VOICE & VOCAL ANATOMY Theatre Arts Unit 3 Mr. Walker

What is Voice? Voice is the sound produced in a person’s larynx (“voice box”) and uttered through the mouth. Voice is the most specialized, and most difficult, of the elements of acting to master. Responsiveness is the key word. Your voice must be able to do what your brain wants it to do. While your brain can be wildly responsive and imaginative, your voice is much more limited.

What is Voice? You cannot sing in chords, for example, though your brain may think that might be a cool thing. You may also not know how to speak with a Scottish or Russian accent. These things take great effort and great training. Actors’ voices must be diverse instruments that can handle a wide range of challenges.

Vocal Anatomy

Important Terms Diaphragm- muscular body partition between the chest and abdomen. Lungs- holds air. Larynx- upper part of trachea, contains vocal cords. Resonators- throat, nose, mouth, sinuses. Articulators- tongue, teeth, cheeks, jaw, lips, hard and soft palates. Quality- characteristics that distinguish different voices.

Important Terms Pitch- highness or lowness of vocal sound. Volume- control for audibility of sound. Rate- speed of the voice, suggests age and emotion. Articulation- clarity in speaking words. Pronunciation- accurately producing sound with syllables, accents and stresses. Controlled breathing- control over the intake and exhale of breath to produce vocal sounds.

Vocal Quality The elements of good vocal quality include: – Responsiveness – Flexibility – Relaxation (so that the voice does not become constricted) – Muscular mastery (it takes working out just as you would to build other body muscles)

Projection Actors learn how to "project" their voices, which is entirely different from shouting. Projection is the strength of speaking or singing whereby the voice is used loudly and clearly. – It is a technique employed to command respect and attention, and simply to be heard clearly. While projecting, an actor delivers an impulse to be stronger in voice to the brain. The body and mind, now well trained, know just how to react.

Projection You need to be heard, and your director might say "Louder!" – This is a tricky word, but it describes perfectly how an actor must treat her voice. If the actor were to simply shout, she might be heard, but she would also ruin her voice and after a few performances, she may have actually lost her voice. Shouting restricts the voice, it does not promote relaxation nor flexibility nor responsiveness.

Projection Breath technique is essential for proper voice projection. In normal talking, one may use air from the top of the lungs, however a properly projected voice uses air properly flowing from the expansion of the diaphragm. In good vocal technique, well-balanced respiration is especially important to maintaining vocal projection. – The goal is to isolate and relax the muscles controlling the vocal folds, so that they are unimpaired by tension. – The counterplay between the diaphragm and abdominal muscles is trained to control airflow.

Projection A way to improve breathing from the diaphragm is to lie on your back on a flat surface. Your goal will be to fill your lungs from the bottom causing your stomach (and diaphragm) to rise and fall. To increase resistance put a small amount of weight (such as a book) on your diaphragm and repeat this exercise. Stance is also important. Actors are taught to stand straight up with the feet shoulder width apart. This improves balance and breathing.

Projection

Controlled Breathing The actor’s voice should be: – audible and flexible so that he or she can communicate a variety of characters, meanings and emotions. – able to withstand strenuous rehearsals and performances. Vocal training is not only for the professional actor, all voices can be improved upon with care and exercise. Never strain your voice by yelling When exercising your voice strive for: – controlled breathing – a trained ear – a rich, resonant quality – variety in pitch, volume and rate – clear articulation – proper pronunciation.

Controlled Breathing The first step in vocal training is the mastery of controlled breathing. Speech sounds are produced by air that has been forced through the lungs by the action of certain rib muscles and the diaphragm, a flat muscle separating the chest from the abdominal cavity. The exhaled air vibrates the vocal folds in the larynx.

Controlled Breathing The sound produced is modified by the resonators (throat, nose, mouth, sinuses) and formed into vowels and consonants by the articulators (tongue, jaw, teeth, cheeks, lips, hard and soft palates). To have the necessary air control for efficient speaking, it is advisable to breathe from your diaphragm. Your chest cavity is relatively still, while your waistline expands and contracts, and your lower ribs slightly rise and fall. Diaphragmatic breathing requires less effort than chest breathing, allows you to breathe deeply, provides the necessary waist control that enables you to project long passages without running out of breath.

Articulation Actors also need to articulate their words. Articulation refers to the interaction of the articulators (speech organs such as the tongue, lips, and palate) when making a speech sound. Good articulation allows for the actor to be understood Synonyms might include diction or enunciation.

Articulation

Putting It All Together