Begin life at forty

Tag: Breath control

  • Employ Power of breath to sail the voice

    Many E​nglish learners focus heavily on the articulators—tongue, jaw, mouth, lips, and throat. Yet, they still struggle to speak English naturally in various settings. A significant reason is their lack of awareness of breath control. Breath is a silent yet powerful tool for voice control, essential for smoothness, clarity, and consistency in speech.

    Breath acts as a voice carrier; however, its role is usually overlooked by learners. Many mistakenly believe that sound is created by the articulatory muscles and therefore move them excessively in pursuit of clarity. This can result in a voice that sounds “too clear” but lacks smoothness. They also overuse the articulatory muscles in an attempt to project their voice louder, but this approach often produces an unnatural and strained voice. Such habit may lead to fatigue and potential long-term harm to the articulators. Some learners, in contrast, are ​”lazy​” to move the articulators, combined with short and shallow breath, causing a weak, inconsistent and unclear voice. Additionally, some individuals sound natural when speaking alone or in small groups; however they fail to maintain effortless and consistent speech in larger, louder environments due to improper breath control.

    Having enough breath before speaking and knowing how to release it properly is crucial for voice control. Focus on breath rather than muscles. Let the breath carry the sound, and send the voice out on exhalation. You should always remind yourself to “open your throat” before speaking and maintain this openness throughout the speech. Breathing in helps open the vocal tract, position the tongue, and create more space at the back of the mouth. Once the articulators and their positions are set, maintain their stability and use breath to send the voice out. 

    First, inhale gently and slowly through the nose, avoiding aggressiveness or abruptness. Speak on exha​lation. Inhale again before starting each new phrase or sentence. Speak on exhalation. This process repeats consistently and rhythmically: inhale, then speak (on exhalation).

    Alternatively, breathe in through the mouth as if starting a small yawn. Speak at the beginning of the yawn. Do not wait until the yawn is complete as this will cause strain on the tongue root and narrow the throat and the back of the mouth.

    In addition to proper inhalation, be aware of how to breathe out effectively because sounds glide on exhalation. Sound production is closely tied to the vibration of the vocal folds. If breath is ample but the vocal folds vibrate loosely, the voice will sound breathy or hollow. Conversely, insufficient breath and tense vocal folds stress the voice, making it sound small, dull, and rigid. Remember the vocal folds regulate airflows. It’s essential to maintain their flexibility and stability to achieve a smooth, clear, and natural voice. To understand more about how the vocal folds work, check it here.

    This information may seem overwhelming at first, and practicing it can be challenging. You may have been so familiar with overusing the articulators instead of using breath to produce sound. Take time to practice, be patient, and resilient. Be attentive to the articulators, muscles, and breath. Overtime, you will become more sensitive to how these elements react and be able to gauge whether your voice sounds okay or require adjustments. Take notes on issues while practicing for review and subsequent addressing.

    In summary, effective breath control is crucial as it serves as a voice carrier​. Mastering it significantly improves vocal quality, promoting a smooth, consistent, and natural sound without straining the articulators. From my personal experience, being well-prepared with breath also greatly enhances a speaker’s demeanor—conveying relaxation, control, and full engagement in conversations.

  • Stable vocal tract for consistent voice

    In the previous post, I stated that having a proper American English oral posture will change your voice immediately, making it sound much more natural and reducing the influence of your native language accent when you speak English. Continuing the series “Unlock your American English Voice”, this post is going to focus on how to form a stable vocal tract by covering three critical components: the tongue position, throat openness and effective breath control. Understanding and mastering these elements can significantly enhance vocal stability and quality.

    First, the tongue should be neutral and stand tall inside the mouth without straining the root. The relaxation of the tongue’s root is extremely important. Maintaining a tall tongue position without straining the root helps stabilize the oral posture. This standard position should be maintained throughout speaking with necessary adjustments for various phonetic units. Always balance between the height of the tongue and the relaxation of its root. If the tongue is tall but the root is tense, it will hinder the tongue’s movement. Breathing in or slightly moving the lips forward will help naturally raise the tongue.

    The second main point is the throat openness. The throat should be open at all times while speaking. Think of the open throat as a gas tank, it contains breath needed for sound production. A “flat” or blocked throat means there’s no breath release, resulting in no sound. Achieving this openness shouldn’t involve excessive use of throat, neck, or surrounding muscles, as this will make the throat hard and rigid. Instead, the throat should be opened by inhaling. The practice should be smooth, gentle, natural, and effortless. The deeper the breath, the more open the throat becomes. However, please note that our goal is to open the throat, and inhaling is a way to achieve that goal. Therefore, do not force yourself to breathe in so deeply that causes the stiffness of your abdomen area and throat. The process of breathing in and out should be constant and flowy.

    The third one is breath control. Having enough air is crucial to make sure it’s always available while speaking. However, how to release it properly between sentences is key to maintain a flowy, consistent voice. This breath control is closely related to the vibration of the vocal folds. The vocal folds are two muscular bands, located in the larynx in the throat. When you inhale, the vocal folds open, and then come closer vibrating upon exhalation. The focal folds function like the gate to decide how much air can come through. When the vocal folds aren’t tight enough, too much air will be released, resulting in a hollow, weak and breathy voice. In contrast, when they are too tight, only a very tiny string of air comes through, which causes overuse of surrounding muscles to be able to produce sound clearly. As a result, this will make your voice harsh, rigid and unnatural. Generally, in normal speaking, effective breath control involves using a very small amount of breath to vibrate the vocal folds and slightly tightening them to produce a strong and consistent voice.

    Maintaining the standard tongue position, open throat, and breath control are essential to create a stable physical speaking environment in the vocal tract. Holding a drinking straw or a pencil between the teeth while speaking is a great exercise that helps stabilize the overall vocal tract.

    In conclusion, achieving a fluent and consistent speech requires maintaining a stable physical speaking environment. This involves positioning the tongue neutrally and upwards, keeping the throat open, and effectively controlling breath. Mastering these principles can be challenging initially, but it’s a common experience when starting something new. Keep patience, regular practice, and attentive awareness of how your articulators, breath, and voice function during speech to make necessary adjustments, you will achieve your goal in speaking English naturally.