Voice

[Betticus]

Didn't James Earl Jones do the voice for Darth Vader?

What about Anthony Hopkins in Silence of the Lambs?

I am learning more about the voice control but from a different angle. It's not something I actively control but depends on my mood and intent.

For instance, totally accidental. I was at a friends house yesterday afternoon and he was working up on his roof getting his water cooler ready for summer. He decided to pick leaves out of the rain gutters and it looked like he was having a bit of trouble. I was already in a very confident place emotionally and felt in control of myself but comfortable. I asked him if he needed a broom for that and his wife who was standing next to me just turned and walked off to get him one, even before he said yes.

I didn't realize what happened until she started to walk off but when I thought about it it made sense. I assumed that she would get him a broom when I asked, I don't know where they keep the thing after all. The pitch and intonation and clarity of speech was a bit off for me. A little deeper and slower and more clear. I know that if I thought about it beforehand I would have ruined it with too much humor but it just came out. It was more of a thought that was followed up on.

I didn't mention it to anyone else but since I'm just getting a feel for this right now and learning all of the ropes I'm a lot more sensitive to stuff like this when it happens.

So from what I've observed it is the force of will and the knowledge of complete control/authority that is in the mind of the person speaking that matters most. If you feel what you are saying then perhaps your subconscious in a way modulates your voice to reflect your intent.

I hope that makes sense.

Wait, let me try to dominate the internet.

That makes sense! I will not tolerate misunderstandings.

 

[SwtSouthrnSub]

.

 

[bridgeburner]

Betticus,

lol, yes, Jones is the voice of Darth, but that's not generally the way I think of him.

Hopkins' voice in Silence of the Lambs is of higher register, but certainly effective.

I'm conscious of using my own voice to acheive specific ends pretty often. Since we lost our receptionist I tend to answer the office phones a lot. I've gotten quite adept at playing "bimbo" on the phone in order to put off callers who have no business getting through but aren't outright sales sharks who I give the "No, thank you. Click." treatment.

Using that higher, more girlish register is when I'm most conscious of deliberately pitching my voice. I use it to disarm and mislead and get my way with sales people and strangers who might not be inclined to favor me.

My normal speaking voice is lower and less "bright" sounding.

I don't have much call to use a commanding tone except with vendors on the phone or my dog. It's good for business haggling I must say.

-B

 

[bridgeburner]

Xelebes,

It's not the volume of one's speech so much as how purposeful it is. If you wait to speak until you really have something to say and then give it the weight it deserves and expect that people will listen, generally that's what happens.

Certainly it takes self-confidence, but that can be built. Hell, it can even be faked if you're a good enough actor.

Strength of voice comes largely from breath control. Learning to support your voice from the diaphragm and control your breath will also help to keep you calm in public speaking situations.

I recently saw a stage play in Los Angeles and was flabbergasted that all the actors wore headset mics. I couldn't believe it. This is a 100-seat house and not a single one of the performers had the vocal training sufficient to fill that space. That's LA for you, though, where most people are trained for TV and film rather than the stage.


-B

 

[bridgeburner]

SwtSthrnSub,

Ah, phone sex. Yes, generally much better when you are drawn into it by the voice rather than trying to set it up ahead of time with someone whose voice you don't know. That can be a bit of a shock.

I have some long time internet friends that I have never heard or seen but I have very definite ideas about how they look and sound. I've made up those parts, obviously, but they're quite real to me. Now, I might even be reluctant to hear or see them because I don't want my impressions of them changed.

-B

 

[Xelebes]

Xelebes,

It's not the volume of one's speech so much as how purposeful it is. If you wait to speak until you really have something to say and then give it the weight it deserves and expect that people will listen, generally that's what happens.

Certainly it takes self-confidence, but that can be built. Hell, it can even be faked if you're a good enough actor.

Strength of voice comes largely from breath control. Learning to support your voice from the diaphragm and control your breath will also help to keep you calm in public speaking situations.

I recently saw a stage play in Los Angeles and was flabbergasted that all the actors wore headset mics. I couldn't believe it. This is a 100-seat house and not a single one of the performers had the vocal training sufficient to fill that space. That's LA for you, though, where most people are trained for TV and film rather than the stage.


-B

I have taken choir and drama in school, I know how to use the diaphragm but for some reason I refuse to use it outside of the stage. I can get really loud but I don't like to. I think it is more of a confidence issue than anything alse right now.

 

[tn_greeneyez]

This is a very nice thread. Thanks for starting it.

Voices are such important tools in everything we do. The quality of a Dom's voice that I enjoy most is that ability to make me shivver slightly with anticipation. To hear the inflected pleasure or displeasure, whichever I have chosen to induce at the moment, and feel it deep under my skin. It can give me goose bumps of anticipation.........and yes..........maybe sometimes a little dread mixed in.

Volume in itself isn't the ticket for me. It is the subtle nuances of change that denote pleasure, displeasure, appreciation, anger, passion........all the emotional stages that one goes through during a scene.

Now, as for my voice............I love music and singing and I try to keep my tone melodic at all times. Now, melodic doesn't always mean perky. Somber, excited, anxious, worried, tenuous, passionate, grateful, hopeful........just a few of the inflections that I put into my vocal contributions to a scene. Based all upon the Dom's desires to hear me speak.........or moan..........or growl........or purr.

Just a few thoughts! Thanks again.

 

[Mr Blonde]

Thanks for all of these replies. I have enjoyed reading the different perspectives.

 

[Phoenix Stone]

Yeah, well, now you've made we wonder about everyone's voices and most aren't saying. So here goes, in case it prompts others:

I'm a low-talker (ala Seinfeld -- soft voice, often asked to speak up), and even worse, I talk fast, slurring words a little. My voice is melodic (we all sing on tune) but also lots of color and emotion -- not monotone, lots of inflection and enthusiasm. A young sounding voice, in a fairly light soprano, but speak in a slightly lower register.

And I've learned how to use a Mom voice now, when I need to. Sit. Stay!

Who's next?

 

[Xelebes]

I have a deep second bass voice (basso profundo) which means I talk in a low rumble. I'm usually soft-spoken, the melodies in my infliction usually are more... i don't know. I had a recording of my voice on my hard drives but I don't know if I still have it. I can easily record my voice tomorrow when I come back from school. Just gotta set up my stuff together to do it all.

 

[Poussin]

.....

 

[Phoenix Stone]

As for the sub's voice, I think it should carry all emotions felt. Since we can let our voice mirror who we are and what we fell, I believe a sub should let everything surface as to become an open book for Him. But then again what do I know???

Your whole post was interesting but this especially caught my attention because of the 'selfish sub' thread, in which there is some discussion about the challenges of how to be open about your feelings with your Dom. I don't want to do a hijack here but would love to see your comments on that thread if you happen to make it over there sometime.

 

[bridgeburner]

Poussin,

Fascinating post! I've been sitting here repeating every bit of the tiny amount of French I know and marveling over never having noticed the lack of tone. I'm wondering if that's in part why I find French such a sensual language ---- it flows from the mouth in a kind of endless purr. Or maybe it's just the different shapes the language requires of my mouth that make me think of kissing.

I got a chuckle over your use of accent to invoke kinship -- I'm from the Southern US and I do it automatically even though I don't actually have an accent. My Southern-ness generally shows itself more in the structure of my speech rather than accent --- unless I happen to be on the phone with family back home or around others with strong Southern accents.

-B

 

[Xelebes]

I went through the whole thread and there was a few things that I wanted to comment on, all things that were raised, some a little bit of subject and some right on.

In a previous post Xelebes said:



Well you have something there but; the rhythm is not straight. The fact that you'll need a lot more words to say something or that you can built never ending sentences wouldn't work if the rhythm was straight. It is the rhythm through the use of ponctuation (very different from English) that permit us to make sense in those long sentences. Without rhythm our french sentences would just appear to be a senseless amount of words glued together. That said I believe you did pick up on something but perhaps didn't know what it was? So I will try to explain it (sorry my french linguistic degree is begging me to) but since my french/english dictionnary doesn't list "atone" and "tonique" bear with me please (I'm guessing tonic but?). French is a language without tone, if I say "Canada" out loud, no syllable stands out. Now try saying "Canada" out loud in English. They're is a tonic accent on "Ca". To make sure you hear it try saying the word again but putting the emphasis on the "na" and again but on the "da". Sounds awfully wrong doesn't it? Well now you know where our accent mostly comes from when we speak English; we don't know where to put that tonic accent!

I was making a reference to the music of the French language since I identify languages with the music that comes out from that culture or language. I really don't know the actual how the accents work but I can certainly tell what kind of rhythms are usually employed by each language. This is what I am basing my observations from.

*shrugs*

 

[bridgeburner]

X,

Does this mean we don't get to hear your voice today?


-B

 

[Xelebes]

X,

Does this mean we don't get to hear your voice today?


-B

Tomorrow. There's some banging going on from upstairs and it's really noisy. My mic don't like noisy.

 

[bridgeburner]

Hooray! Something to look forward to!

Thanks!


-B

 

[Xelebes]

http://www.nemurikomu.net/xel/Xelebesvoice.wav

 

[bridgeburner]

Thanks, X, that's awesome! Do you sing? (this is perhaps a dumb question as it's probably been mentioned somewhere already but I haven't seen it)

I must work up my nerve and go make a Pagoo signature or something.

-B

 

[Xelebes]

Thanks, X, that's awesome! Do you sing? (this is perhaps a dumb question as it's probably been mentioned somewhere already but I haven't seen it)

I must work up my nerve and go make a Pagoo signature or something.

-B

Yes I sing. I have a little DAW system growing in my bedroom. It's like a legal pot operation.

 

[bridgeburner]

Strangely, I like the sound of my voice when I'm using it -- talking or singing, but I can't stand to hear my voice played back. It makes me really self-conscious.

-B

 

[Xelebes]

Strangely, I like the sound of my voice when I'm using it -- talking or singing, but I can't stand to hear my voice played back. It makes me really self-conscious.

-B

Same hear but it sounds sooooooo cool when you have a microphone and have headphones on. You get this subtle feedback so it sounds like stereo or something.

 

[bridgeburner]

A friend of mine is going to do a CD for me for my family --- family's been bugging me for ages about it --- so I'm going to have to get over my embarassment. You can't improve unless you can truly hear your own voice. Luckily he's been doing this professionally for years so I can trust him to tell me straight when I'm truly lousy and when I'm being hypercritical.

-B

 

[Xelebes]

A friend of mine is going to do a CD for me for my family --- family's been bugging me for ages about it --- so I'm going to have to get over my embarassment. You can't improve unless you can truly hear your own voice. Luckily he's been doing this professionally for years so I can trust him to tell me straight when I'm truly lousy and when I'm being hypercritical.

-B

I too am often hypercritical of my voice. I mean, I really disliked how my voice came out in that recording but then I felt lazy and decided to not record another clip. Usually that is for the better because those issues can be fixed with some processing like compressors, limiters and eqs.

 

[bridgeburner]

I'm really amazed at singers who use "dry" mics and sound amazing ---- Anthony Kiedis, Amy Mann ---I really envy that purity of tone.


-B