Lesson 6 - The Voice of an Actor
Vocal Training and Projection
“Now more than ever we need to talk to each other,
to listen to each other and understand how we see the world, and cinema is the best medium for doing this.”
Martin Scorsese
The voice of an actor plays a crucial role in effectively conveying emotions, characters, and stories on stage or screen. Vocal training and projection are essential aspects of an actor’s craft, enabling them to deliver their lines with clarity, power, and versatility. Here’s a description of vocal training and projection, along with examples and exercises to improve these skills:
Components to great voice skills
Breath Control: Proper breath control forms the foundation of vocal projection. Actors must learn to breathe deeply, using their diaphragm, to support their voice. One exercise to develop breath control is the “360-degree breath”: Stand with feet shoulder-width apart, inhale deeply, allowing the breath to expand the abdomen, lower back, and sides. Breath in, belly out! Exhale slowly, maintaining control throughout.
Resonance: Resonance refers to the amplification and richness of sound produced by the voice. Actors can improve their resonance by exploring different areas of their resonating chambers, such as the chest, throat, and nasal cavities. An exercise to enhance resonance is humming while feeling the vibrations in different areas. For example, hum while focusing on the vibrations in the chest, then shift to the nasal area.
Articulation -If a dog chews shoes, whose shoes does he choose?
Red Buick, blue Buick (x3): Clear articulation ensures that every word is understood by the audience. Actors should practice exercises that enhance diction and clarity. Tongue twisters like “Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers” or “She sells seashells by the seashore” can be effective for improving articulation and precision. Focus on saying the words completely. Here are some more to practice:
We surely shall see the sunshine soon.
Can you can a can as a canner can can a can?
Betty Botter bought some butter. But she said the butter’s bitter. If I put it in my batter, it will make my batter bitter. But a bit of better butter will make my batter better. So ‘twas better Betty Botter bought a bit of better butter.
Pitch and Range: Actors should develop a flexible pitch range to portray diverse characters. Experiment with different pitch levels, from high to low, and explore how it affects the emotional quality of your voice. For instance, try reciting a monologue in a high-pitched voice to convey excitement, and then repeat it in a low-pitched voice to evoke seriousness or mystery.
Vocal Range and Dynamics: Actors should explore their vocal range to express a variety of emotions and characters effectively. Exercises like lip trills or sirening (sliding pitch from high to low and vice versa) can help expand vocal range and improve control. Practicing monologues or scenes with varying dynamics, from soft whispers to powerful shouts, allows actors to develop versatility.
Projection and Volume: Projection involves projecting the voice to reach the entire audience, regardless of the size of the performance space. Exercises like vocal warm-ups, shouting exercises, and projecting while speaking in different environments (indoors, outdoors) can enhance projection skills. Practice projecting your voice by imagining you’re speaking to someone at the back of a large theater, ensuring that your voice carries without strain. Then, change your projection and volume so it reflects a face to face conversation in bed.
Vocal Warm-ups: Just like any physical activity, vocal warm-ups are crucial to prepare the voice before performing. These can include gentle humming, lip trills, tongue exercises, and vocalizing different vowel sounds to relax the vocal cords and warm up the muscles.
Examples of how vocal training and projection impact an actor's performance:
In a stage production of a Shakespearean play, an actor’s ability to project their voice enables them to reach the entire audience, ensuring that even those seated at the back can hear every word and experience the full emotional impact of the dialogue.
In a film scene where an actor portrays a character in distress, vocal training allows them to convey the character’s emotions convincingly, using variations in pitch, tone, and volume to express fear, anger, or sadness effectively.
During a musical theater performance, an actor’s vocal training helps them sustain powerful notes, execute vocal runs, and enunciate lyrics clearly, allowing the audience to connect emotionally with the songs.
