Hey improv folks!

A new episode and a new PDF are out this week (link here, and more details at the bottom of this message). I had a lot of fun in this episode, including some singing. It's bad. Like REAL bad. But I do talk about going outside of your comfort zone, so I better do it to... right?

So let's just get right to it: Voice stuff. Characters. Improv.

Oh and don't forget to grab this free worksheet that helps you with your improv mindset after a session.

Five Vocal Exercises for Better Improv Characters

Many improvisers, especially newer ones, might feel some pressure to do "funny voices." Those big character voices that you hear in sketches and such, like adopting a high-pitched squeak or a low gravelly tone or something like that. But (drumroll)... you do not need to do this to do really good improv. You can perform your entire improv career using your own natural voice. What is important, however, is learning to play your own voice kinda like an instrument. Understanding your vocal musicality is what separates a grounded, relatable character who is memorable from a flat grounded, relatable character.

Your voice already contains all the tools you need. I often talk about the core components of vocal expression, of the voice. At least lately I have because this is my third episode about the voice across a couple shows! These vocal elements are things like your speech rate, or the speed at which you talk. A character who speaks quickly feels different from one who speaks slowly. There is also cadence, which is the rhythm of the words. Prosody is a larger term for the intonation, stress, and rhythm of your speech. This is how you convey subtext, like sarcasm or fear, without naming it ("show, don't tell"). How you say the words often matters more than the words themselves. Subtext and all that.

So Jen... cool story... but how do you practice this?

This episode has a bunch of improv exercises in it. One of the most direct methods is a concept from Jill Bernard, "Voice, Attitude, Posture." If you make a strong choice with one of these, the other two will follow for free.

Another exercise I include is "Ranting." The goal here is to practice escalating emotion (it doesn't need to be an anger fueled rant, you can choose to work with other emotions). You get a mundane topic, like "leaving the cap off the toothpaste," and you start a monologue, and go while you explore your full vocal range and push past your comfortable, default speaking patterns.

And there are several more in there, and a ton of additional ones in the PDF linked below.

The point of these exercises is to build awareness. You can analyze your own work, working on each element one by one, by recording yourself and listening for vocal variety. Are all your characters speaking at the same speed? Do you adjust your volume? Got musicality? By practicing small, subtle adjustments, you develop a range of choices that will make your characters feel more grounded and distinct.

Listen or Watch

The podcast and the youtube episode contain advice on voices in improv, and might be especially relevant if you are uncomfortable doing big changes to your own voice. You’ll work with what you got.

Learn more about that in the episode below, and get directions for a bunch of new exercises you can do to practice different parts of your voice and get improv reps in that focus on these same elements.

And come ask questions or share your own tips in the Improv Update discord general improv chat channel.

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Five Vocal Exercises for Bet... Nov 3 · Your Improv Brain 21:32   ​

PDF about Vocal Basics with 30 things to practice

This 13 page guide is designed to help you find new aspects and abilities in your voice as an improviser. It contains an overview of the components of speech: rate, cadence, prosody, and intonation and a sheet that will help you analyze the voice as it pertains to your improv practice. Find FIVE vocal exercises to practice your pace and rate control, cadence and rhythm, and pitch and tone. Then there are SIX MORE improv exercises for scenes, FOUR solo exercises, and FIFTEEN (!) additional variations of these exercises.That’s 30 things you can do. If my math is right. Wow! (wow for either the workbook, or my math...)

What is in this workbook

1. The four core components of vocal musicality (Speech Rate, Cadence, Prosody, and Intonation) that you can use to define a character.
2. A checklist of key questions to analyze your own vocal habits and character work, helping you make more conscious and specific choices for the exercises.
3. Five foundational “mechanics” exercises designed to help you understand, and develop precise control, over your pitch, pace, and rhythm.
4. Six dynamic, performance-focused group exercises (Dubbing, Ranting, and more) to help you work on vocal characterizations from the ground up. (One exercise has two primary performance versions)
5. Four solo exercises to work on your own.
6. Fifteen additional variations on these exercises to try new things in class, or on your own.

$5.00 Vocal Basics for Improv - With Exercises! This 13 page guide is designed to help you find new aspects and abilities in your voice as an improviser. It contains an... Read more Get it now!

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