Toastmaster Speech Manual Number Five
Vocal Variety
| Objectives |
i. To explore the
use of voice volume, pitch, rate and quality as assests to your speaking
ii. To achive a pleasing natural voice quality
when speaking
iii. TIME: Five to seven minutes
|
What kind of voice do you have? Is it
resonant, musical, and easy to listen to? Or is it harsh, monotonous, or tiresome? You can
make it just about what you want if you're willing to work at it.
Every time you present a talk, you involve
your mind, body, and voice in communicating the message to your listeners. We've looked at
sincerity, organization, and body language as parts of effective communication. Now we
will concentrate on the primary link between you and your audience: your voice. The skills
you develop in this project will be among your most important tools for favorably
impressing people, whether you're speaking to one person or to a thousand.
You have the potential for an effective
speaking voice. The first step in building a better speaking voice is awareness. You
should work to develop a voice that is pleasant to the ear and display enough variety of
sound to be an expressive part of your speaking.
Using Your Voice
Psychologist Albert Mehrabian states that we are five times as
likely to be influenced by voice than by spoken words as we
listen to a speaker. Thus, we are more influenced by how a speaker talks
than by what a speaker says. A good speaking voice
is loud enough to be heard, clear enough to be interesting, and pleasing
enough to be enjoyable.
A good speaking voice should be balanced between
extremes of volume, pitch, and rate, while having a pleasing sound
quality. Let's examine each of these individually:
| 1 |
Volume. Some people
habitually speak loudly. Perhaps their parents talked this way, or they may have an
assertive nature. Such people should make a special effort to speak
more quietly. At the other extreme are people who can
barely be heard. They need to concentrate on
projecting their voices. In any case, you should vary your voice volume to add emphasis or
dramatic impact to your speeches. |
| 2 |
Pitch. Good speakers vary
the pitch of their voices to convey emotion and conviction. Avoid high pitches because
they suggest immaturity and excitability. The best approach is to
be conversational in your speaking. |
| 3 |
Rate. The most effective
speaking rate falls into the range of 125-160 words a minute. You can easily keep within
this range by speaking rapidly enough to avoid a boring drone, yet
slowly enough to be clearly understood. Vary your speaking rate during
your talk to reflect mood changes and to emphasize points of the speech. |
| 4 |
Quality. The most important
recommendation for voice quality is to relax your throat while you speak. Try to convey
friendliness, confidence, and a desire to communicate. Relax, eliminating any tension from
your voice. A pleasing tonal quality will usually follow. |
A Good Speaking Voice
By applying the above principles to your speech you'll find that a good
speaking voice generally has the following
characteristics:
1. The tone is pleasant, conveying a sense of
friendliness.
2. It is natural, reflecting the true personality and
sincerity of the speaker.
3. It has vitality, giving the impression of force and
strength, even when it isn't especially loud.
4. It portrays various shades of meaning, never sounding
monotonous and emotionless.
5. It is easy heard, thanks to proper volume nd clear
articulation. |
You can train your own voice to
excel in all these qualities if you listen closely to the way you speak and concentrate on
improvement. To learn more about how to build your vocal skills, read the
manual Your speaking Voice, which you received in
your New Member Kit. It also contains exercises for developing your voice
control.
Try Your Voice
Begin by experimenting with a few short passages to discover the meanings
you can project using different vocal values. Read
these passages aloud and create others using a tone of voice appropriate
to each passage:
"I appreciate the
kindness you have shown me, and I hope to return the favor when I can." (Simple,
honest statement, or
perhaps sarcasm.)
"Kindness! Do you call
that kindness? I wouldn't treat a stray dog the way you've treated me!" (Resentment,
anger,
unfriendliness.)
"If we all show a little
kindness, a little concern for other's need as well as our own, we can help make the world
what it
should be." (Deep
feeling of earnestness and conviction.)
Notice how your tone and effect vary with the
different thoughts you express. See how easy it is to change the meaning by
changing your emphasis.
As another experiment, call a friend on the telephone
and talk foe several minutes on some topic of mutual interest. Vary
your tone of voice as well as your rate, pitch, and volume. Use pauses to
emphasize a point or arouse interest in what you will
say next. At the same time, keep your vocal experimentation within the
context of a normal conversation.
Your Speech Subject
For this speech, choose a subject that lends itself easily to voice
variety. Something of a narrative or descriptive nature would
be good, as would be a topic requiring a display of emotion. Another idea
is to select a subject that enables you to quote or
imitate different tones of voice or manners of speaking. Use your
imagination in preparing your talk and remember to apply the
principles you have learned in the first four projects.
Rehearsing Your Talk
You will need to rehearse until you've mastered the voices you'll be using
in the speech. Find a place where you can be alone,
so you can speak without inhibitions or interruptions. Bring your voice
out of the common, monotonous routine by varying the pitch,
volume, and quality. Work especially on varying the delivery rate. Speak clearly and
project you voice. Although you will be evaluated primarily on voice variety, don't
neglect gestures and other body language. All work together to
bring sight and sound into harmony as you communicate.
A valuable aid in rehearsing your vocal variety is a
tape recorder. Record your voice and practice until the vocal variety
satisfies you. Then pay attention to your organization and sincerity as
well as voice. The sound of your recorded voice may
surprise you at first, but it's closer to what your audience hears than
the voice you're used to hearing directly as you speak.
Your Evaluation
Your evaluator will be looking primarily for your skill in varying
your voice while you speak. Your voice should be pleasing to
listen to, with proper balance of volume, pitch, and rate. Your manner of
speaking should reflect the thoughts you are
presenting, just as your body language should support your message. Be
sure to organize your talk and speak with meaning.
The vocal variety skills you learn in this project should be developed and
refined in all your future speeches