You’ve probably asked yourself this question because you’ve read somewhere that a deeper voice sounds more attractive, builds more trust, and increases your influence.
It does!
However, whilst there are undeniable benefits to speaking in a lower register, depth is only one piece of the puzzle.
If you truly want to persuade, influence and communicate more effectively, your voice needs to also be distinct and dynamic.
If you’re new here, my name is Vinh 👋 I’m a communication skills & public speaking coach, and one of the most requested topics from my online student community is how to develop that rich, dynamic, deeper sounding voice.
I’m going to share the top three vocal exercises that I used personally when I started my journey to improve the quality of my voice. If you do these three exercises for just 3 minutes a day, within a few weeks, you are going to notice a massive improvement.
Exercise 1. The Siren Technique
The first exercise is all about strengthening your vocal instrument. It’s called The Siren.🚨
This is simply making sounds that mimic a siren – gliding from low to high and back down again. You can do this with your mouth closed (humming) or open.
The goal here is to start with a really low voice, slide up gradually to your highest pitch (don’t be afraid of the falsetto!), and then slide all the way back down into the bowels of your chest. I want you to channel your inner Frank Sinatra on the way down.
Think of it like a balloon.🎈
You know when you blow up a balloon and just let the neck go, the air rushes out loosely and makes a deep, flapping sound. That is exactly what happens when your vocal cords are loose – you achieve a deeper voice.
But, when you stretch the neck of the balloon tight, the air comes out as a high-pitched squeal.
- Tension = High Pitch
- Relaxation = Low Pitch
By going up and down, you are alternating between tension and relaxation and effectively doing a “bicep curl” for your vocal cords.
One important tip to remember! When you practice the Siren Technique, push yourself to 150% of your range, because only about 70% of that practice will follow through into your everyday speaking voice.
Exercise 2. Lip Trills
The next activity is Lip Trills. This is where you blow air through your lips to make them vibrate (like a horse blowing air, or a kid making a motorboat sound).
You can do this on a single note, or you can get creative and hum your favorite song. 🎵
Lip Trills are one of the absolute best exercises you can do for vocal placement. Many people produce sound from the back of their throat, which can sound strained. Others speak through their nose, creating a nasally, whining quality.
When you do lip trills, you are creating vibrations right at the front of your mouth. You are training your body to place the voice optimally – right where your lips are. The more you do this, the less nasally or throat-heavy you will sound, and the more clear and pleasant your tone will become.
Exercise 3. Soft Palate Yawns
This last one is a bit unusual, but it is the secret to getting “Volume for Free.”
This exercise focuses on the Soft Palate.
If you run your tongue or thumb behind your top teeth, you feel a hard ridge. That’s the hard palate. If you go further back (careful not to gag!), you will feel a squishy, slimy area. That is your soft palate.
We want to learn how to lift that soft palate.
When you lift the soft palate, you create more room inside your mouth. More room equals more resonance.
The Cathedral Effect ⛪
Imagine walking into a tiny, carpeted room and saying “Hello.” The sound dies instantly.
Now, imagine walking into a massive cathedral or church.
You say “Hello,” and the sound bounces off the walls with incredible reverb. It sounds rich and powerful because there is space for the sound to travel.
By lifting your soft palate, you are turning your mouth from a tiny room into a cathedral.
How do you do it?
Just yawn!
When you yawn, your soft palate naturally lifts. Try to trigger a yawn right now… (not a difficult task for those of us with young kids!)
Notice that stretched feeling in the back of your throat? That is the open space we want.
Now, try to speak or make a sound while maintaining that yawn shape. You will notice your voice gets significantly louder without you having to strain your throat.
The 9-Minute Routine For Getting A Deeper Sounding Voice
If you want a deeper, more dynamic and resonant voice, here is your daily prescription:
- The Siren (3 Minutes): To strengthen the vocal cords.
- Lip Trills (3 Minutes): To master forward vocal placement.
- Yawning (3 Minutes): To lift the soft palate for resonance and volume.
Practice these daily. It won’t just change the depth of your voice; it will wildly transform the way you come across every time you speak.
Final Thought: Your Voice is an Instrument
Your voice is one of the most powerful instruments in the world.
Think of these vocal exercises like tuning a guitar. If a guitar isn’t tuned, it doesn’t matter how beautiful the song is; it’s going to sound terrible.
It’s the same with your voice..
However, even once the instrument is tuned, you still need to know what music to play. That is where communication frameworks come in – knowing how to structure your thoughts.
If you’d like to master the “music” as well as the instrument, check out my in-person and online communication skills courses here.
