-
ronment.It ismuch more easytodescribe certain qualities
whichareeither
h a r m f u l
to thevoiceorgenerally consid-
eredunpleasing.
P haryngealor'plummy'tone
Thespeaker generally placesthevoicein thelower register
and accompanies this with an undue tension on the back
ofthetongue.Thechinmay bepulledintowardsthechest
with
a
minimal movement
of the
jaw.
C orrection
1. E xercisestoestablish relaxedandcontrolled breath-
ing.
2. A djustmentof theposition of thehead. E nsure that
the chin is lifted and thehead balancedon top of
the shoulders- not inadvanceofthem.
3. Theopening
of the
jaw, particularly
on the
vowel
sounds.
4. E xercisesfor the flexibility andrelaxationof theback
of the tongue.
5. E xercisesforpitch range, particularlya fluent use of
thehigher andmiddle notesof thevoice.
6. E xercisesfor thebalanceduse of theresonators. (S ee
p.36.)
S tridentor'hard'tone
Thespeaker tendsto use theupper notesin thevoiceand
to produce excess tension in the muscular walls of the
throat.Thechiniso ftenthrust forwardsandupwards.The
sound appears high, hardandthin.
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Faulty Tone
C orrection
1. E xercises to establish relaxed controlled breathing.
2. A djustmentof theposition of thehead.Thetinder-
side of the chin should not be visible.
3. Vowelsounds 'yawned'outslowlyand smoothly.
4. E xercisesforpitch range, particularlya fluent use of
thenotesin themiddleand lower registers.
5.
E xercisesfor thebalanceduse of theresonators. (S ee
p.36.)
Nasaltone
Thereare twokindsofnasality:
1. E xcessive nasal resonance.Inwhichthe soft palate,
which normallyformsa trap door between the throat and
nose cavities,iswhollyorpartially lowered allowing the
sound topass downthenose continuously.
2. Insufficient nasal resonance. In which either the
nasal passages are blocked, due to some physical cause, or
the softpalate is held permanently in the raisedposition,
preventing the passage of sound into the nose. This
produces the'coldin thenose'quality of voice.
Thetwo kinds ofnasality are referred to asP ositive and
Negative Nasality, respectively.
C orrection
1. E xercisesfor the flexibility of the softpalate (seep.
73).
2. E xercises for thebalanceduse of theresonators (see
p.36).
P ositive Nasality:
1. 'Yawning' sounds.
2. R etain the yawning sensation while speaking the
sounds:
34
3. P recede eachof thevowels withM N or NGfeeling
the
arching
of the soft
palate, into
the
yawning feeling,
on
thevowels.
4. S peakthefollowing, ensuring that thereis nochange
in thequalityof thevowel:
00 OH A W A H A Y
EE
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Faulty Tone
BOO
BOH
BAW
BAH
BAY
BEE
MOO
MOH
MAW
MAH
MAY
MEE
DOO
DOH
DAW
DAH
DAY
DEE
NOO
NOH
NAW
NAH
NAY
NEE
GOO
GOH
GAW
GAH
GAY
GEE
NGOO
NGOH
NGAW
NGAH
NGAY
NGEE
NegativeNasality:
1.
C heck that there is no structural reason why sound
maynot pass down the nose. This can be done simply by
holding a finger against each nostril in turn and blowing
down the other.
2. H old the nosegently,but firmly, between the fingers
and hum. Feel the sound passing positively down th
partiallyconstricted nasal passages.
3.
S ing a simple tune on MOO,
still
slightly constricting
the nose with the fingers, and sustain the sensation of the
sound passing downthenasal passages.
4. S peakthefollowing, ensuring that there is aclear
distinctionbetweenthepairsofwords. Theycanonlybe
defined bymakingaclearM and Nsound asopposed to
B a n d D
Ithelps to make a long, sustained M and N, to begin with.
A sability increasesthelengthof the M and Nsoundscan
begradually decreased.
H usky tone
Itshould be noted that this may well be a strong indica-
tion ofastructural defectin thevocal mechanism. Initially
it is important to rest the voice, forapproximately three
days. After this period of silence, when the voice is not
used
a t
all,
if the
voice
is
still very husky, medical advice
should be taken.H uskinessis often theprecursorofloss
ofvoiceand the onlyvalid treatmentisrest.If thehuski-
ness is spasmodic it may be due to strain resulting from
excessivetensionin themusclesof thethroatand shallow
breathing.
35
B ee
B o a t
Belt
Bent
Note
Not
Gnome
Nine
Dote
Dot
Dome
Dine
Me
Moat
Melt
Meant
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Faulty Tone
C orrection
1. E xercises to establish relaxed, deep breathing (see
p.21).
2. Gently make the following sounds on a whisper,
sustaining each one. Feel the arching of the back of the
throat,as ifyawning:
OO O H A W A H A Y EE
3. Intone the vowels, quietly.
4. A t all times avoid shouting. Develop the habitof
speaking very quietly, until thebasic qualityof thevoice
is established.
5. General exercises for the balanced use of the
resonators.
Breathytone
This is due to an incomplete closure of the vocal cords
during theformationof thesound,allowingair toescape
between the cords.It isoften the resultof an inadequate
breathing method where,forexample,theribs collapse very
quickly and more breath is released than is needed to
produce sound. It is a voice quality mostoften associated
with C lavicular Breathing.
C orrection
1. A good dealoftime shouldbespenton establishing
anadequate breathing method.
2. For short periods during exercise, the voice should
be used quite loudly. P ractice can include reading a passage
f rom
a newspaper or book, gradually decreasing the
volume. A s soon as the breathy quality is heard the volume
shouldbeslightly increasedandthen diminished againas
the sound isestablished. It isimportant toavoid tension
in thethroat while practising.
3. E xercisesfor thebalanceduse of the resonators.
BALANCEDUSE OF THERESONATORS
Theresonatorsare thehollow cavities abovethevoicebox
(larynx), in which the basic note produced by the vocal
cordsisamplified.Thegeneralaim is toachievethe effec-
tiveuse ofeach cavity (pharynx, mouthandnose) without
a predominance of tone f rom any one resonator. When
doingthefollowing exercisesit isessential to establish:
36
00
OH A W A H A Y EE
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Exercises
Positions of the resonators
1.
Goodposture,where the head is held easily on top
oftheshoulders.Thechin shouldbeneither thrust forward
norpulled back towardsthechest.
2. Good support for thevoicefro m the use ofadequate
breath.
3. R egular practice of breathing and the following
exercises.
EXERCISES
1. H um anytune gently. Bewareofpushing thevoice
from the throat. Feel for a tickling sensation around the
lips. A voidanysenseofstrain. Take fairly short phrases,
whichcan bewell supported by thebreathing. Thelips
shouldbe
lightly
held together, withtheteeth very slightly
apart.
2. Whisper the following vowels. S ustain each sound
for acountof six and ensure that there is no rasping in
the throat.
O O OH A W A H A Y EE
3.
R epeat
2 but
arch
the
palate
at the
back
of the
mouth,
as ifyawning.
4. R epeat the six sounds imagining each sound is a
bubblein themouth. Blowthemoutgentlyon awhisper.
A nyharsh attack by the voice will burst the bubble.
5. C ountup to tentryingto get anechofro mtheroom.
Do not 'push
7
the sound, think of'drawing
7
it from the
walls and ceiling.
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Faulty Tone
6. S tand close to a wall and hum on a steady sustained
'M'
sound. Gradually move away
f rom
the wall thinking
of leaving
the
voice there.
7. Keeping the lips lightly together, but the teeth
slightlyapart,makeanumberof'M'sounds,as iflaughing.
8. S ay along'M'soundas if inresponsetosomething
pleasant. R epeat this five times, allowing the voice to
becomelouder each time.
9.
Intonethefollowing:
M M M M M MOO
M M M M M MOH
M M M M M MAW
M M M M M MAH
M M M M M MAY
M M M M M
MEE
10. Intone the followingon one continuous note:
EE...OO...M.M.M.
11. R epeat10 atvarious pitches.
12. IntoneMOO MOH MA W MA H MA Y ME E with
the hands cupped round the mouth for M and opening
themfor thevowel. There should be a sensation that the
voiceis released.
13. C up the hands over the ears and say 'Good
morning'. There should be a sensation that the voice is
outsideof thehead.Dothisatvarious pitches.
14. R epeat the following sounds several times, keeping
thevoiceon themaskof the
face:
N M NG
15. P lace eachof thesoundsin 14beforethese vowels:
O O OH A W A H A Y EE
16. Whisperthefollowing sentences:
Manymoaning men making music to the moon.
Manymerry milkmaids.
Nonever alone.
Nineteen noisy gnomes.
S inging swinging songs.
17. Intonethe sentences in 16, on onenote.
18. S peakthesentences, withavariationinpitch.
38
OO OH A W A H
A Y EE
N M NG
M.M.M.M.M.
M.M.M.M.M.
M.M.M.M.M.
M.M.M.M.M.
M.M.M.M.M.
M.M.M.M.M.
MOO
MOH
MA W
MA H
M A Y
MEE
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Exercises
19. Toencouragethemovementof the softpalate, keep
themouth open and breathe in through the nose and out
throughthemouth severaltimes.
20. C ount slowly up toten,first on a whisper, checking
that thereis notensionin thethroatandthatthewhisper
is full,clearandround. Then intoneitslowlyon onenote,
like abell tolling. Finally speak itclearly, imagining the
voiceon themaskof the face.
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Routines for the
Establishment of Forward
Placing
of the
Voice
Thefollowing routines areprovided to give progressive,
general exerciseinplacingthevoice. They could form the
nucleus
of
dailypractice,with
a
change
of
routine each
dayto add variety to the daily discipline.
ROUTINE
1
1. Whisperthe
following
vowels:
O O OH A W A H A Y EE
S ustain each o f them for a count o fsix. E nsure that th
throat feels freeandthat thereis no'rasping
7
in thethroat.
R epeatthis five times.
2. Whisper each sound, imagining that you are
inflat ingaballoon gentlyandsmoothly.Theballoon should
notinflateinjerks,butexpand continuouslyandsmoothly.
3.
Brea the
out on an OO sound, experiencing and
noting the ease with which this isdone. Feel for the air
passing over the lips and then speak, quietly, 'one, two,
three
7
keepingthesensationof thevoiceon thelips. R epeat
this usingtheother vowels.
4. Intone,on onenote, three shortOOsounds
followed
by an 'M
7
sound,which shouldbesustainedfor acountof
six:
OO OO OO MMMMMMMMMMMM
R epeatthis exercise using eachof theother vowelsounds
to precede the 'M
7
sounds. Try to think ofopening the
throat on the vowel sounds and catching the voice on the
maskof the
face
with
the
humming sound.
40
oo
OH
A W
A H
A Y EE
OO
OO
OO
OO
OO
OO
MMMMMMMMMMMM
MMMMMMMMMMMM
O
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Routine 2
5. H um three short Msounds followed by one long
'M'
sound:
M M M MMMMMMMMMMM.
R epeatthisfivetimes.
Feelthatthevoiceisplacedon themaskof the face and
that vibrationscan be felt aroundthelipsandnose.
6. Whisper, intone on one note and then speak the
following sentences:
Miningminerals in mountains.
Manymilitary mattersmustn'tmount.
Nannynodded nonchalantly.
A nonymous nonentities.
Nonames may be mentioned.
ROUTINE 2
1.
R epeatthefollowing,feelingthereleaseof thevoice
intothemouth after K and thenthevibrationin thenose
on the NG N and M
sounds.Makethis sequenceof
sounds
quietand continuous,feelingfor thesensationof thevoice
moving forwards:
2. On the following sequence whisper the H sound,
feeling ayawning sensationin themouth,andthen voice
the vowel sounds retaining the yawning sensation. The
vowels should sound full andrich:
HHH
HHH
HHH
HHH
HHH
...OO
...OH
...AW
...AH
...AY
HHH...
HHH
HHH
HHH
HHH
OO
OH
AW
AH
AY
HHH
HHH
HHH
HHH
HHH
...OO
...OH
...AW
...AH
...AY
H H H
...
E E H H H
...
E E H H H
. . .
E E
3. Feelthevoice'popping'o ffthelipsa f terthe Bsound:
B A H
B A H
B A H
B A H
B A H
B A H
B A H
B A H
B A H
B A H
B A H
B A H
B A H
B A H
B A H
B OO
BOH
B A W
B A Y
BEE
41
K
K
K
AH
AH
AH
N
N
. .
K
K
K
AH
A H
AH
.N
.
M
K
K
K
A
NG
. N
M
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Forward Placing of the Voice
4. Feelthevoice vibrating gentlyon thelips throughout
this exercise:
MAH
MAH
MAH
MAH
MAH
MAH
MAH
MAH
MAH
MAH
MAH
MAH
MAH
MAH
MAH
MOH
MAW
MAY
MEE
5.
Whisper the followingpiece,then intone it on one
note, concentrating onplacing the voice fo rward in the
maskof the face.Finally speakit:
A bove,the Gothic arches met, and in the dark blue spaces
between them faintgold stars were twinkling.Thedeep
blue of the painted spaces seemed limitless in the dim light
of
the
lamp.
Now and
then
the
squeak
of a
fora ging
mouse
sounded among the canvases. Old Grimes had been
breathing heavily; now he raised himself on the bed, and
lifting his arms, cried out, 'My masterpiece Give me
brushes, someone '
Trytogive fullvalueto all the M N and NG sounds.
ROUTINE 3
1. Feelastrong, vigorous movementof the softpalate
duringtherepetitionof thefollowing sounds. Intone them
onone note:
NG. . .A H NG...A H NG. . .A H
2.
R epeat
the
following, listening
for a
continuous
humming sound on the three Msounds, but very little
passing downthenoseon thevowel:
OO MMM OH...MMM AW...MM
AH...MMM AY...MMM EE M
3. R eplacethe Msoundinexercise2withN andrepeat.
4.
H um on an M
sound
before
intoning each
of
these
words. A gain do it quietly, feeling the vibrations on the
lipsand thereleaseof thevoiceon thevowels:
5. R epeatthe followingsounds,firstwhispered, then
intonedand
finally,
spoken.Ineach case sustainthe M and
42
NG . . . A H N G. . .AH NG.
.. AH
OO..
AH.
. MMM
. . MMM
OH..
AY..
.MMM
.MMM
AW
E E .
MMM
..MMM
M . . .
M . . .
. W E
. W H I L E
M
M
. ..WIL L
. . .WE
M
M
. . .WORRY
...WAIT
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Routine 4
N sounds. L isten for the resonance as a continuous
humming sound as you say the complete word:
many many many many many many many
minimal minimal minimal minimal minimal
ammonia ammonia ammonia ammonia ammonia
nominate nominate nominate nominate nominate
6. Following the usual sequence whisper, intone and
then speak this passage
from
S t.
Cecilia s
D ay by
Dryden.
S ustaintheresonanceof thevoice when speaking:
FromH armony, from H eavenly H armony,
Thisuniversal f r ame began:
FromH armonytoH armony
Throughall thecompassof thenotesit
ran,
The
diapason closing
full
in
many.
Give fullvalueto the M and N sounds.
ROUTINE 4
1. Whisper, then intone the following:
OON NOO / OHN NOH / AWN NAW /
AHN NAH /AYNNAY / EEN NEE /
OOMMOO / OHM MOH / AWM MAW /
AHM MAH / AYM MAY / EEM MEE /
OONG NGOO/OHNG NGOH/AWNGNGAW
AHNGNGAH/AYNG NGAY/EENG NGEE/
2. Whisper the first OO sound in the following
sequence. Feel that thereis nostrainorunnecessary tension
in thethroat. Voicethe Msound, feelingthevoice fo rwa rd
on themaskof theface.Finally sustainthefollowing vowel
on one note:
OO M OO
Whisper) Intone)
OO
M OH
OO M AW
OO M AH
OO M AY
OO M EE
3. S ustain the following sequence of sounds on an
intoned note. Feel the voice moving fo rwa rd towards the
maskof the
face
as you do it:
43
oo
oo
oo
oo
oo
oo
M
M
M
M
M
M
OO
OH
A W
A H
A Y
EE
(Whisper)
(Intone)
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Forward Placing of the Voice
EE
EE
EE
EE
EE
EE
OO
OO
OO
OO
OO
00
M
M
M
M
M
M
OO
OH
A W
A H
A Y
EE
4. Whisper the following sentences with full, round
vowels, then intone them on one note and,
finally,
speak
them:
Whoare you
Wearethree
A llhardlaw
S lowpastgo
May'slastday
5. C onclude this routinebyintoning,very gently:
44
R OOMING
H A R MING
MOONOOMOO
MA H NA H MA H
H OH MING
HAYMING
HAW MI NG
HEEMING
MOH NOH MOH
MAYNAYMAY
M A W N A W M A W
MEENEEMEE
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S P E E C H FA ULTS
Introductory
Thefollowing sectionisconcerned withtheabilitytomake
specific
individualsounds
of
E nglish.
Once thevoiceisproduced it isshaped into particular
typesofsoundby the use of thelips,tongue, hard palate,
softpalateand the teeth.
The organs ofspeech:
1 Lips
2 Teeth
3 Alveolar ridge
4 Hard palate
5 Soft palate
6 Uvula
7 Tip and blade of tongue
8 Front of tongue
9 Centre of tongue
10 Back of tongue
Thediagram shows a sectional view of the organsof
speech. Note thatthetongue,fo rthepurposesofdescribing
the formation of sounds, is divided into various parts.
Thereis nocommonly used sound which employsthe use
of theuvula; although sounds made withthebackof the
tongueinconjunction withtheuvulaare frequent inother
E uropeanlanguages, suchasFrenchandGerman.
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Introductory
Inaddition to the specificexercises givenforcorrection
of
a sound, general articulation exercises should also be
practised inorder todevelop dexterityandcontrolof the
lips,tongue and soft palate.
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T he English R Sound
Themost common'R 'sound in E nglish speech is known
asapost-alveolarfrictionless continuant.
Tofo rmthissound
The soft palate is raised to prevent the passage of air
through the nose. The tongue tip is curledbackbehind the
gum
ridge,while
the side rimsof the tongue contactthe
upper side teeth. It is important that th e tongue does not make
contact w i th th e