How often do we think that it would be very nice if we could make an impression on people from the first contact, somehow influence them, evoke respect and a desire to communicate. But this does not always work out, if at all. We can start digging into ourselves, looking for dozens of reasons why people don’t think of us the way we would like them to, and the first impression we make leaves much to be desired. And, oddly enough, we will find these reasons. But is it worth engaging in scrupulous self-analysis, because the reason may lie in the simplest thing - in our voice.
Almost everyone today has heard at least once in their life that having a lower voice is much better than being the owner of a thin, squeaky voice. Fact is fact, but why? Not many people know the answer to this question, let alone how to even lower their voice, if necessary.
Why do you need a low voice?
As a rule, a person with a low voice is intuitively perceived by people around him as someone who has authority, is self-confident, self-sufficient, and is able to stand up for himself and his loved ones. A low voice is a sign of self-control and balance, and also instills sympathy and trust in the interlocutor or opponent.
The image presented, as well as the sound of a low voice, are always very effective: they work great, for example, when you need to impress a member of the opposite sex, or when you need to quickly win over potential business partners and make them listen to you and trust what you say.
There are also frequent situations when, on the eve of an important speech in public, a conversation with superiors or negotiations, a person realizes that his voice, as they now say, is “inaudible,” or that every now and then it wheezes, twitches, trembles, and breaks into high notes. This is not good, because a high-pitched squeaking voice in no way corresponds to the image of a confident person, a leader and someone who should be listened to and respected. This is another reason why you should learn how to control your vocal cords.
And it is even possible that you are not at all aware that your voice, which seems most pleasant and velvety to you, actually sounds completely different from what you imagine. This can be established by, for example, audio recording. Each person has a different perception, and some may think that their voice sounds lower in the recording, while others may think that their voice is higher. However, both of these sounds are a clear representation of your voice.
The process of voice formation and perception is quite complex. And, for example, professional voice director and speech therapist Nelson Vaughan explains it as follows: when a person listens to his voice, he perceives it only through his ears. He hears the sound waves that propagate inside him through the liquid that fills his internal organs. But sound propagates through air differently than in dense tissue or liquid. And this difference is correlated with almost the entire spectrum of tones perceived by a person. For this reason, people do not hear what we can hear.
And, ultimately, the topic of lowering your voice will be useful to everyone who stutters, no matter: always or during times of stress. Professor and Doctor of Medical Sciences I.A. Sikorsky says in this regard that slow speech in a low voice serves as a preventative for stuttering, and is capable of giving the speaker a tone of self-control, authority and importance.
From all of the above, we can conclude that lowering the voice is extremely useful and effective for almost any person who does not have a deep voice. But how can we lower our voice?
To do this, you need to resort to the following exercises.
Preparation
Relax your throat as much as possible. Otherwise, the voice will turn out tense, feel irritated or anxious. Moisten your larynx and maintain a clear sound, trying to swallow saliva more often. Drink warm water or lightly brewed tea before starting your practice. This will help relax the muscles of the pharynx and larynx. On the contrary, cold water helps to constrict the vocal cords (you can drink it when you want to raise the tone of your voice). Breathe naturally, trying to take deep breaths in and out. Develop control over the movement of your diaphragm. Avoid short, shallow breathing and especially hyperventilation.
Exercise "Bass Head"
If you pay attention, for example, to a person singing in a bass voice, you will notice that his head is raised high, but at the same time is slightly tilted, as if he is trying to hold some object with his chin or is playing a violin that is visible only to himself. This position engages those muscle groups that pull the larynx in the “down” direction.
Try to do the same, always remembering that the larynx should be directed downward. This rotation, together with its lower position, will lower your voice as much as possible.
Radical measures
Those who are completely desperate and are ready for the most drastic changes may consider the possibility of surgical intervention.
An operation to change the timbre of the voice is called glottoplasty. It is performed under anesthesia. Biogel is injected into the patient's vocal folds. After the procedure, a voice rest regimen is prescribed for 7–10 days.
Men with high-pitched voices and women with rough, low-pitched timbres turn to glottoplasty.
Despite the fact that this method will help to quickly and permanently correct timbre distortions, we should not forget that this is a surgical intervention that can have consequences. Weigh the pros and cons before deciding to take such a radical step.
Exercise with the sound “I”
Take the starting position: standing or sitting. Do a downward tilt of your head so that your chin is tucked toward your chest, as in “Bass Head,” and then make the lowest “I” sound. After this, slowly raise your head up as far as it will go, trying to fix the pitch of the sound.
At first, keeping the “I” sound fixed will be problematic, and its pitch will gradually increase as the head rises upward. This is an indication that your ligaments are tight and your larynx is shortening. Perform the exercise several times a day until the pitch of the sound becomes even in any position of the head. Achieving this result can be considered a complete relief of spasm of the vocal cords.
These exercises should be enough, but I would like to give a few more important tips.
Assess the situation
Listen to yourself to understand what your speech is like at the moment. This will help you consciously lower it to a lower tone. You need to listen to yourself carefully while standing in front of a mirror, or record your speech on a voice recorder (computer, phone, etc.) for playback purposes. Some devices produce better results than others, so you should use the best option available. It is worth noting that poor speakers are not able to satisfactorily reproduce bass, which is important for this purpose. Choose a quiet place to record to avoid unwanted sounds and voices. Try to do everything to learn to listen carefully and recognize all the features of your speech. What is your voice? Is he too sharp, high, shrill? When experimenting, don't try to sound like a sports commentator: be as natural as possible.
A few more tips
Tip one: try to control the pace of your speech as often as possible. Remember that the faster your speech, the more tense your vocal cords are, which means your voice is higher. A person's voice is often compared to a vinyl record - when you slow down its rotation with your hand, the sound becomes lower. And if you deliberately lower your voice tone, your speech will become at least 10% slower.
Tip two: scientists have proven that inhaling through the nose helps lower the voice, because. the flow of air that passes through the nasal passages neutralizes reflexive emotional stress. However, the correct rotation of the larynx and its low position are preserved. So, inhale through your nose.
Tip three: a low voice is very closely related to correct posture. If you are trying to lower your voice, you will simply be forced to work with your spine - your posture should be straight, but not tense. And one more thing: brain activity also depends on the correct position of the spine - this was confirmed using an electroencephalogram. It has been noted that people who have correct posture and a low, deep voice not only create the appearance of their self-sufficiency and confidence - this is exactly how they are in life.
Tip four: everything is banal here - get enough sleep! Strangely, the voice of a well-rested person is lower. The trick here is that sleep relaxes the vocal apparatus, thereby providing all the benefits of a low voice. So that!
But don’t think that people with high-pitched voices are somehow worse than others. In reality, everything can be different: just as a person with a low voice can experience self-doubt, so a person with a high voice can amaze with their confidence and strength. The voice isn't as important as the substance, isn't it? However, no one has yet canceled subconscious perception.
Remember that you need to develop comprehensively: grow as a person, learn new things, master useful skills, develop self-confidence and, of course, learn to manage yourself, including your vocal cords.
Good luck!
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- How to make a good first impression
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- Fixed Mindset
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Key words:1Rhetoric
How to lower the tone?
People give all kinds of advice on this. The simplest and most unsafe is drinking alcohol and smoking. But here it’s worth weighing your health and your desire to change the timbre. At the first glance, you can immediately understand that the game is not worth the candle.
It is not recommended to take male hormones to reduce tone, as this can lead to unpredictable consequences. If they are prescribed by a doctor for other purposes, such drugs, of course, can be used, however, this will be more a consequence than a purpose of taking the drugs.
A rougher tone can be made using:
- surgical intervention;
- use of folk remedies;
- performing special exercises;
- vocal lessons and lessons with a teacher.
Additional funds
Using a voice recorder plays an important role in the task of making your voice rougher. After achieving the first positive results, record your speech on a device with a good microphone. Play the file using bass-heavy speakers or headphones while assessing your voice. The recording will help you determine how natural your speech sounds to other people. Keep in mind that this is probably what your voice is, even if it differs from your own ideas about it. Therefore, if you do not like what you hear, continue to work, again and again evaluating the received recordings.
Body position
How to deepen your voice quickly? Pay attention to the posture in which you speak. Body position plays a big role in voice production. Standing with an upright posture opens up your diaphragm and allows more space for air to move freely, which helps you speak more clearly and clearly. Check the correctness of your posture in front of the mirror - it may require correction. Observe yourself as you speak in your normal manner and in your desired, lower voice. Explore how you can benefit from changing your body position. Open your mouth normally so that your speech sounds natural. Do not try to compress or shape your lips and cheeks.
