I'm a male, and my voice is definitely effecting my social life and confidence and has been for a long time. My voice is definitely not loud/deep enough. I've had speech lessons, but those didn't help my voice tone. I'm willing to do anything to change it, even something stupid like drinking bleach or gargling whiskey...Anyone have any advice?How do I change my voice and make it deeper? People always ask me to repeat stuff, and I'm tired of it...?There are many different techniques that you can use to help you deepen your voice, and you may be able to think of some on your own. But here’s what you need to first learn:
Your vocal cords are exactly like a guitar. If you’ve ever played a guitar before, you know that when you loosen the strings, the pitch gets deeper. If you don’t have a guitar, try plucking a rubber band. You’ll see that the tighter you pull the rubber band, the higher the pitch of the plucking sound becomes.
So a high-pitched voice is mainly the result of too much tension in your vocal cords – they are pulled too tight. A high voice is also related to the thickness of your vocal cords, which is something you can’t change. But you can change the tension in your vocal cords, and achieve surprising results. Remember this “guitar” concept, because it can help you figure out how to deepen your voice.
That said, start thinking about ways that you can loosen up those cords. Here are a few suggestions:
1. Sleep – while you rest, your vocal cords relax. This is why your voice is deeper in the morning. Perhaps you might want to record your voicemail answering machine right when you wake up, because your voice will be deeper. On a side note, this is why your voice also sounds deeper when you’re sick. Because bacteria is literally sitting on your vocal chords, weighing them down.
2. Strengthen your neck and breathe from your stomach – this is an important concept to understand too. When your neck muscles are strained, they pull on your vocal cords and make your voice higher. This is why it is important to have a strong neck, so those neck muscles don’t work as hard and allow your vocal cords to relax. Now, along that same line, remember that breathing from your upper chest also causes tension around your vocal cord region. If you can instead learn to take deep breaths from your diaphragm (the area below your rib cage) while you are talking, you will be able to relax the cords better.
3. Speak more slowly – again, when you’re quickly rushing air across your vocal cords, this creates tension. Slow it down and speak loudly… people will listen.
4. Give the vocal cords a workout – Have you ever noticed that your voice becomes deeper after you’ve been yelling or screaming for a while? (that is, assuming that you don’t lose your voice). That’s because you’ve been stretching them for so long that they actually become more loose once you stop yelling. So perhaps you should sing along loudly to one of your favorite rock songs a few times a week. Please note, do not continue doing this if you consistently lose your voice, because that means you are doing more harm than good.
5. Consume things with heavy chemical compositions – I’m sure you know what happens to your voice when you inhale helium… you sound like a chipmunk. That’s because helium is lighter than air, and when you talk it’s helium that is hitting your vocal cords instead of air. Helium barely even vibrates the vocal cords, which is why you sound so ridiculous after inhaling a balloon. The reverse effect happens when you push heavy air through your vocal cords (for example, if you inhale sulfur hexafluoride… look it up on youtube but do NOT try it at home). So the trick is finding something heavy to sit on your vocal cords. Milk works well, as does coffee. Think about it, and you’ll probably figure out some things that work.
Lastly, I’d just like to say that in the grand scheme of things, you shouldn’t worry too much about deepening your voice if people can’t hear you. Instead, you need to focus on PROJECTING your voice. Practice speaking on the exhale (for example, say your name normally… then take a deep breath and say your name on the exhale. See the difference in projection?). Also, go to loud places like bars and restaurants and practice ordering things – you should be projecting to the point where the server or bartender NEVER has to ask you to repeat yourself.
Best of luck to you.How do I change my voice and make it deeper? People always ask me to repeat stuff, and I'm tired of it...?I have the same problem.. I'm interested in the answer as well..
