Voice and Vocal Performance Techniques
Concept of Voice as a Musical Instrument
Treatment of the Voice: The voice must be treated with the same respect as a musical instrument. This entails keeping it in superb condition and practicing frequently to maintain its quality.
Professional Responsibility: For broadcasting students, media practitioners, and future graduates, the voice serves as the primary tool. It functions as the means to provide a voice for the voiceless, necessitating careful maintenance and the avoidance of overuse.
Intersection of Subject and Medium: In visual arts, the subject (e.g., a sunset) is distinct from the medium (e.g., canvas, paint, brush). In performing arts, the subject and the medium are identical: the human experience. Consequently, the human voice is a fundamental medium of performance.
Communication Utility: Voices are used daily to communicate ideas, emotions, and needs. In theater and performance, whether conventional straight plays or musicals, the voice is imperative for translating dramatic truths through dialogue and song.
Mechanics of Diaphragmatic Breathing
The Diaphragm: This is the primary muscle for breathing and possesses a dome-like shape.
Inhalation: During inhalation, the diaphragm flattens down into the abdominal cavity.
Exhalation: During exhalation, the diaphragm floats back upward toward the lungs, resuming its original dome shape.
Proper Posture and Technique:
Maintain a straight seated or standing position.
During inhalation, ensure the chest and shoulders remain stationary.
The breastbone should be lifted and held still.
The breath should enter deeply, expanding the lower belly.
Significance in Performance: Excellent breath control ensures an actor does not run out of power midway through a sentence. Sound must be supported by a steady flow of air to remain sustained and controlled.
Vocal Breathing Development Exercises
Breath Capacity Drills:
Count under normal conditions for using only .
Take a deep breath and exhale slowly while producing a constant "s" sound () to practice controlled airflow.
Gymnastic Position Drill:
Stand with feet apart, chest high, head back, and arms extended to the sides at right angles.
Make small arm circles and count with each circle. Practice until reaching a count of within a single breath while keeping the voice steady.
Repetition and Coordination Drills:
Repeat the sentence "Now is the time for all good men to come to the aid of their country" as many times as possible on a single breath. Emphasis should be placed on the phrase "aid of their country."
Advanced drill: Recite "Now is the time for all good men to come to the aid of their country while the little gray fox jumps lazily over the broad white fence." Attempt to repeat this full sequence within .
Fundamental Elements and Properties of Voice
Pitch: Refers to the musical highness or lowness of the voice.
Range: Exercises should use a range of notes to ensure the voice is expressive.
Monotone: A voice limited to a single note is monotonous and boring, unless used as a specific character choice (e.g., a robot or specific comedic characters in productions like Pepito Manaloto).
Emotional Link: Excitement or nervousness may raise pitch, while expressions of serious or confidential matters often utilize a lower pitch.
Pace and Pause:
Pace: The speed of delivery.
Pause (Juncture): Dramatic pauses allow a speaker to catch their breath and emphasize specific statements. These are critical in suprasegmentals, spoken poetry, and MC scripts.
Tone: Known as the "color" or emotional quality of the voice. It suggests the speaker's mood and intention.
Example: A mother uses a soothing tone for an upset child but a stern tone to ensure obedience when a child misbehaves.
Volume: Relates to the loudness or quietness of the sound. It communicates range, such as anger (loud) or fear (quiet).
Principles of Voice Projection and Modulation
Projection vs. Yelling:
Yelling: Relies on the vocal cords and strains the throat, often leading to sore throats or tonsillitis. The resulting sound is flat and high-pitched.
Projection: Uses air from the diaphragm. It is the controlled release of air through vocal cords without straining the body. The resulting sound has depth and is rounder.
Modulation: Adjusting the voice to be pleasing to the ears. Even if a voice is naturally thin or high, it should be modulated for the audience.
Learning to Project:
Master diaphragmatic breathing.
Relax the jaw and throat through fake yawning.
The "Hop" and "Ha" Exercise: Inhale and exhale while producing a round, modulated "Hop" or "Ha" sound to build projection capacity.
Mastery of Diction and Articulation
Definitions:
Diction: The clarity of speech.
Articulation: The proper pronunciation of vowel and consonant sounds.
Phonetic Accuracy:
Requires knowledge of specific sounds like the sound and the (soft and hard).
Distinguishing between long "I" () and short "I" () is essential to avoid meaning errors (e.g., confusing "sheet" with a vulgarity).
Pronunciation of "The":
Pronounced as "thee" ( + vowel, e.g., the apple).
Pronounced as "thuh" ( + consonant, e.g., the banana).
Tongue Twister Drills:
1. Steamed with sesame seeds.
2. PT Jill's not fit. She admits she simply sits and meets.
3. Bill still slips, trips, and makes mistakes when he mixes a gin and mints in the sink.
4. He took a chili dip deep in the sea. He says it keeps him fit.
5. He thinks he's licking his leek wheels meeting and greeting the elite.
6. We weigh the hay, painted the sleigh, played the game, and caught the train before it rained in May.
7. Ken said Ted meant to send the rent but left the check on a bench when he stopped to mend the fence.
8. They set sail as the rain fell and made a wet mess of guests who came to watch whales and tell tales.
9. The black bloke's back brake block broke.
A proper cup of coffee from a copper coffee pot.
Accent, Emphasis, and Intonation
Accent: Performance requires understanding the character's origin to master accents such as British, American, Australian, or regional variations like Singlish (Singapore English).
Emphasis (Stress):
Word Stress: Changing the syllable stressed can change the meaning or grammar. For example, "Ceremony" is stressed on the . "Record" is a noun when stressed on the , but a verb when the stress shifts to the second.
Sentence Stress: Used to emphasize specific words in a sentence to convey mood (e.g., "I am not in the mood").
Intonation: The music of language involving rising and falling patterns.
Falling Intonation: Used for information-seeking questions, specifically questions (e.g., "What is your name?").
Rising Intonation: Used for Yes/No questions (e.g., "Have you eaten?").
Characterization through Vocal Choices
Vocal Profiling: To build a believable character, one must analyze several factors:
Age: Affects pitch and vocal texture.
Personality: Determines if a voice is lively/jolly or subdued/introverted.
Mannerisms: Unique vocal traits that define a character.
Register: Choosing between high or low vocal registers.
Performance Context:
Genre: Comedy, tragedy, or tragicomedy influences vocal range.
Medium: Radio drama and Readers Theater rely purely on the voice, requiring animated and comic variations.
Voice-over/Narration: Typically requires a formal and well-modulated tone.
Questions & Discussion
Musical Instruments: Consideration was given to who plays instruments such as the guitar, piano, ukulele, drums, lyre, or xylophone. Just as one would replace a broken guitar string or tune an instrument, the voice must be maintained and tuned.
Interactive Exercise: A drill was proposed to practice the sentence "Why did you come here?" using different tones including bitter, accusatory, frightened, angry, curious, and surprised.
Instructional Check: The oral communication curriculum previously established foundations for suprasegmentals such as stress, blending, intonation, and juncture, which are vital for media practitioners.