SPEECH MELODY

SPEECH MELODY

One of the most important components of intonation is speech melody which
is characterized by changes in the voice pitch. Speech melody performs the above
mentioned speech functions of intonation due to the fact that each syllable in a
sentence has a certain pitch and cannot exist without it. Simultaneously speech
melody together with pausation performs the delimitative function which consists
in delimiting portions of a sentence variously known as sense-groups, intonation
groups or breath-groups. It is not quite precise because one breath effort can be spread over two or more sensegroups.
 A change of the pitch within the last stressed word of
an intonation group is called a nuclear tone. In English there are 6 basic tones. In
the case f these tones their delimitative function is determined by the change of
pitch direction. These tones are called kinetic by R. Kingdon. There is also an even
or level tone which called static. It is neutral (when the pitch of the tone remains on
the same level) in its communicative function and is used mainly in poetry
Nuclear tones express different attitudes of the speaker towards he says.
E.g. the low-falling tone (…) expresses definiteness, finality. It is matter-offact,
calm and unemotional: I hear you’ve passed the exam.
The high falling tone expresses interest, personal concern, warmth: I hear
you’ve passed your exam.
The rising falling tone implies that the speaker is greatly impressed:
Splendid.
The low-rising tone expresses lack of interest: Mr. Jones? – Yes.
The high-rising tone expresses active searching for information. It is
essentially an interrogative tone: You like it?
The falling-rising tone creates the impression of implication as if “the
speaker expects the listener to imagine the extra-meaning.” The implication is
deduced from the concrete situation: The shop is closed.
Besides it is important to stress that different communicative types of
sentences are distinguished by intonation. E.g. categoric statements, orders and
commands, exclamations and special questions require the use of the falling tone.
The rising tone is used with statements containing an implication, request
and general questions.
The main six tones form significative oppositions in accordance with:
a) the direction of the pitch movement: the falling tone versus the
rising tone. The falling tone creates the impression of finality,
completeness, definiteness, resoluteness. That’s why declarative
sentences are pronounced with the falling tone. The rising tone
expresses non-finality and incompleteness. General questions are
pronounced with rising tone;
b) the range of the pitch movement: low fall/high fall; low rise/high
rise. Low fall creates the impression of calmness and indifference
and high fall expresses personal concern, warmth and interest;
c) the simplicity – complexity of the voice pitch movement: falling
tone/fall-rise; rising tone/rise-fall.
E.g. I have nothing against it (l.f.) – definiteness, categorical
I have nothing against it (f.r.) – implication
The main tones together with other elements of intonation such as the
prehead, head and tail form differentiate intonation contours. The shape of the
contour depends on the type of the element of intonation.
According to L. Armstrong and Ida Ward in English unemphatic speech the
following types of the prehead may be distinguished:
1. gradually rising
2. on the mid level
3. on the low level
R. Kingdon considers the last type to be the commonest and it is called by
him the normal prehead. The latter marks the comparative unimportance of the
initial unstressed syllable.
In emphatic speech a high prehead is used before a rise. It gives a bright
lively encouraging character to the utterance.
E.g. So long.
According to Russian and Ukrainian phoneticians the following main types
in the scale are typical for the RP:
1. The stepping head which is characteristic of the unemphatic
speech and is widely used in combination with any of the six main
nuclear tones creates the impression of the normal, balanced mood
of the speaker.
E.g. I think you ought to apologize.
2. The low head is typical of English emphatic speech. The
impression created by this head ranges from indifference to
hostility.
E.g. I think you ought to apologize.
The low head is usually combined with low fall, low rise and high
fall.
3. The sliding head creates the impression of the excitement or a
highly emotional attitude to the situation. It is typical for emphatic
speech and is mostly used with the fall rise as a nuclear.
E.g. I think you ought to apologize.