***3 Steps for Tapping the Full Potential of Your Speaking Voice

If you want to tap the full potential of your speaking voice, do your homework first and research what is out there. The question you need to ask yourself is whether you want to improve the voice you already have or would you prefer to discover the voice you don’t know you have? Many coaches who teach voice improvement work on your habitual voice, the one you have been using your entire life. Their methods generally consist of various exercises to fix what your problem may be. There are a few, however, who understand the nature of the human voice and will show you a method in which you will place your voice in a different manner. That is when you will discover a deeper, richer, more mature sound. Actors who understand this latter technique include James Earl Jones, Cher, Julia Ormond, George Clooney, Kate Beckinsale, Vin Diesel, and Sean Connery, to name a few. All of their voices are warm and resonant in which their sound is vibrating in their chest. The 3 things you should look for in good voice training are: 1. Diaphragmatic Breathing. You will only be able to discover the voice that is hiding inside of you when you learn to breathe with support. You are not alone, however. The majority of the population is not breathing in this manner. Although you born breathing with support, as you developed you probably reverted to upper chest respiration which is also called lazy or shallow breathing.

2. Optimum Pitch. Every voice is individual. Some voices are deeper in pitch; others higher. Most people are speaking somewhat above their correct range of pitches, however. When you discover that that range or pitches which is best for you, you will then begin to vibrate in your mid-torso region when you speak.

3. Projection. Unfortunately, most people are unable to increase their volume without shouting. The result can be painful to their listeners’ ears and hard on the speaker’s throat and voice box. Those who are able to project their voice, however, immediately notice a difference in that respect. While their volume may be greater, it is not painful for their listeners or for their throat. And, they discover more energy to boot! Shouting or yelling takes a lot of work. Projection takes a lot less. If you are serious about a good voice training program, consider the above tips in your search. Don’t settle for working on the voice you already have. Discover the one you don’t know you have!