2. Adequate hydration is very
important for a healthy voice.
Avoid or reduce the following:
fizzy drinks, caffeinated drinks,
sports drink, alcohol. Drink at
least 2-3 litres of water a day. If
you dislike the taste of water, try
a dash of lemon /cucumber/mint in
your water!
Hydrate
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3. Straighten
up
You have all heard of the advice,
pull your shoulders back,stand
up straight. It’s not so much
about pushing your shoulder
blades back till they hurt, all
you have to do is remind yourself
to straighten up!
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4. Loosen
Up
Keep your throat, jaw and tongue
muscles relaxed. Most people speak
from a tense vocal tone, meaning
they talk when holding their
muscles tight. Stretch those
muscles out by opening and closing
your mouth and moving your jaw side
to side.
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5. Yawn!
Open your mouth, start off with a
big yawn and end off with a huge
sigh. Notice how much oxygen you
have in your lungs when you yawn.
Sigh with a loud /ah/ sound, and
feel nice and relaxed, as a vocal
warm up.
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6. Breathe
Most people do not think about how
they breathe when they talk. We speak a
lot faster if we speak when breathing
in. Try it and notice how difficult it
is. As strange and difficult as it is,
all of us do it, especially when we are
under stressful situations. When you
breathe out and speak, speech is much
slower and is easier to listen to by the
listener.
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7. Hum
Away
Most of us have hummed as kids, and have
forgotten how to hum as adults! It’s a very
simple task and gets the breathe flowing, gets
the voice warmed up and gets the articulators
warmed up. If you have no idea what to hum to,
start with the good old Happy Birthday Song,
and hum to it. Extend the ‘words’ and feel your
breathe becoming fluent with the humming.
Enjoy the tingling feeling in your lips!
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8. Smile!
Speaking is all about using your voice
effectively. When we use our voice, we need to
release enough air, so that the voice is heard.
Most people do not open their mouths wide
enough, and are told that they are too soft or
mumble. Often what is happening is that you do
not open your mouth wide enough for your
articulators to enunciate words clearly. Once
you open your mouth to speak, remember to add
in a smile. That often relaxes the tension in
your voice and brings you closer to your
audience. Happy talking!
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