Acting Tips - Acting with Your Voice

Unless you're a mime, your voice is one of the most important aspects of your acting skills. As an actor, you are part of a group to tell a story to the audience. Your voice conveys the emotion and tone of the story. By controlling your voice through your volume, speed, and motivation, you will gain confidence on stage and refine your acting abilities.

First, examine your ability to project your voice, or how loud you're able to speak without straining your vocal cords. Whether you're speaking in a small room or in a large auditorium, your voice needs to be heard by every member of the audience. If the listeners can't hear you, then they won't understand the story of the play.

Learn to speak from your diaphragm by practicing some simple techniques. Lay flat on the floor and place your hands on your stomach. Use your stomach muscles while you say words out loud. Feel your stomach tighten as you exhale your words. This is your diaphragm working for you.

Try changing the pace of your sentences. Speak quickly during some sentences and slowly during others. Speaking one speed during the entire play will create monotony and the audience will tune you out. If you switch the pace during appropriate scenes, you will create immediate interest and add a professional touch to the art of acting.

Recording your voice and listening to the playback is vital to understanding exactly how you sound. You may find that you want to change the emotion of your voice during a particular speech or line. Is your diction appropriate for the character you are portraying? Are you annunciating clearly? Do you switch up the pace? Make notes in your script to help you remember what to change.

When you're speaking on stage, it's important to pay attention to the character you are speaking to. It seems a bit obvious, but your relationship with the other character determines how you use your voice with them. If the other character is someone you love, then you will use a gentle tone. If the character is someone you hate, then speak accordingly. Always ask yourself: Who am I speaking to and why?

Once you find your character's voice and apply it, you can really step into the role and portray the person in a more believable way. Don't rush your words by only speaking them, but say them with feeling and your audience will be hooked. Taking the time to create your character's voice will give you an upper edge in the acting world and help you to perform well on stage during the play.