One of the most painful things in every political campaign is to hear a speaker abuse his vocal cords by unnecessarily loud talking. Instead of modulating the voice for emphasis, he yells, thereby losing almost all emphasis. His voice can not endure the strain and it fails. Then he drinks cold water and is able to go on for a short time only. And so he continues until at last he consults a throat specialist. It is possible for a man to speak repeatedly, and at length, as do many of our best lecturers, without overstraining the voice. If you do not take a cold bath every morning, you should at least wash the throat daily with cold water, and gargle with cool water at night. Put this book down now, and gargle your throat immediately with cool water, and notice the effect. Do not drink cold water while giving a speech, or immediately after a speech. In general keep the body in vigor and health by walking three miles every day in the open air. If you use tobacco use it moderately, for smoking injures the throat and vocal cords. Clean the teeth every day, and keep them in perfect condition. Take a mirror, stand with your back to the light, and see if the back of your throat is raw and red. If it is, be careful to avoid voice strain. voice for effects. Learn to modulate your Breathe habitually through the nose. If you are conscious of any throat or nasal trouble, it will pay you to consult a specialist. Deep breathing, nasal breathing, and open air walking are the best care takers of the organs of speech. PROBLEMS. 1. Read the following aloud, as an exercise for the throat: Ga ge gi go gu goo gow goi 2. Read the following aloud, as an exercise for the tongue: Tha the thi tho thu thoo thow thoi 3. Read the following aloud, as an exercise for the teeth and tongue: Sa se si SO su SOO SOW soi 1 LESSON 7. How to Improve the Quality of Your Voice KEY WORDS: MAKE YOUR CHARACTER AND YOUR HEALTH SUCH THAT THEY WILL LEAD TO PLEASANTNESS OF VOICE. The voice is one of the most characteristic features of personality. Men may forget faces but they seldom forget voices. Every day you hear people speak in voices that please or displease you, and you associate voice characteristics with personal characteristics. In other words, you judge character by voice. You are partly right, for character reacts on voice, and voice reacts on character. If you wish a good voice, cultivate a good, honest character. On the other hand, if you cultivate a good voice it will aid you in character development. Think of three friends whom you have not seen in many months. Can you remember their voices? Think of some person for whom you have much respect. Is the voice pleasing? Think of some rascal whom you have known. Was his voice pleasing? I know a public speaker who is extraordinarily popular. Crowds go to hear him whenever he speaks. His voice is not great and resounding. He uses no oratorical flights. He uses no "tricks" of speech. But his voice has a rich, mellow quality that pleases all; it rises and falls in modulated music, and the voice makes the thought doubly strong. In order to cultivate a good voice it is necessary to care for the general health. Take a brisk three-mile walk every day, and regular lung exercises, together with habitual deep breathing. That will do more for your voice than will anything else. If you have voice trouble, you may depend upon it that it is due to some lack of physical development that you can easily remedy. Sit or stand erect, take two deep breaths, and endeavor to improve the quality of your voice. If you succeed for the moment, repeat the exercise from day to day. Test yourself with the tape measure for lung expansion. Make your capacity well above normal. Perhaps you have throat or nasal trouble. Give up all attempts at patent medicine cures, and consult a specialist. Sit and stand erect; be robust and vigorous. Cultivate self-confidence. Practise the art of reading aloud. If possible, read to a group of three or four rather than to one. Little by little your voice will gain in power and flexibility. PROBLEM. Read any part of this page aloud. Try to improve the quality of your voice. Note your voice defects, and apply proper remedies. LESSON 8. How to Cultivate Flexibility of Tone KEY WORDS: MAKE YOUR SPEECH MELODIOUS Avoid monotony of tone. Speak, or read, with variety and constant change. It is said that much of Mr. William J. Bryan's pleasing power of speech in the days when he first appeared as a public speaker came from his command of tone effects, rather than from anything else. Make your speech musical. Avoid constant high notes that break the harmony. Avoid deep, guttural speech that does not lend itself to music. Avoid all raspiness, harshness, and nasality of voice. Make the tones clear, rich, full, and extremely flexible. Read aloud the following poem as you would ordinarily read it: "Music, when soft voices die, Odors, when sweet violets sicken, -Shelley. |