Vocal Acting
Name:
KEY
Define the Terms: Use your book - Theatre Art in Action, pages 18 and 30-35
1. Articulation clear and precise pronunciation of words
2. Articulators jaw, lips, tongue, teeth, soft palate (form consonant sounds)
3. Inflection variety in speech (tone, pitch)
4. Project to make your voice fill the performance space (so everyone can hear you)
5. Resonance quality caused by vibration (of vocal chords) that enriches tone
6.
Resonators hard and soft palates, throat, sinuses (form vowel sounds – open, sustained sounds)
7.
Diaphragm muscle & tissue between abdomen & chest cavity (lungs); contracts when you inhale,
expands when you exhale)
8. Diaphragmatic Breathing using the contracting and expansion of the diaphragm muscle when
you are speaking in order to sustain your breath longer & use voice more efficiently
9. Tongue twister help master consonant sounds (write some examples)
10. Stage whisper use a lot of air, but little volume, consonants more clear than vowels
11. Pitch how high or low your voice is
12. Volume how loud or soft your voice is
13. Tempo how fast or slowly you speak
Vocal Patterns
Listen to the lecture. Take notes.
Monotone
Definition/Explanation:
speaking without inflection
Picture/Graphic:
Puncher
Definition/Explanation:
Rapidly changing pitch and volume of voice
Picture/Graphic:
Eternal Surprise
Definition/Explanation:
A vocal pattern where the voice lifts in pitch
at the end of each segment, as if the
speaker is asking a series of questions
Preacher’s Waltz
Definition/Explanation:
A vocal pattern where the voice begins as a
montone, then the pitch lowers at the end
of each segment.
What is nasality?
Picture/Graphic:
Picture/Graphic:
Speaking with air coming through your nose, rather than out your mouth
How does a nose-pinch test help assess, and then help eliminate, nasality? Pinch your
nose, count to 10, if your voice changes while you are speaking, then re-shift your breath,
concentrating on making the air come solely out of your mouth. Your voice should not change
as you count.
Which popular TV character made nasality a character choice? The Nanny (Fran
Drescher), Erkel (Family Matters)
What is breathiness? Breath passes over the vocal chords, but does not vibrate them to create sounds
Why is breathiness a speech quality that you might want to avoid? It makes you
sound winded or tired, and it doesn’t use your lungs to their full capacity, making projection
difficult to impossible.
What is a lisp? Fill in: An inability or difficulty with making sibilant
the sound of the letter__S .
sounds, most often
Which kind of lisp is centered at the sides or back of the mouth? bilateral
Which kind of lisp is centered at the front of the mouth?
What does shrill mean, in terms of voice?
frontal
An extremely high pitched voice
What emotional state does this often indicate?
Nervousness or anger