Why Communication helps with a Monotone Voice
Communication is extremely important as an Actor, Presenter, Teacher Lecturer, Radio Announcers, Postcasters, Youtubers and even Sales people. Part of effective communication is the way we use our voice to achieve an end result and or objective.
Many people do not realise how their voice is communicated until they listen to a played back recording. Some react in horror, disdain and bewilderment at how their feel their voice sounds. Often times we think our voices sound better or ‘differently’ from how we actually sound.
We use the voice as a tool in which to inspire, inform, portray, convey, encourage and explain wants and needs. Communication with the voice is usually conveyed with emotions. Emotions are the mind’s tool to help our communication, which at the end of the day aids our survival.
When we are observing others emotional output, we can ascertain how to navigate a situation. Our emotions are a surefire way to gage how someone is feeling about a situation or circumstance. But sometimes it’s difficult to express ones feelings if feeling unsafe and unsure.
Human beings can experience a range of emotions, pride, guilt, embarrassment, love, joy, elation and contentment all in one day. Humans also have the ability to empathize with others and have compassion. But because we have a vast range of emotions, these emotions can sometimes be hard to control. Some people compensate, by developing coping mechanisms by giving minimal voice to their everyday interactions.
Having a monotone expression is an effective way to create a psychological barrier to keep from feeling and helps keep one safe from the wider world. By not expressing our emotions the way most people do, we can develop bad habits such as having poor articulation, pace, cadence and weak voice.
Another reason why people use a monotone voice, is that they feel awkward expressing themselves with emotions. They believe through life experience that using a more energised connected voice might cause them to be more obvious in society which can cause others to judge them negatively. This holding back leads to ‘bad habits’ in which can eventually become second nature.
However interestingly when meeting new people and being in unfamiliar situations, having a monotone voice can work to your advantage as it can give the impression that you aren’t interested in them. This can make awkward interactions quick to dispapate and encourages less engagement.
If you tend to have a monotone voice, there are a number of ways in which you can improve. The following may work for you.
How Can We Fix a Monotone Voice
Feel Your Emotions
If you grew up in an abusive situation, you have likely learned to stuff your anger and pain. You may have learned that by becoming a grey person, you are less likely to be a target. You need to allow those emotions to move, purge…before you can feel the whole spectrum of emotion. You can’t just stuff one emotion, it’s all or nothing. If someone is happy about having a wedding soon, find the genuine happiness and allow yourself to feel it.
Your Energy Levels
Generally monotone individuals portray themselves as low energy. They sometimes talk slowly and at times softly. A great activity I tell my students to do, is to run on the spot or around the drama space before delivering a line. This gets them out of their heads and connecting with their breath and therefore they will have more energy flow. Your voice should deliver a fuller, richer and more naturalized sound.
Inflections
The best way to learn how to emphaise certain words over that of others is using children’s stories. They are written in such a way where you can emphasize, pause in the correct place and deliver a piece exactly as it should be.
Read the following paragraph out loud. You might want to record yourself on your phone and play it back.
Once upon a time a little girl was walking in the scary woods. A nasty wolf was hiding behind a tree nearby. She walked all the way to her sick grandmother’s house and knocked on the door.
The absolutely wrong way to say this paragraph is as though you are reading a sentence from beginning to the full stop, without putting in emphasis and pauses. This will give your reading a monotone sound. Instead you need to read your work where emphasis is used in the correct places.
Most nouns, verbs and elongated nouns have been underlined. This means one should emphasize this word during the reading. There are also slashes which act as pauses. One / means a slight pause and two // means a longer pause is needed. (Of course annotations are personal to you so make it work as suits)
Once upon a time /a little girl was walking in the scary woods. //A nasty wolf /was hiding behind a tree nearby.// She walked/ all the way to her sick grandmother’s house/ and knocked on the door.//
Where would you put the emphasis and pauses here?
Toby was disappointed that Jordan hadn’t put food in his bowl. He barked and barked. He howled and howled until he heard a yell from the bedroom. “Hey Toby, be quiet, I’m trying to sleep!” But Toby was hungry and he really wanted his food, so he kept barking. Thank goodness Jordan’s little sister crept into the kitchen, opened the cupboard and placed the dog biscuits in his bowl.
Now try it using the emphasis as seen below.
Toby was disappointed/ that Jordan/ hadn’t put any food in his bowl.// He barked and barked. //He howled and howled /until he heard a yell from the bedroom.// “Hey Toby,/ be quiet,/ I’m trying to sleep!”// But Toby was hungry/ and he really wanted his food,/ so he kept barking.// Thank goodness Jordan’s little sister/ crept into the kitchen, /opened the cupboard/ and placed the dog biscuits /in his bowl.
You can hear the difference in both passages while reading the unannotated script from the annotated. If you have difficulty with monotone voice, try this technique regularly, until it becomes second nature. Record yourself using the annotated version and hear the difference in delivery.
This is great way to find the correct emphasis in dialogue, poetry and when reading modern presentations.
Get Used To the Sound of Your Voice
Cup your hands around your ears and speak a line or sentence out loud. Truly listen to your voice. Is it weak, and inarticulate? Do you rush your words, if you do slow them down. Or if you speak somewhat slowly, speed up your words.
Articulate Your voice
Practice using a number of tongue twisters to help you articulate the consonants and vowel sounds. Some people slur their words because they aren’t confident using their voice aloud.
She Sells Sea Shells by the Sea Shore
Red lorry, yellow lorry
Peter Piper picked peck of pickled peppers
Betty Botter bought some butter
Try some projection exercises such as:
Hey that’s my bike!
What time is it Kate?
Friends Romans Countrymen, lend me your ears.
You can’t handle the truth
Wilson! Wilson!
Show me the money!
Say Goodbye to the monotone voice!
All of these tips and ticks will help you develop an interesting voice and drop the monotone voice. Using articulation, correct inflections, cadence and projection, will bring the outcome you desire.
