Some people pitch their voices too high or too low habitually. That puts a strain on the voice, prevents it from achieving its full authority, and undercuts passion. I worked with one consultant, a frequent speaker, who used a voice when she was speaking that was so high that people called her the “dolphin lady.” She was extremely smart, but her career was hampered by her crazy voice, which showed up not in casual conversation but in public speaking and important meetings where she had to hold forth.

All signs pointed to some sort of psychological distress that was causing her to push her voice into the stratosphere, and it was my job to work with her to bring it down to earth.  It took a lot of breathing and determination on her part. In the end, we brought in a speech therapist to help because the pressure of speaking in that high-pitched squeak had damaged her vocal chords.  All the combined efforts paid off, and her speaking improved enormously. 

That’s an extreme case, but here’s a way you can test your voice to see if it’s pitched at your maximum natural resonance point. Find your way to a keyboard (get help if you’re not musically literate). Pick out the lowest note you can comfortably sing, and work your way up to the highest. For most people, that’s two octaves: sixteen white notes. (For Mariah Carey, it’s apparently five octaves, but that’s why she’s singing professionally and we’re not.)

Now divide the number of white notes you span by four, and count up that number from the bottom. So if it is two octaves, 16 divided by 4 is 4, you start from your bottom note and count up 4. That note is your maximum resonance point.

Most of your normal talking should be taking place in and around that note.  Some men push their voices lower to sound more authoritative, and some women push their voices higher so as not to frighten men. But male or female, you want to be at your resonance point. That will give your voice more authority and timbre, and it will be most pleasant to listen to.  Most importantly, your voice will be most expressive there, and so you’ll be able to elicit the most passion from it.  Strangled voices, voices that are too high or too low, lack expressiveness and passion.  Finding your natural resonance point will also extend the life of your voice and avoid damage.

If you’re a serious public speaker, you should do the work to care for your voice.  You owe yourself and your audience to use your vocal ‘instrument’ to its fullest – without damage.  A classic text on the voice is by famous voice teacher Patsy Rodenburg, The Right to Speak.  If you’ve got vocal issues, it’s a great place to start. 

Next time I’ll talk about nonverbal ways to express passion.  Don’t forget that the Public Words Speaker Forum 2010 is this Friday and Saturday!  You can still register here.  I hope to see you there.