Are low voices generally better than high voices?

Perhaps you have also thought that I could listen to this voice for hours. No wonder, several studies show that most people find full-sounding voices in the medium pitch pleasant. Not only are voices that are too high and shrill less popular, but also the growling low voices, they end up at the lower end of the popularity scale, because they are often less easy to understand.

I am often asked: How do I achieve a pleasant voice?

Are low voices generally better than high voices? What exactly makes pleasant voices? What is special about these voices, which are perceived as particularly melodious, given that they are so differently personalized? They all have an apparent contradiction in common. They sound relaxed and yet have an activating effect. Again and again they let us hear the so-called eigenton, that magical vocal sound in which the vocal folds in the larynx are allowed to vibrate completely relaxed. It is not for nothing that this Eigentone thus also as the feel-good state of the voice denoted.

The Voice's Own Tone: Relaxed and yet Lively

Now I hear the question again and again in rhetoric training:

• Can I use this pleasant vocal range learn?
• How do I achieve this intrinsic tone?

This may surprise you – this personal tone is available to everyone. In everyday speech, however, it is used far too rarely.

In Rhetoric The primary goal of training is therefore to make the inherent tone conscious and to store it as a reference in the habitus, in the behavior. To have it available in this way when it matters. To be able to use this sound of the voice authentically in order to use this persuasion advantage of all trained speakers!

Eigenton: An important part of everyday communication

Did you know that you already use this inherent tone of your voice – without any exercises – several times a day – probably without knowing it? When talking on the phone – are you aware of how you signal to your conversation partner on the phone that you are still on the line while the others are talking?

• Again and again you make so-called listening sounds as a matter of course. Usually this is an unagitated "Mmmhm!" .
• Your voice sends a relationship signal, reports to a certain extent "I'm still here!" . If this "Mmmhm!" then you quickly heard the question: "Are you still on it? Hello??"

You've probably already guessed it: This "Mmmhm!" always sounds when you are really listening, in its own tone, in the feel-good state of your voice.

But what if you don't really listen at all, but think in your mind about a good answer or a reply – or if you have already ended the conversation in your mind and just don't hang up for the sake of politeness?

• Caution! The sound of your listening sounds inevitably gives you away! Because your "Mmhmm!" has long since said goodbye to the full and deeper tone of its own and clearly lets your spiritual absence and self-centeredness be heard!
• Pay attention in everyday life, especially in meetings. You will often experience how participants only seem to listen and unconsciously make it clear through their hectic "mmhm!" how much they are just waiting for the speaker to take a breath – and then immediately fill the gap with their words.

How can you effortlessly familiarize yourself with your pleasant feel-good tone in order to then use this important communication signal later quite confidently for your benefit?

Voices in their own tone inspire trust

A wonderful way to visualize this feel-good tone is your next lunch or dinner! Suppose the plate with your favorite dish is already in front of you. Your mouth is already watering. They take the first tasty bite, spontaneously turn to the host, nod appreciatively and hum an appreciative one: "Mmmhmm! Tastes wonderful!" … And your voice sounds pleasantly in its own tone, relaxed, round, full-sounding, resonant!

• Listen carefully: You may notice that these comforting humming tones usually sound much deeper than your subsequent words!

Why do full and deeper voices create trust?

Research shows that this sound unconsciously ties in with early listening experiences. In the embryo, our hearing is developed right after the sense of balance and the sense of the body. From the 20th week of life, we as adolescent children perceive a diverse, noisy environment. Digestion bubbles and gurgles. The loud flow of the bloodstream is omnipresent. And here the mother's voice is particularly formative – but in a very special pitch! Because the special acoustics, the child swims in the amniotic sac, and the amniotic fluid filters all sounds and noises, changes all sounds that penetrate the ear of the little adolescent human being from inside or outside.

• You can experience something similar as an adult if they in the bathtub both ears under water. Everything sounds grumpy and bassy. Do you have this special sound world in your ear?
• Another, much easier way to approach this sound world is to simply to cover both ears and to speak a few words along the way. Listen to how muffled your voice sounds. You have discovered the "bone conduction" of your voice – the sound of your voice that was transmitted as a vibration from the larynx directly via your spine and skull bone to your "inner microphone", your cochlea (cochlea) in the inner ear.

How do you apply the voice's own tone?

So if the intrinsic tone of your voice is so valuable – should you therefore only speak from this pitch? No, for heaven's sake, because that would absolutely tire and bore your listeners, because their voice would then sound quite monotonous.

• To make your voice sound lively and animating, it has to modulate, i.e. go up and down again and again in a stimulating way. In addition to the full, relaxed, clear and warm sound moments, there is then the pleasant up and down of the tone and creates welcome variety.

So the art is to always return to this trusting feel-good tone when speaking. A great challenge, because most people have forgotten in the course of their lives how to use this magical potential when speaking. So it takes some practice to make the most of this wonderful gift of nature.

Therefore, here are two practical tips:

• Make yourself the oasis of well-being of your Voice consciously as often as possible, to create a reference for your ear. To be able to remember this, hum a pleasant, pleasant short "mmmhm!" at every conceivable opportunity. Whether you're eating, talking on the phone, or talking in conversation – consciously listen to the sound of your voice.
• Watch your voice change pitch and timbre t when you get under pressure or stress.
• If you notice that your Agree with the pleasant relaxed area: Are you already able to return to the "haven of self-tone" with your next words?

Have fun trying it out and using it! And good luck with the The persuasiveness of your voice ! Because... the voice is a key in communication. Do you use them?

Yours, Arno Fischbacher

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Read also on this topic:

• Telltale listening sounds
• How to take the stress out of your voice
• Perform confidently – but how?
• More articles on rhetoric

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The author:

Arno Fischbacher is a business voice coach and rhetoric expert, speaker and author. He prepares executives and employees of the top companies in Germany and Austria for negotiations, presentations and media appearances. Fischbacher is the author of several books, past president of the German Speakers Association (GSA) Austria, chairman of the European Network of Voice Experts, stimme.at.

If you would like to learn more about specific training opportunities with Arno Fischbacher, make an appointment here free information talk.

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