TYPES OF VOICES - Firm voice & Unattractive voice

TYPES OF VOICES - Firm voice & Unattractive voice

A firm but a quiet voice is an asset to a speaker. Cultivating a firm but a quiet voice is an art. You have to practice hard to achieve a certain level of expertise. It pays rich dividends to the possessor of such a voice. It makes ones‟ utterances very persuasive. Speakers with this voice quality command greater attention as people like listening to them.

Unattractive voice

Unattractive voice can drive people away from them. The shrill voice gets on people‟s nerves. Swan is beautiful to look at and has a graceful body but it possesses a shrill voice. A loud woman sounds very derogatory – the audience would not like her speech either. The unattractive voice can be further classified as below:
(i) Harsh voice
It may arise from the tension in the throat muscles. Practice deep breathing and other exercises to relax throat muscles. Try and practice speaking at a low pitch. Speakers should open mouth just enough for throwing the voice to the audience.
(ii) Shrill voice
If the voice is shrill, it is difficult to overcome the deficiency without the help of a speech therapist.
(iii) Nasal voice
A nasal twang can spoil ones‟ voice and make it unpleasant to listen to. The persons with a nasal voice should pay attention to improve the quality of their voice. In no case should one become self-conscious. Please remember that natural flow and smoothness of words is the best.