For us Talkers

Tempo should be varied according to the quality of the statements made. An important point should be delivered slowly, and with emphasis. Amusing or somewhat incidental sentences should be said more quickly, and in a somewhat higher pitch. As soon as a speaker feels that the attention of his audience is leaving him, he can […]

The well-placed voice can, and should, be modulated to express mood. There are gay tones, dull, angry, pleased, annoyed, bored, enthusiastic, or thrilled tones. Even as emphasis gives a sentence punctuation and meaning, so intonation determines the effect of each word. Public speaking is an extremely interesting subject and deserves the numerous books that have […]

Correct pronunciation of all words can be found in a dictionary, which presents a course of study open to all. A too-obvious accent, however, may be overcome only with continual practice. Since most people unconsciously mimic voices and accents they hear about them, it is essential for a student to hear cultured speech as much […]

The reason that most Americans find it so difficult to speak French with a plausible accent is that few Americans can maneuver their lips sufficiently to produce the correct "eu" and "en" sounds. "R’s" and "er’s" and "ings" are hideously neglected as well, which produces a sloppy, unfinished impression. I do not mean that every […]

The ideal voice is mellow, low enough to indicate depth of character, clear, pleasant, with an attractive, far from strident, carrying quality. It is attained through "focus" (correct placement), correct apportionment of chest and head resonance, and controlled bodily relaxation. Errors of enunciation are due in most cases to laziness. It is impossible to enunciate […]

I teach singing, not psychology; therefore I cannot tell you what to say to make your point, but I do wish to impress upon you, most emphatically, that what you say is rarely half as important as how you say it! Consider the matter of inflection and tone color, for example, in […]

Importance of a well-modulated voice . . . Women’s voices too highly pitched . . . Stuttering . . . Lisping . . . Drawling . . . Pointers on public speaking.
THE eyes may be the windows of the soul, but it is the voice which is the window—or should we say the show-window—of the […]

Stuttering Most afflictions, such as stuttering and stammering, are caused by nervousness. Over-anxious to pronounce his words, the speaker becomes tense. Hurry and nervousness do not allow the vocal muscles perfect coordination. Rigidness of the diaphragm as well as the throat and tongue will cause a stammer or stutter.
Any remedy will be gradual. […]

Voice placement for correct speech is attained even as is placement in singing. Every tone must be covered, have its portion of head resonance, and in speech the rather low voice with a maximum of chest resonance is usually the most attractive. A low, sonorous, though not affected, voice is effective for […]