Voice Improvement tips

March 6, 2006 7:34 AM

Is there a way I can improve my voice ?

There is nothing seriously wrong with it, but my voice is heavy and not very clear (may be due to frequent cough problem). In the morning also I cannot speak clearly unless I clear my throat. In fact, I need to clear my throat quite often during the day. Sometimes it feels like it is coming from the nose.

Also my voice is not very lively or animated. It appears quite dull or monotonous, which makes people ask if I am upset or sleeping, etc. Is there something I can do to make my voice appear animated, and be able to speak in different tones suggesting different emotions, friendliness, cheerfulness, etc.

In what timeframe can I expect results, if at all there is a way ?

posted by inquisitive to health & fitness (17 comments total)

I see two things going on here in my non-professional judgement:

One is the throat issue, the other is the voice modulation issue.

As for your throat, have you had it examined by a pro? Could be a sinus issue or even a stomach acid issue (which could also lead to sinus issues).

As for the voice issues, how about singing lessons. You don't have to go for the pro level, but a few basic lessons can really teach you about breathing, tone and projection. It can also be a little fun.
posted by Pollomacho at 8:04 AM on March 6, 2006

On the throat issue, could it be a dairy issue? I know of several friends and family members that have been told to cut down or eliminate dairy from their diets, as it can lead to excess mucous production. (yum!)

Voice modulation: I project my voice well, but once a professional voice actress mentioned that my voice was a bit flat and monotonous. Clear and easy to hear, but not animated (phone calls mostly, and a long story about how I found this out). I have found that working on your public speaking skills may help a bit. I find I'm much more animated when speaking with to a crowd - I smile, move my hands and vary my tone and pitch. Perhaps practicing in front of a mirror? When you smile as you talk, people can often detect that, even on the other side of a phone call - that might be enough to project a feeling of friendliness.

I am not a doctor or voice coach, but hope that anecdotal stuff is helpful.
posted by Cyrie at 8:21 AM on March 6, 2006

There could be a lot of things causing phlegm and a "heavy" voice. A caffeine habit, smoking, insufficient sleep, newly developed allergies, breathing or back problems, steroids, reflux, or even throat/sinus damage could be causing it. If you're clearing your throat a lot, that's probably due to excessive phlegm. Is this a new problem? A seasonal problem? Do you drink 8 or more glasses of water a day? Do you cough a lot, and if so, do you bring up anything? If this is new and bringing up mucus (and you drink enough water, don't smoke, and don't drink much caffeine), try going to an allergy specialist.

If you don't think this is a phlegm issue, it's possible that you have a breathing/vocal muscle tension problem. Are you a noisy breather? That means you speak and breath with tensed throat muscles, which can put a lot of strain on some really delicate tissue. Hoarseness is an indicator of this, and insufficient hydration can damage your voice further. (That's why caffeine is really bad for your voice.) Do you experience a lot of neck and jaw tension? Do you speak more than the average person in your career? How about pain when you try to speak loudly? Those are the kind of things that might make you want to look more toward vocal therapy, but that can be pretty damn pricey (I hate to say that about my intended field, but it's true). If you're having problems with pain, being understood, or your voice has taken a noticeable turn for the worse in the past year, you really ought to look into this, though.

As for monotony, that tends to be something that's more genetic/cultivated since speech patterns began. It sounds a little odd, but have you ever taken singing lessons? You'll learn a lot about your speaking voice in just a few lessons, and you'll also learn a lot about effectively putting breath into vocal production. I'd actually recommend this over speech lessons/courses, as there will be a lot more emphasis put upon vocal production itself. You'll also learn a lot about how to treat your voice more kindly. A few lessons won't be expensive and are probably being offered by music grad students at your local college (or often choral teachers at a high school or church) for reasonable prices. Check out your personal habits first, though; clearing out your throat will help your breathing, placement, and overall tone.

Disclaimer: I am not a licensed speech therapist or otolaryngologist. Yet.
posted by honeydew at 8:22 AM on March 6, 2006

But I am a voice teacher, if that changes anything.
posted by honeydew at 8:24 AM on March 6, 2006

The book Voice and the Actor, designed by the former vocal coach of the Royal Shakespeare Company, has some great exercises for improving one's speaking voice.
posted by occhiblu at 8:44 AM on March 6, 2006

Ask your physician for a referral to an ENT (ear, nose, throat specialist), in particular one who is a voice and vocal chord specialist (I know these exist, my brother is one). They should be able to tell you if there is a medical reason for the way you speak, and to give you exercises and/or drugs to help strengthen your vocal chords.
posted by echo0720 at 8:51 AM on March 6, 2006

I went seeking some voice advice from a local, very successful voice-over actor. He recommended taking a couple of group improv/acting courses to liven up the voice skills for commercial work. I would think similar benefits would apply to you, and you'd get the bonus fun of taking the class.
posted by TeamBilly at 8:56 AM on March 6, 2006

honeydew,

I dont have a caffeine or smoking habit .. I think the throat problem is due to excessive phlegm .. yes I am allergetic and occasionally suffer from mild asthma too. Coughing up sometimes brings up mucus, especially in the morning. This mucus and throat problem is not a new one, nor a seasonal one. I have been having this problem since as long back as I can remember.

I am not a noisy breather. Regarding tense throat / vocal muscles, I am not sure about it. Yes, my voice is sometimes hoarse. I speak very little as I am an introvert.

Cyrie,

How do I find out if it is a dairy issue? Even if it is, I cant afford to cut down or eliminate dairy from my diet, as I on a weight gain program and I workout in the gym. And being a vegetarian, I need dairy products in my diet for protein.
posted by inquisitive at 8:56 AM on March 6, 2006

I took a speech course at a community college. It was very much a Pygmalion-style course, working on intonation and diction. If you were to really use every technique tought in the course, you'd sound like a 1940's Hollywood actor, but understanding the principles helped me a lot. Even if the main reason for your speech is medical, you might still need to retrain your voice once the physical aspects are straightened out.
posted by the jam at 8:59 AM on March 6, 2006

I have heard that gargling with warm lemon water helps cut phlegm. Is this true ?
posted by inquisitive at 9:14 AM on March 6, 2006

I had similar problems with the phlegm, the wheeziness and the hacking etc. as well as allergy issues. Additionally I had recurrent sore throats and a "whiskey voice" that gave out. I went to my GP and was also referred to an ENT, the diagnosis was GERD and a laryngeal polyp.

It doesn't sound like you have the polyp problems, but the phlegm/sinus issues can be caused by reflux.
posted by Pollomacho at 9:25 AM on March 6, 2006

Lemon juice (or equally acidic juice) is good for the throat unless you have stomach or teeth problems. Suck on a lemon slice or swallow the juice; that's a lot more effective than gargling. Gargling or snorting salt water is good for thinning out mucus, but inhaling salt water is an incredibly unpleasant experience. Mint can also clear out phlegm, as could steam. Boil a pot of water, drape a towel over your head, and breathe it in as long as you can stand it. Try mint tea with honey. Dairy does thicken phlegm, but that's the kind of thing you would only want to cut if you were a professional singer or speaker. I ask my kids to not drink milk five hours before a performance, and otherwise would discourage them from avoiding it. You could try cutting it from your diet for 3-4 days to see what your throat does with thinner phlegm, but I don't think it would be a drastic change or worth the malnutrition.

Do you have an otolaryngologist or allergist already? If not, talk to your GP about a referral for whichever might be better suited.

A thought: is this primarily a morning problem? Could be a sleep breathing/position issue.
posted by honeydew at 10:11 AM on March 6, 2006

Related question: are there any decent singing voice lessons available on the Web? I've seen several sites hawking their wares, but don't know how many of them are any good.
posted by madman at 11:27 AM on March 6, 2006

inquisitive, could you try substituting the dairy products with soy? Soy milk, cheese, etc? You would still get your protein without (maybe) the side effects of milk-based products? With the people I know that were told to cut our dairy, in one case, it was the person's general practictioner that prescribed cutting out dairy, in the other, it was an allergist (although I'm not sure if there were a series of tests leading up to this recommendation or not, I'm sorry). Perhaps a trip to your GP could help - they might be able to provide more information on whether or not this might help, and also suggest ways to get your protein/weight gain on track without using dairy. Again, sorry I can't provide anything other than anecdotal information.
posted by Cyrie at 11:48 AM on March 6, 2006

If you're on a weight gain program, you're probably getting plenty of protein from other foods, and don't need to worry about cutting back on the dairy, unless you're trying to bulk up eating nothing but carbs. If that's the case, the protein is last of the deficiencies you need to worry about. Aren't all the commercially available weight gain powders usually soy based, anyway? Try cutting back on the dairy and see if you feel better or worse.
posted by team lowkey at 12:41 PM on March 6, 2006

Related question: are there any decent singing voice lessons available on the Web? I've seen several sites hawking their wares, but don't know how many of them are any good.

No. Avoid like the plague. You want instant feedback from a teacher that is physically present. You need to be able to talk extremely specifically about posture, breathing, where your voice is coming from, etc.
posted by honeydew at 2:18 PM on March 6, 2006

inquisitive, I have/had a similar problem with a monotonous voice. I'm a singer, and I have no problems with projection or range -- but when I'm talking, I'm too busy thinking of what I'm saying to make sure my intonation is varied. But when I'm reading aloud, or repeating something I've memorized, I have no problem losing the monotony; I'm freed by not having to think about the content.

If that's the case for you, you may want to think about what you're saying well in advance. I don't mean just a few seconds of censorship time -- if you want to speak up in a meeting, for example, plan out the exact sentences you want to say before you raise your hand.

Even then, if you're still not sure about how to vary your voice, I think talking with your hands just a little more could help. I've noticed that for me, that correlates with more dynamics in my voice.
posted by booksandlibretti at 2:28 PM on March 6, 2006