how do I increase my vocal projection?

Question

my voice is pretty deep. I find it hard to project my voice in loud environments like bars. Also, if I talk for too long, I feel my throat is strained, and my voice cracks. How do I practice to make my voice louder?

Answer 1

Projection comes from correct breathing and voice production technique.

In terms of breathing, make sure that you're keeping your shoulders down (not raising or lowering them as you breath in and out). If you're moving your shoulders, you're probably breathing into the top of your lungs ("clavicular breathing"), which have little capacity or control. You don't want to breath into your abdomen ("abdominal breathing") either, as although the abdomen has more capacity than the upper ribs, it is more difficult to control, particularly at capacity.

The type of breathing you're aiming for is called "Intercostal Diaphragmatic" breathing, and is breath inhaled to the base of the ribcage such that the ribs at the base of the ribcage move slightly apart and the diaphragm at the base of the ribcage moves down into the abdomen. While this is the location to which you should breathe, you shouldn't strain your breathing to achieve this; breathing should be smooth and unlaboured. It takes practice to develop good breathing technique, and there are also more advanced breathing techniques such as "rib reserve" breathing which you can learn once basic Intercostal Diaphragmatic breathing comes naturally.

To achieve projection, voice needs to be produced through maximum use of the resonators. Your body's natural hollow spaces - such as the chest, the mouth, the sinuses and bone hollows in the face - act as vocal amplifiers. To maximise their effectiveness, singers and speakers practice forward voice production - the idea of engaging all of the resonators, particularly those in the face.

You can practice projection and forward voice production through this simple humming exercise: try humming a single tone, mmmmmmmmm. Increase the pressure on the air at the base of your ribs, and the volume of the hum will increase due to increased air pressure. Now, keeping your throat and face very very relaxed, try to change the hum so that your teeth and the tip of your nose start vibrating. This is how it feels to achieve forward voice production - your nose and teeth are humming because your forward resonators are being used.

Hum with this forward voice production - with nose and teeth tingling - and then just open your mouth to turn the nasal mmm into an aaaaaahhhh sound at the same pitch, and you will hear a sound produced with good projection: mmmmmmmmmmAAAAAAAAHHHHHH! When you speak, this is the type of voice you're aiming for.

To ensure you're picking up and using correct technique, consider doing Speech and Drama lessons. :) Make sure your teacher is qualified and experienced.

Answer 2

One of the best ways to do it is to learn to breathe from your diaphragm, not your chest. It lets you have more air to work with, more power to speak, and more control of your voice (less strain on your vocal chords)--Most actors learn this at the start of their training, as do singers and other vocal performers.--
More air means less yelling, less yelling will help you with voice strain and cracking.
When you inhale, use the muscles of your diaphragm (ie, below your stomach) to pull the air in, when you exhale, use those same muscles to push the air out--the difference may surprise you.

Answer 3

Vocal exercise is my practise when I am to speak in public. In a Theatrical training class I took at my community college a few years ago, I learned to exercise my vocal cavity to more effectively project my voice.
The lessons involved exercising the vocal cavity by repeating "the figure-8." Repeated exercising saying "AH, OH, OOH, OR, AH, AYE, EE, AYE" with intentional over-exaggeration of the mask (your lips, cheeks and jaw) will help you better project your voice.
This helps me to better articulate my speaking in public.
GOOD LUCK!

Answer 4

It's all in the diaphragm. Or so I've been told.