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| Michelle Eppley |
Some people have high-pitched voices and some
have low-pitched voices. Some singers seem to
have enormous pitch ranges. Have you ever
wondered what factors control the pitch of your
voice?
Pitch is the perceptual correlate of frequency. Frequency is determined by the number of times our vocal folds come together per second, and is measured in Hertz. We control pitch with tiny muscles in our larynx, and we do not consciously control them in the same way we do our biceps, for instance. Here are some interesting numbers to consider:
Have you wished your voice was higher or lower? Many people are mistaken for the opposite gender over the telephone, and many adults are mistaken for children. However, when we think a voice has a high or low pitch, we are often perceiving other factors of quality and resonance. The best way to change the voice in these cases is not to work on raising or lowering pitch, at least not pitch alone. This will be the subject of future articles. There is something you can do relating to pitch that will improve our effectiveness as speakers: Use variety! Your listeners can get quite bored if you drone on and on using the same narrow pitch range. Use higher pitches to emphasize important words, lower pitches to convey a serious tone, and more variety to hold your audience's interest, especially to motivate or compel them to take action. Exploring pitch range is a helpful voice exercise especially if you tend to speak with little pitch variety. You may feel silly doing this, but try it anyway! Start at a comfortable pitch and make the sound "hoooo" at a medium loud level for as long as you can. Breathe and start again, this time sweeping up in pitch. Repeat several times. Starting at a high pitch, glide down to a comfortably low pitch. Make sure you are staying relaxed in your throat and jaw. Repeat a few times. You can then go from high to low and low to high, comfortanbly expanding your range each time you reach the top or bottom. Now take a selection of text, possibly from a presentation or a newspaper article. Read it with as much expression as possible. Record yourself and play it back. Could you have more pitch variety? It may be helpful to underline important words to remind yourself to use a higher pitch on these words. If you can't seem to find a higher pitch while you are talking, do the "hooo" exercise again. Note: It is important that you approach this gently. If you feel any physical discomfort, stop. Voice work should feel physically good--even if you feel silly! |
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Prosody consists of variations of stress, timing, and
very importantly, pitch. Researchers have found
that our brains process these variations in order to
understand grammar. Click here
for the full article in Science News.
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Scientists are finding that our brains are specially
wired with "novelty detector neurons" that allow us
to tune out unimportant, repetitive sounds like the
hum of a car engine while we drive. This may explain
why we have trouble paying attention to people who
speak in a monotone. To read more, click here.
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Workshops and Seminars
JAN 16: Presenting--YOU!
This workshop will provide safe, supportive place for you to practice your presentation skills and receive expert feedback. It is valuable whether you are a seasoned speaker or public speaking is your greatest phobia.
FEB 11: Speak from the Peak! Tips and Tools for More Powerful Presentations If you need to speak in public to enhance your career or build your business, whether you fear presentations and avoid opportunities or you enjoy speaking but want to be better, this workshop is for you! Michelle Eppley of The Sound Center will be joined once again by executive and personal coach Elene Cafasso of Enerpace for a fast-paced, interactive workshop.
Make professional development a priority in 2006~~an investment in yourself is priceless! JAN 18 and MAR 15: Anatomy of an Accent Two dates offered at the Business and Professional Institute at the College of DuPage. This eye-opening seminar is for people who want to change their accents and people who manage a diverse workforce. Foreign and regional accents are complex patterns of speaking. If you want to change your accent, it isn’t enough to change a few sounds. Learn the elements of an accent, how accents can be changed, and how accents fit into the even larger parameter of language and culture.
For online registration and maps, click here. JAN 25, FEB 22, and APR 26: Speaking with Confidence
Three dates offered at the Business and Professional Institute at the College of DuPage. Improve the sound of your voice. Perhaps your voice is too loud or soft, too high pitched, too childlike or even too tentative. Learn and practice techniques to make your voice sound confident and smooth.
For online registration and maps, click here. |
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