Voice Quality

Voice = the production of sound

Speech = the combination of sounds that become symbols representing meanings
to both speaker and listener
Human Voice = capable of various dimensions making it possible to identify one
person from the other
Quality = the distinctive characteristic of voice that makes it pleasant or
unpleasant to hear
= often referred to as timbre or tone color and it results from the weight
exerted on the vocal chords by the resonators in the process of speaking
Quality of the Voice = determined by the combination of resonances (richness
and volume) of the sound, tone and timbre between individual voices so that
you are able to identify one person from another.

Common Types of Voice Quality

The Normal Voice

= the result of proper distribution between the oral and nasal resonance when all
the resonators (larynx, pharynx, nasal cavity, oral cavity) are used in balanced
proportion with no tension at all
= In conversation, you speak naturally showing little or no emotion. This is the
normal quality of you voice.
= In interpreting literary pieces which are designed to express thoughts rather
than intense feelings, normal voice is needed to communicate the idea properly.

The Breathy Voice

= When you want to create an atmosphere of secrecy and mystery you use a
breathy or whispery voice.
= This breathy, whispered type of tone is an aspirate quality of the voice best
heard in the stage whispered in which the sound of rushing air present in the
real whisper is sustained by a partial vibration of the chords.

The Full Voice

= Also known as the orotund (round mouth) quality, it is produced by opening
the mouth somewhat wider and by increasing the oral and nasal resonance so
that the voice acquires a more ringing tone.
= In many forms of public speaking when the voice must be projected to a greater
distance or when an occasion is formal and dignified, you see the full, deep
quality of your voice.
=When you want to create a mood of reverence and solemnity, use the deep, full
voice.
= A melancholy mood, a stirring appeal for justice or sobriety, for example, are
appropriate situations for using the full voice.
= Remember though, that a literacy selection may be spoken in any voice quality
you want.

The Chesty Voice

= a deep hollow voice as if coming from a deep and empty cave
 = its voice quality has less nasal resonance and it is accompanied by vibration
from a bony structure of the upper chest, thus making it a chesty voice with a
pectoral quality
= this voice quality is particularly effective in speaking the part of a spirit or a
ghost

The Thin Voice

= this voice quality is a thin and high-pitched, the high pitch being its chief
characteristic
= this falsetto quality occurs only in extreme fatigue, weakening, old age, ill
health or in extreme excitement.

Voice Levels

Pitch = another element of voice which shows emotion

= it is the location of the sound on the musical scale and is determined by
the tension applied to the tone-producing mechanism the vocal chords.
= varying the pitch means going up and down the scale so that voices could
be described as high, medium, or low.

Characteristics of Pitch

Key Tone
= this is the general pitch level and it varies from person to person
= your key level means many things to listener
o High Key Level = suggests weakness, excitement, irritation, and extreme
youth
o Lower Key Level = suggests assurance, power, and strength
=Your usual pitch should be in lower half of your natural range, but the voice
must not stay on that key, it must go on to another level and still another level
and then back, in the course of speaking

Voice Inflection
= the change in pitch occurring between syllables or word is called inflection
= your voice is capable of many rising and falling infections in order to give
meaning to your words and sentences.

Melody Patterns
= In speaking, the rhythm and swing of your phrases and sentences form into a
continuous pattern of changing pitch so that as the mood changes, this
melodic pattern also changes.
Example:
The quick, lilting melody for expressing playfulness, esprit, or humor will not
project sorrow grief.
= Developing flexibility in pitch inflections will let your melody pattern normally
adjust itself to the thought and mood you want to express.
= However, avoid the extremes - a monotonous pattern or a back and forth
uneven pitch.