Shaping your voice: Deepen/darken: pitch and resonance

How pitch and resonance work together

A higher pitched voice can be associated with a more feminine voice, whereas a low pitched voice can be associated with a more masculine voice. However, it is not simply the pitch of your voice which determines how you sound. Where your resonance is will also play a significant part in how your voice is perceived by yourself and others. 
As discussed earlier, resonance is the term used to describe the vibrations you feel in your body and face when you produce voice. You may feel more vibration and hear more sound in your mouth and throat, which is often associated with a more feminine voice, or you may feel more vibration and hear more sound in your chest, which is often associated with a more masculine voice.

These activities will guide you through moving your pitch and resonance to a place which feels more authentic to you.

Please note:

Before starting any of these exercises, it can be helpful to stretch the muscles in your chest and stomach. This helps you to find and develop increased chest resonance.

1. Stand with your legs slightly apart (i.e. just over hip-width apart)
2. Arc your right arm over your head and body, allowing your head to tilt slightly to the side, so that you can feel a stretch along the right side of your body.
3. Take a few deep breaths in this position – feel your ribcage expand and stretch.

 Release and then repeat on the left side.

If you are looking to deepen or darken your voice:

Activity 1

Moving your resonance back and downward:

1. Place one hand on your ribcage, and one hand gently on your neck.
2. Hum on an ‘mmmmmm’, keeping your jaw relaxed and teeth apart. 
3. Focus on dropping your voice lower into your body. Imagine your voice is disappearing down into your throat rather than coming out of the mouth. Try massaging your chest at the same time to help you direct the sound lower. 
4. Repeat several times until you hear/feel it lower in the body. 

Lowering your pitch safely:

Activity 2 

When you yawn, your throat muscles relax and open up, your tongue moves lower in your mouth, and you create a wide space at the back of your mouth. This space allows your voice to echo more and create a voice which sounds deeper and darker. 

The following exercise will help you to increase the space in your mouth and throat, and hopefully lower and darken the sound of your voice.  

1. Do a nice big yawn! Feel your throat open wide and your tongue lower in your mouth. 
2. Now, try to do “an invisible yawn” – imagine you are talking to someone about something really boring, but you don’t want to offend them by yawning. Keep your mouth shut but yawn inwardly.
3. Repeat this ‘invisible yawn’ and then, say a low ‘ah’ like you are bored saying ‘blah blah blah’ Notice the depth and echoing quality to the tone of your voice.
4. You can practice this on other low sounds like ‘ah’, ‘ay’ and ‘or’ which encourage chest resonance. Aim to keep your tongue low and flat at the back of your mouth.
5. Try ‘ah’ words like: arm, army, hard, garden, gargle, heart
6. Try ‘ay’ words like: Amy, able, main, daily, gain
7. Try ‘or’ words like: all, more, awning, gorgeous, core
8. Then, count 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 again, reducing the yawn-like quality. Notice any difference from your first go. You are aiming for the same depth of resonance without the yawn. 
9. Now try some of the following phrases: ‘all aboard’, ‘always away’, ‘all along the wall’ ‘all across the shore’. You are aiming for the same depth of resonance without the yawn. 

When you feel comfortable maintaining this voice, you may wish to look at the Progression Activities