Clear Speech Practical Speech Correction and Voice Improvement, 4th Edition

8/10/2019 Clear Speech Practical Speech Correction and Voice Improvement, 4th Edition

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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.
http://www.acblack.com/http://www.acblack.com/


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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

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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.

23

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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

26


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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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38/90

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



6.

R epeat exercise5 but do itquicklysothatitsounds

likelaughter.

7. R epeat exercise5 but begin on the low note and

travelup to the high note:




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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

30


40/90

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.

32


42/90

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.

33


43/90

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


44/90

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


45/90

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


46/90

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.


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.

37


47/90

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:


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


48/90

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.

39


49/90

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:


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


50/90

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


51/90

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


52/90

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)


53/90

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


54/90

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.

45


55/90

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.

46


56/90

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

Documents

Clear Speech Practical Speech Correction and Voice Improvement, 4th Edition