You may have found that you have been able to alter one or several aspects of your voice on a single word or short phrase. If you like how this feels and sounds, you are probably wondering: how do I keep this up and start to use it in my everyday speech?
Nobody is able to move from simple exercises (like those we describe here) and jump straight into using the same techniques in conversation. Progression to everyday speech takes a lot of time and a lot of practice. A gradual approach is the best way to build stamina and keep your voice safe and healthy.
What we find works best is:
- Regular practice – we would suggest short, frequent practice throughout the day (e.g. for 3-4 minutes around 8-10 times a day). This helps to support muscle memory, and reduces the risk of voice fatigue.
- Starting short and simple and building up to longer and more complex speech.
- Starting with things you don’t have to think about too much (e.g. counting, days of the week) and then moving on to things which require you to think about how and what you are saying (e.g. answering a question)
- Some people find it helpful to record their voice so they can listen back and hear what they like and don’t like. You may wish to use this as a tool to can help you to monitor the changes you are making, and can be a great tool to go back to again and again!
It is a good idea to come up with a hierarchy of speech situations which works for you.
It is recommended that you start with pieces of speech that are short, simple and ‘automatic’ (you just know it - you don’t have to think about which word you are going to say next). This lets you focus on how you say the words; you don’t have to put too much thought into what you are saying.
Slowly increase the level of difficulty to longer pieces of speech which require more thought and stamina. Only increase the difficulty when you are able to produce your authentic voice comfortably and consistently.
If at any point you feel that a task is too difficult, take a step back and give yourself more time to practice the previous step.
There are not specific recommendations about how long you spend on each step and it is not often a steady process – some people need longer to practice at some steps than others.
As you progress to more complex speech tasks, these will demand much more of your concentration so please take your time. You should rely on your own feelings of how comfortable and confident you are.
Here are some examples of some activities which you might wish to practice:
- Counting 1-10
- Saying the months of the year
- Counting 50-75
- Saying your name, address and phone number
- Reading short sentences from a news website
- Talking aloud for one minute on any topic you like
- Short phrases you use in real life e.g. when you get on the bus/when you answer the phone/when you greet a family member or friend
- Reading aloud several paragraphs from a book
- A short conversation with someone you know well
- A phone conversation
It cannot be emphasised enough how important it is that your voice feels and sounds healthy, without pain or discomfort, as you use your new voice more. You are training your vocal cords and other muscles in this area to work differently. To do so in a safe and healthy way, the process needs to be slow and you need to respond to any pain or discomfort by stopping and taking a step back.