How to Develop a Perfect Speaking Voice

We have all heard it at one point in our lives. We have heard the person whose v
oice sounds so beautiful that the content is not even important. While developin
g vocal intonation and diction (the tone and manner of speaking well) can be a l
ife long task, a beautiful sounding voice can be obtained in a short amount of t
ime and perhaps take around a year or a lifetime to perfect.
1. Lie on your back with your knees in the air and your eyes closed. Feel y
our body. Seek out and eliminate any tension by "breathing into it". Important a
reas to focus on are: lips, jaw, tongue, neck, shoulders, chest, back (upper and
lower) and diaphragm. Breathe deeply to expand your lung capacity.
2. Prop your head back a bit and release your jaw so that it gapes open. Th
ere should be no tension at all in your neck, chest, shoulders or your jaw. Take
a deep breath in and as you breath out, vocalize. It will sound like an open-mo
uthed moan. As you vocalize, pay close attention to your jaw, neck, shoulders, b
ack and chest. Most likely, they will tense up when you vocalize. Keep practicin
g until you can vocalize without tensing your muscles.
3. Repeat step two, but this time hold a note, any note. This will perhaps
create tension in your jaw or neck areas. Continue to practice until you can per
form this with no tension.
4. Repeat step two, but make different sounds. Slowly move your tongue, mou
th and lips around as you vocalize different pitches. It should sound something
like baby talk, but do it slowly. Try to eliminate any tension that arises in yo
ur jaw (especially in your jaw), shoulders, neck, and back.
5. Recite a poem or lines from a play. Try to maintain your relaxation and
resonance. Listen to how different your voice sounds. The longer you practice on
the floor, the easier it is to maintain your good speaking habits.
6. Sit upright. Chances are, there will be some tension in your key vocal a
reas. Pay special attention to your neck and your shoulders. Breathe into your t
ense areas to relax them. Repeat steps 2 through 5 while sitting upright.
7. Extend these habits to everyday conversation. It will be more difficult
to maintain relaxation when you have to think of what to say, but with practice
it will come.