Tuning tip: How do I achieve a pleasant voice? Are low voices generally better than high voices?

Such a pleasant voice! Haven't you thought that before? Several studies show that most people find full-sounding voices in the medium pitch pleasant and seductive. Not only are voices that are too high and shrill less popular, but also growling, low voices end up at the lower end of the popularity scale, because they are often less easy to understand.

"I could listen to this voice for hours!"

But what is now what is special about those pleasant voices that are perceived as particularly melodious, when they are so differently personalized? They all have an apparent opposite: 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 the Eigenton is also referred to as a "feel-good location".

Can I learn this pleasant vocal range?

How do I achieve the "Eigenton"? The personal tone is available to everyone, but it is rarely used in everyday speech. In voice training, the primary goal is to make the natural tone conscious and to store it in the auditory memory as a reference in order to make it available when it matters. Being able to use it authentically is a persuasive advantage of trained speakers. By the way, you already use this inherent tone of the voice several times a day, did you know that?

Here is an example: How do you signal to your conversation partner on the phone that you are still on the line? Most of the time you won't even be aware of it, but again and again you give a seemingly insignificant "mmhhh" as a matter of course. It is a valuable relationship signal, without which the question would otherwise quickly arise: "Are you still here?". This "mmhhh" usually sounds from the Eigenton. Or imagine that there is a plate of your favorite food in front of you and you have just taken the first bite of it – "Mmhhh, that tastes good!". Again, your voice sounds fully in its own tone. If you listen carefully on occasion, you will notice that these pleasant humming tones usually sound much lower than the following speech sounds.

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What makes the voice's own tone so effective?

The special thing about Eigenton is that it has a great potential for trust. This is probably due to the fact that it unconsciously reminds us of earliest listening experiences. Hearing is – after the sense of balance – the earliest developed sensory organ of the human being. As early as the twentieth week of life, the growing child perceives a diverse sound environment: the bubbling and gurgling of digestion, the loud flow of the bloodstream, the mother's voice and some external sounds. The special thing, however, is the special acoustics, because the child swims in the amniotic sac and the amniotic fluid filters all sounds and noises. You can experience something similar if you dip both ears under water. Do you remember this special world of sound? Another way to approach this world of sound is to cover both ears and speak a few words.

So should I only speak from my own tone?

No, it's not about constantly speaking in one's own tone. This would tire your listeners and lead to boredom, because your voice would then sound monotonous. For liveliness in the voice, you need modulation. In addition to the full, relaxed, clear and rather warm sound, there is also a pleasant, natural up and down of the tone. The art is not to "take off" with the voice and to return to the trusting tone again and again while speaking. However, most people have forgotten in the course of their lives how to use this magical voice potential when speaking. So it takes some practice to exploit this wonderful gift of nature again.

Practical tip:

• Make yourself aware of the feel-good state of your voice, your pleasant voice pitch, as often as possible in order to create a reference for your ear. Hum a pleasant, short "mmhhh" at every conceivable opportunity! Whether you're eating, talking on the phone or in conversation – consciously listen to the sound of your voice.
• Beobachten Sie auch, wie sich die Tonhöhe verändert, wenn Sie von dort weg anfangen zu sprechen. Sie können das auch ganz gezielt ausprobieren, indem Sie zuerst „mmhhh, mmhhh“ von sich geben und danach einen Satz beginnen. Können Sie an die angenehme Stimmlage, die “Wohlfühllage”, anknüpfen?

Do you already trust the power of your authentic voice? Find out in the Einzelcoaching mit mir, wie auch Sie Ihre Stimme schon morgen als “geheimen Verführer” einsetzen!

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Arno Fischbacher

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• How to use your voice consciously in sales

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.