Rules ----- 1. Wear loose-fitting attires 2. Avoid a big meal an hour prior to the exercise session Equipment --------- None is required. If you can arrange a portable keyboard, that'll be helpful. Exercise 1: Diaphragm Breathing ------------------------------- Physiology ---------- The breathing we do to stay alive is called "vegetative breathing", is very different from that used for sound production. In vegetative breathing the chest expands and the stomach retracts. This creates tension when an energized, sustained and projected voice is required. As an actor, one must breathe from the diaphragm. "Diaphragm breathing" is the the natural form of breathing because it is the manner in which we start breathing from birth, but somewhere along the way upper chest (vegetative) breathing gets substituted in most people. Advantage --------- Diaphragm breathing is the first step in starting one's preparation for developing the voice. Mastering it will enables to accomplish: 1. a deepening pitch 2. an enriched vocal quality 3. with a minimum of tension and a maximum of effectiveness the two demands of that differentiate breathing from quiet breathing, i.e. a. the air must be expelled with greater force, and b. the exhalation period is controlled and is much longer than the inhalation period. How to do --------- This takes time and practice before Diaphragm breathing becomes natural at least a few weeks. But you can practice it anytime. 1. First take a deep breath (like when the doctor asks you to do so in order examine your chest congestion). Notice that your chest expands, your stomach retracs and you shoulder hunches upward. This is what you should avoid. This is NOT diaphragm breathing. 2. Now try deep breathing where your stomach expands, as well as you chest (but to a less extant than in 1) and no sudden and violent hunching of the shoulders. 3. Gently ease youeself down to the floor so that you are lying on your back. Be in that position for 5 minutes and relax (try doing a "shobashon"). Withou actual movement or fidgeting, tell your shoulder to do nothing and tell your back to broaden and widen. Concentration on your exhalation without "doing". Let the inhalation take care of itself. Place a book on your stomach. Let the book rise as the inhalation takes place, and returns to its original position when you exhale. 4. Watch a person in deep relaxed, sleep. Notice his/her breathing is longer and deeper than usual. He/she is doing diaphragm breahing. You do the same, though unconciously. 5. When you know what exactly is diaphragm breathing and when you can do it, start practicing. Take a break from work for just a minute. Stand erect and practice. Keep on doing when you are back to your seat and working. Do while you are in bed trying to fall asleep. Exercise 2: Breathing --------------------- Purpose ------- The purpose of this exercise is to: 1. inprove breathing 2. increase the volume and resonance of voice What to do ---------- Try reading "The Twelve Days of Christmas" section by section in one breath. Use each section for at least three days of practice. Check to be sure you are not taking little catch breaths along the way. Be sure to use up all the breath you have say each successive "day". Don't go on to the next "day" until you can do the one you are on easily on one breath, and with a good full voice. The Twelve days of Christmas ----------------------------- On the first day of Christmas my true love sent to me: A Partridge in a Pear Tree On the second day of Christmas my true love sent to me: Two Turtle Doves and a Partridge in a Pear Tree On the third day of Christmas my true love sent to me: Three French Hens Two Turtle Doves and a Partridge in a Pear Tree On the fourth day of Christmas my true love sent to me: Four Calling Birds Three French Hens Two Turtle Doves and a Partridge in a Pear Tree On the fifth day of Christmas my true love sent to me: Five Golden Rings Four Calling Birds Three French Hens Two Turtle Doves and a Partridge in a Pear Tree On the sixth day of Christmas my true love sent to me: Six Geese a Laying Five Golden Rings Four Calling Birds Three French Hens Two Turtle Doves and a Partridge in a Pear Tree On the seventh day of Christmas my true love sent to me: Seven Swans a Swimming Six Geese a Laying Five Golden Rings Four Calling Birds Three French Hens Two Turtle Doves and a Partridge in a Pear Tree On the eighth day of Christmas my true love sent to me: Eight Maids a Milking Seven Swans a Swimming Six Geese a Laying Five Golden Rings Four Calling Birds Three French Hens Two Turtle Doves and a Partridge in a Pear Tree On the ninth day of Christmas my true love sent to me: Nine Ladies Dancing Eight Maids a Milking Seven Swans a Swimming Six Geese a Laying Five Golden Rings Four Calling Birds Three French Hens Two Turtle Doves and a Partridge in a Pear Tree On the tenth day of Christmas my true love sent to me: Ten Lords a Leaping Nine Ladies Dancing Eight Maids a Milking Seven Swans a Swimming Six Geese a Laying Five Golden Rings Four Calling Birds Three French Hens Two Turtle Doves and a Partridge in a Pear Tree On the eleventh day of Christmas my true love sent to me: Eleven Pipers Piping Ten Lords a Leaping Nine Ladies Dancing Eight Maids a Milking Seven Swans a Swimming Six Geese a Laying Five Golden Rings Four Calling Birds Three French Hens Two Turtle Doves and a Partridge in a Pear Tree On the twelfth day of Christmas my true love sent to me: 12 Drummers Drumming Eleven Pipers Piping Ten Lords a Leaping Nine Ladies Dancing Eight Maids a Milking Seven Swans a Swimming Six Geese a Laying Five Golden Rings Four Calling Birds Three French Hens Two Turtle Doves and a Partridge in a Pear Tree Exercise 3: Tension and Relaxation ---------------------------------- Purpose ------- 1. This exercise will keep the muscles for voice production relaxed 2. This exercise will help you to maintain a relaxed but alert posture 3. This exercise will also help to have a concious identification and controls on different muscles. What to do ---------- 1. Stand erect, feet slightly apart. Tense muscles of toes, ankles, calves, knees, thighs, hips, waist, chest, shoulder, arms, wrists, fingers. Tense each set of muscles individually and hold the tension in each set as you progress. Extend arms above head as you tense arms,wrists, fingers. Hold with the tension in all muscles for a mental count of three, then relax suddenly and completely, bending at waist, arms hanging limp, head down. Repeat. Excercise 4: Voice ------------------ Purpose ------- This exercise helps in having better volume, throw and range of voice. How to do --------- Stand erect and relaxed. Droop your head so that your chin touches your chest. Now try saying the following vowels as loud and as low as possible without stressing any muscle. Try each vowel with one deep inhalation and hold it till all the air is exhaled. While pronuncing, exaggerate the lip formation of each vowel. Vowels ------ au (as in sauce) aa ee (as in deep) u (as in put) a (as in gate) o (as in goat) ay (as in as) --------------------------------------------------------------- References: 1. The Theatre Student: Acting - Ruth Rawson; Richard Rosen Press, Inc., New York. 2. Encyclopedia of Acting Techniques - John Perry; Betterway Books, Ohio. (Last update: 07/24/01)