***The 3 Step Approach for a Deeper Speaking Voice

By Nancy Daniels
The official guide to Public Speaking

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While there are various methods and suggestions as to how to make your voice deeper in pitch, the difference between those approaches and the one that is correct lies in the word make. As soon as you make your voice do something it shouldn’t, you are forcing it. When you force your voice into an unnatural, lower pitch, you begin the process of damage to your vocal folds (cords) and throat, also known as vocal abuse.

The correct means of deepening your speaking voice requires the breaking of your old vocal habits and the instilling of three new ones. The reason is because you should be looking for your ‘real’ or true voice which, in 99% of the cases, will be deeper in pitch than the voice you have been using out of habit, your habitual one.

Your goal in finding your ‘real’ sound is not to have a voice as deep as James Earl Jones, for example, but to have the depth in your speaking voice that is natural and right for you. Kevin Spacey has a tremendous, sensual sound but his is not a deep bass voice. Should he be speaking in an even deeper level? Absolutely not. Spacey is speaking at his optimum pitch which is what you should be striving to achieve as well. If you discover a bass inside of you, that is wonderful. If not, that is also wonderful because your optimum voice will resonate inside of your chest and that is where the attraction lies in a great voice.

One of the difficulties for those who force their voice too low in pitch is that they discover they cannot increase their volume without the pitch rising. If you are speaking within your optimum range, however, you will be able to increase your volume easily. And, in doing so, you will not be placing undue strain on your throat and voice box.

The 3 step approach to find your optimum voice is as follows:

1. learn to breathe with the support of your diaphragm;
2. find the optimum pitch of your speaking voice;
3. use your chest cavity to power your sound.

It is that simple. Do not be fooled by those who promise a deep, bass voice by singing opera or yelling. Neither technique is going to show you how to find your ‘real’ one. You have more depth which you will discover with voice training that includes the 3 steps listed above.