Impersonation tips?
October 17, 2005 10:13 AM Subscribe
Advice needed for executing accurate vocal impersonations. Work with a tape recorder? A mirror? Anybody have a knack for this they can break down?
My friends and I in college all had decent vocal impersonations of each other. I learned that phrasing and tone are more important than imitating the actual sound of somebody's voice.
It helps to get immediate feedback on your impersonation's progress. For instance, I would talk to Jacob, a friend, using my "Jacob voice". I could then adjust my impersonation mid-sentence based on realtime interaction with Jacob. I knew it was a success if Jacob recognized himself in my impersonation.
It might also help to think of every Christopher Walken impersonator you have ever heard. The thing that is always dead-on with these impersonations is that they have all mastered his phrasing and the subtle changes in tone. Very few of these people actually sound like Christopher Walken. Instead, they feel like Christoper Walken.
posted by viewofdelft at 10:45 AM on October 17, 2005
It helps to get immediate feedback on your impersonation's progress. For instance, I would talk to Jacob, a friend, using my "Jacob voice". I could then adjust my impersonation mid-sentence based on realtime interaction with Jacob. I knew it was a success if Jacob recognized himself in my impersonation.
It might also help to think of every Christopher Walken impersonator you have ever heard. The thing that is always dead-on with these impersonations is that they have all mastered his phrasing and the subtle changes in tone. Very few of these people actually sound like Christopher Walken. Instead, they feel like Christoper Walken.
posted by viewofdelft at 10:45 AM on October 17, 2005
A tape recorder is essential. We all sound very different to ourselves, from inside our own heads.
posted by o2b at 10:52 AM on October 17, 2005
posted by o2b at 10:52 AM on October 17, 2005
Don't forget to emulate body language. Everyone worth imitating has some physical aspect that us uniquely theirs. If you're gonna imitate George Burns, for example, you've got to be either holding a cigar or pretending to be holding one.
Video tape yourself. This will also serve to show you your own physical ticks that you will need to expunge when you're imitating someone else.
posted by Rubber Soul at 11:27 AM on October 17, 2005
Video tape yourself. This will also serve to show you your own physical ticks that you will need to expunge when you're imitating someone else.
posted by Rubber Soul at 11:27 AM on October 17, 2005
I'm a pretty good mimic, and in addition to viewofdelt's advice to pay attention of phrasing and tone, I think most of an impression comes from figuring out what part of your head the voice should come from.
Some people use more of their sinuses than you do when they speak, and some people talk from their throats.
It's a lot like speaking a foreign language; I find that I use a different part of my throat when I speak french, the same way I use a different part of my throat when I talk like Kermit the Frog or Cat Stevens.
posted by interrobang at 3:25 PM on October 17, 2005
Some people use more of their sinuses than you do when they speak, and some people talk from their throats.
It's a lot like speaking a foreign language; I find that I use a different part of my throat when I speak french, the same way I use a different part of my throat when I talk like Kermit the Frog or Cat Stevens.
posted by interrobang at 3:25 PM on October 17, 2005
écoutez et répétez.
The key to mimicry is as much about the ear as it is about the vocal cords, tongue, lips and other sound-producing machinery.
The first step is to become familiar with the sorts of sounds (not necessarily voices) that can be made. This usually comes from spending a good deal of time alone making funny noises, risking anyone who discovers you thinking you're a full-blown idiot.
Much of imitation is dsicerning the differences in vowel sounds from yourself to the target voice. Hear the differences, then go crazy with them as in a characature, then refine them. For some accents, some the consonants are also very different, as in South asian accents. Finally, master the rhythms and tonal "envelope" (how pitch and emphasis changes over the length of a sentence). Th envelope will make or break regional differences (like Southern US between say Alabama, and Tennessee).
posted by jimfl at 7:19 PM on October 17, 2005
The key to mimicry is as much about the ear as it is about the vocal cords, tongue, lips and other sound-producing machinery.
The first step is to become familiar with the sorts of sounds (not necessarily voices) that can be made. This usually comes from spending a good deal of time alone making funny noises, risking anyone who discovers you thinking you're a full-blown idiot.
Much of imitation is dsicerning the differences in vowel sounds from yourself to the target voice. Hear the differences, then go crazy with them as in a characature, then refine them. For some accents, some the consonants are also very different, as in South asian accents. Finally, master the rhythms and tonal "envelope" (how pitch and emphasis changes over the length of a sentence). Th envelope will make or break regional differences (like Southern US between say Alabama, and Tennessee).
posted by jimfl at 7:19 PM on October 17, 2005
Try watching some Rich Little*. Cheesy as he can be, he does a lot of impersonations, both male and female - I haven't seen them all, but he tends to be pretty good. As mentioned, pay attention to tone, phrasing, pace, etc, as well as body language. Also (again as previously mentioned) remember that you sound different to yourself than to everyone else. Don't spend hours honing your impression of someone to sound exactly like them, because it will not sound the same to others. When doing an impression, you should convey the overall impression of the person you are mimicing.
*One impression in particular comes to mind - at a roast of Jimmy Stewart, Little stopped Stewart mid-sentence and informed him he was doing it all wrong, then proceeded to show Jimmy Stewart how to "do" Jimmy Stewart. Brilliant. Also a good example of use of body language, and shows that overemphasizing certain physical things can help.
posted by attercoppe at 9:22 PM on October 17, 2005
*One impression in particular comes to mind - at a roast of Jimmy Stewart, Little stopped Stewart mid-sentence and informed him he was doing it all wrong, then proceeded to show Jimmy Stewart how to "do" Jimmy Stewart. Brilliant. Also a good example of use of body language, and shows that overemphasizing certain physical things can help.
posted by attercoppe at 9:22 PM on October 17, 2005
This thread is closed to new comments.
Probably the same advice as "learn songs in a language you want to speak".
posted by Aknaton at 10:39 AM on October 17, 2005