Hey i was wondering if anyone knows of a way i could learn an southern accent?

Question

i need to learn it for a play im, auditioning for. more specifically i need to learn a southern accent from louisianna

Answer 1

Look online for a dialect tape if you have never done one......you can always ask your director if there are any movies with Louisiana accents and see if you could rent a few to hear how it sounds, too. That can be really helpful. Here is a link for you:

www.dialectaccentspecialists.com
Break a leg!

Answer 2

Well, Southern accent is pretty broad. What kind of Southern accent? If you want to sound like a Southern Belle, you should watch Steele Magnolias and listen closely to Julia Roberts. If you want to sound Cajun (Creole), you should watch Water Boy and listen to the whole cast. If you're shootin' for Redneck, find something with Terry Bradshaw, Billy Bob Thornton, or George W. Bush in it.

Answer 3

Generally, we southerners tend to rider our "r"s. Meaning in words like "bird" we would draw it out to "bir-r-rd" Another thing we do is drop the "g" in words that end in "ing" so instead of saying that I'm "talking" on the phone I would say I'm "talkin' on the phone.
The whole Louisiana accent would add an additional nasal twangy type sound to it that could only come with practice.
Maybe you could find a dialect coach to work with you for the audition?

Answer 4

a lot of times you can find audio tapes that will break down the unique parts of the accent you want to learn. you also might be able to find them in the library, or at the local high school. i know my high school had them for the plays we did. OR befriend someone from alabama or mississippi...OR if its for a southern sophisticated accent someone from georgia...and just talk to them all day. but the easiest thing would be to research the audio tapes im talking about. they were very helpful for the irish accent i had to learn. good luck.

Answer 5

We are doing Steel Magnolias (I'm Shelby!!!) and the teacher running it just told us to try and we could work on it later. I think she said something about dialect recordings too. Just makes sure that you articulate your words and speak loud and not fast.

Before practice we have to say this in our regular voice then with a southern accent:

What a to-do to die today at a minute or two to two,
A thing distinctly hard to say but harder still to do.
For they'll beat a tattoo at a quarter to two,
a rat-ta tat-tat ta tat-tat ta tat-tat-tat-tat-tat ta to-to.
And the dragon will come when he hears the drum
at a minute or two to two today, at a minute or two to two.

The teacher said that she's from Texas and she dropped the accent a long time ago, but she did it a little by accident the other day (we all laughed). It will just come with practice.

Answer 6

Watch Gomer Pyle on TV. Or the Andy Griffith Show. Or Foghorn Leghorn.

Surprise, Surprise, Surprise!

Answer 7

it depends - do you want the stereotypical "movie" version of a southern accent or do you want a real southern accent - Ive only seen a few real ones -- like that Lucas Black kid from Slingblade, Crazy in Alabama, and Friday Night Lights you can tell his is real. but you say louisiana - their accent is totally different from the rest of the south

Answer 8

try taking a trip if no can do then get some voice recordings of southern people. I think the Mississippi burning movie has some good dialog that you can tape or rent. Practice away.

Answer 9

Watch loads of episodes from Lost and copy what Sawyer says!

Answer 10

LOL.....sorry I couldn't help but laugh at this......b/c I am a southerner........Y'all come back now, ya hear!!! =) Good luck!!
~PEACE~