If you do a basic Google search for training techniques for voice overs, you will probably find a mixed bag of tips on how to get a lower voice, how to raise your voice, or how to get a more interesting sounding voice. As a new voice actor, it is often a good idea to follow the advice of the voice actors who have been making it big in the industry for a long time.
Don’t get me wrong — it’s a good idea to listen to the advice of the voice over sages who have a long standing reputation for excellence in the industry. Don’t, however, go against your common sense. There is a lot of bad advice out there, so it’s in your best interest to think twice if you hear something that just doesn’t sound right.
I can’t give you a complete list of all the bad idea out there, but here are a few of the bogus ideas it would be good to stay away from!
1. Regularly drink and smoke. You might think this is common sense already, but many DJs were (and still are) told to drink alcohol and smoke on the job to help give their voices more resonance. While regular smoking and drinking will help them gain resonance, it comes at the cost of their range of pitch. What many people don’t know is that this is a natural process that comes with age. Smoking and drink will speed up this process so that you lose your “youthful” voice when you’re young so that you have a richer “mature” voice. When you actually become old though, you might not have much of a voice at all!
2. Drink a shot of alcohol to calm your nerves. During the hours before you record, you shouldn’t be drinking anything other than water for your vocal cords’ sake. If you are actually doing a live recording session with the client, it’s definitely a bad idea to drink before you meet them. Even if that one drink let’s you relax enough to get a couple good takes, it looks (and smells) unprofessional. You might get through the recording session without a hiccup, but the client will likely call another voice talent for future gigs. Forget about the mouthwash — instead, invest in yoga classes or a stress ball.
3. Surgery on your vocal cords. This just sounds scary! While you can, in theory, change your vocal range by changing the structure of your vocal cords, there is no guarantee that you will end up being satisfied with your voice post-op. Vocal cord surgery is way more expensive that voice over training, and it’s simply dangerous. The voice over industry is expanding at such a rate that voice actors will all different qualities and sounds are needed for video games, audio books, commercials and narrations. If you invest in the voice over training, there’s no reason you can’t develop your niche with your own natural speaking voice.
4. “Test” your range to the breaking point. Finding your vocal cords’ breaking point will just break your voice! If you aren’t able to comfortably work in a low or high range, that means you probably shouldn’t be doing it. Stressing your vocal cords won’t round out your voice, but it will change the sound of your voice. And you probably won’t be happy with the result.
Voice over techniques should never be hazardous to your health, and they shouldn’t make you feel uncomfortable either. Have trust in your common sense, and know that you’ll have to sort through the list of good and bad pieces of advice to find something that works for you. Bottom line: if it sounds too good to be true, like drinking more whiskey sours will help you get more voice jobs, then it’s probably not true! There is no short cut in this industry, and there’s certainly no substitute for hard work.
Find out how to get more voice over work starting immediately! If you’re ready to step up your efforts as a voice actor, come here to get all the information to start improving today!