In the “SNL” skit “Girlfriend Voice,” Seth Rogen, Andy Samberg, and Bill Hader demonstrate how changing their tone of voice affects communication, to hilarious effect. For actors, mastering tone of voice is particularly important—and not just for the ability to code-switch between chatting with the bros and sweet-talking your girlfriend. Let’s dive into the ins and outs of tone of voice and the ways you can change your own.
Tone of voice is the way a person speaks, including volume, pace, pitch, intonation, and emphasis. Let’s see what all that means and how it can affect communication.
Elements of tone of voice
- Volume: This is how quietly or loudly you’re speaking. The volume of your voice will change depending on the situation and whatever emotions you may be feeling—and it can affect how other people perceive the words you’re saying. Speaking too loudly can be seen as aggressive, while speaking too quietly can convey low self-confidence. Watch Will Ferrell switch between a calming, friendly voice to a disruptive, unsettling yell to witness the impact volume has on tone.
- Pace: This is how quickly or slowly you talk. “Think of it as the speed of your words,” writes David V. Risner at Vocals Verse. “Fast is like running, and slow is like walking.” Speaking quickly can convey excitement, but if your pace is too fast, the words can turn into a nervous blur, such as what’s heard from Anxiety in “Inside Out 2.”
- Alternatively, talking slowly can help create a gentle, calming environment, but it can also come off as condescending or cause frustration if you’re speaking too lethargically. It’s almost mandatory to reference the DMV sloth from “Zootopia.”
- Pitch: This is “the way your voice ‘plays’ its tune,” explains Risner. Every voice has its own range of highs and lows that fluctuate to convey a wide swath of feelings.
- Intonation: This reflects the changes in pitch that happen as you speak, allowing listeners to better differentiate between sarcasm, enthusiasm, or a question. We promise this is the last “Inside Out 2” reference, but the sarcasm really shows how intonation affects communication.
- Emphasis: This is a combination of changes in pitch, volume, or intonation. Properly emphasizing words or phrases can further help the listener understand what you’re saying.
How does tone of voice affect communication?
The way we speak alters the way our words are received. As psychologist Rick Hanson notes, “People are more sensitive to tone than to the explicit content of spoken or written language.”
For actors, your tone of voice impacts how much the audience finds your character authentic, making them willing to suspend disbelief and believe in the storyworld. Understanding the elements of tone of voice and improving your techniques will help you better build and embody characters.
1. Do a voice tone self-audit
Shakespeare knew it, and you should, too: To thine own self be true. Mastering your tone of voice starts with recognizing and understanding your own vocal qualities.
- Record: Tape yourself talking in a natural environment. If you find yourself putting on your performer hat, ask a friend to record you during a regular chat.
- Listen: Play the recording and think about your volume, pace, pitch, intonation, and emphasis. (Yes, listening to yourself speak can be cringeworthy, but it’s worth it.)
- Assess: Take notes, being sure to consider the different aspects of tone of voice and how they affect the impact of your words.
From there, be mindful as you speak in everyday life, thinking about any changes in tone that happen with different emotions.
2. Breathe in, breathe out
Ever run out of breath in the middle of a really long sentence or intense monologue? Diaphragmatic breathing can help open up the lungs and create more space for air, making it easier to control your breath and tone of voice.
3. Be mindful
Following hot on the heels of recognizing your own voice patterns and working on your breathing comes mindfulness. Remain aware of your tone. Paying attention to how you sound will inevitably lead to greater awareness of yourself and your characters. Mindfulness also means recognizing your emotional state and how you react to various situations and stresses. This ability can help you self-regulate, which in turn “reduces the chance that the other person will avoid dealing with what you say by shifting attention to how you say it,” according to Hanson.
4. Do vocal warmups
Your vocal cords are muscles and need loosening up in the same way you might stretch before a run. Vocal warmups such as trilling your lips, blowing raspberries, humming, buzzing, and tongue twisters help limber up your vocal chords and control tone of voice. Take note from Ron Burgundy of “Anchorman” fame, whose vocal warmups are nearly as legendary as the man himself.
5. Become acquainted with different tones of voice
Similar to character archetypes (the hero, the lover, the villain, and so on), tone of voice can be categorized into different character types. Some commonly used tones are formal, informal, solemn, humorous, and friendly, according to speech and accent coach Ron Carlos. Voice actor and coach Anthony Pica offers even more specific tones, such as authoritative, conversational, eloquent, enticing, inspiring, and nurturing.
Seek out and listen to these various voice tones and consider the ways they convey different feelings and work best for different roles. Pro tip: A great place to start is by immersing yourself in a diversity of film, TV, and theater genres. For instance, Captain Olivia Benson on the police procedural “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit” often employs a formal, solemn, authoritative sound; Josie in the comedy “Bottoms” has an informal, humorous, conversational vocal vibe; and Sharon Tramell in the thriller “Basic Instinct” wields an enticing—dangerously so—tone of voice.
6. Listen to the greats
If you need more convincing about the importance of tone of voice and mastering your own, take a gander at how some of these actors use their voice to create iconic performances.
- Daniel Day-Lewis as Abraham Lincoln in “Lincoln”: In an interview with Oprah Winfrey, Day-Lewis describes a person’s voice as the “fingerprint of the soul.” Check out the difference in his regular speaking voice and the character voice he uses for Lincoln.
- Heath Ledger as the Joker in “The Dark Knight”: Ledger’s performance alone is incredible, arguably one of the best versions of the Joker. Ledger’s choice for a gritty voice runs the gamut of high and low pitches (not to mention that wicked laugh!) and helps to bring out a truly unsettling performance.
- Robin Williams as Genie in “Aladdin”: Williams was a master of his voice, and his role voicing the supernatural jinn is a gold mine for inspiration demonstrating how tone of voice brings a character to life.