Actors and singers have the power to transport an audience to new worlds through storytelling and song, embodying characters that are totally unique to the performer. So much of this creativity is powered by the performer’s voice. How can performers find that magic within? James Snyder discusses below practical vocal exercises and tips for actors and singers to develop a unique and authentic voice for their characters.

Exercises to Prepare the Voice

When preparing to perform or rehearse as a singing actor, it’s important to make sure your instrument is totally warmed up and supple, available for the full range of expression. Without full freedom of movement or a maximum range, you may not be able to capture the nuance of your character’s unique voice.

The following exercises can help actors prepare:

• Lip trills: vibrate your lips together as though blowing bubbles in a liquid. As you get better at this, start to hit specific notes on a scale while you do it!
• Breathing: these exercises can keep you grounded and both physically and psychologically open to explore. Plus, the breath powers the range of your voice.
• Tongue twisters: Yes, they’re fun, but they’re also important for your ability to articulate in a wide variety of ways, literally strengthening your mouth and tongue like a muscle. (Here are some to get you started!)
• Pitch glides: Make the lowest sound possible then glide all the way to the very top of your range, paying attention to how it feels as you hit each note.
• Jaw/tongue relaxation: use your hands to massage your jaw to totally relax the bottom half of your face to maximize mobility.

Tips for Creating a Unique Character Voice

Once you’re all warmed up, it’s time to experiment! Think about your character’s backstory and how their personality traits, past experiences, life goals, and family history might come out in interesting ways as they express themselves.

With this in mind, an actor can perform the following methods to develop the character’s voice:

• Try out different vocal ranges: Similar to the warmup, but now you’re doing it in character! Try speaking in lower and higher pitches than your normal range and see what fits nicely with the character’s dialogue and personality.
• Use gestures: Your physical movements can enhance your vocal performance since, after all, the voice is just another part of your body! Your body and gestures can express your character’s emotions and attitudes and impact the way they sound.
• Play with accents and inflections: Try different rhythms, tonal patterns, and emphases to see how it impacts your line reading. Listen to people in the world around you and you just might find inspiration for a new vocal pattern!
• Practice: It will take time to develop your character’s voice and once you do, you have to live with it for a while, so it becomes ingrained. Practice, practice, practice until it feels totally natural. The best performances don’t seem like “acting” at all – do it until it sounds real!

In Conclusion

Through vocal exercises to loosen the voice and increase range, actors can fully prepare to experiment with accents, gestures, tones, and inflections to build a unique character voice that enhances their storytelling.