Voice acting is the process of performing voice-overs or providing voices for animated characters and other audio media. It’s used in live radio, television, and video games. When someone aspires to become a successful voice actor they will do everything they can to improve their skills. The better they get, the more business they’ll attract and the more money they’ll make.
Whether you wish to earn a stable income or become famous as a voice actor, there are many things you can do to improve your chances. If you’ve been wondering how playing an instrument and singing can help, read on because this article can explain.
It Helps With Breath Control
Breath control is one of the most important things you can work on in your voice acting. If it isn’t done correctly, it can ruin an entire performance by making a character sound very unnatural and disjointed. In turn, it can be a distraction from everything else going on with the scene or script.
Singing requires breath control and if you don’t breathe correctly you’ll have no volume when trying to sing higher notes – and you won’t be able to sustain them either. If you work on this – and potentially take singing lessons – breath control will become second nature rather than something that you have to consciously think about during your acting. It’s possible to access an online catalogue of sheet music where you can find songs, purchase them and print them off instantly. Specialist websites can help you determine your vocal range and learn how to read music, and there are downloadable apps available.
It Strengthens Your Voice
If you only ever act or speak without singing, your voice will become very one-dimensional over time. You’ll be limited to a certain range and be unable to produce other sounds or tones. If you regularly sing, your voice will become stronger and have a greater range. The muscles in your mouth, throat, and diaphragm will become strong and flexible, allowing you to produce a wider variety of sounds. You’ll also experience increased lung capacity and an ability to project your voice better.
One potential issue with being a voice actor is the risk of developing vocal strain. This is because those activities put a lot of stress on the vocal cords, which can cause inflammation or other damage. If you develop these problems it could endanger your capacity to make money as a voice actor. If you regularly sing correctly, however, the amount of strain on your voice will be reduced and you’ll be able to prevent long-term damage to the voice box.
It helps With Articulation
When enunciating different words and sounds, you need to be able to articulate the right way. A lot of people pronounce things wrongly because they don’t know how to make certain letters sound, or say a word properly.
If you become more precise with articulating each letter individually it will allow for greater clarity during recordings – and there will be less need for multiple takes. Singing can be a great way to hone this skill – think of opera singers clearly sounding the ends of words!
It Improves Your Hand-Eye Coordination
Hand-eye coordination is how well you can use your hands and eyes together in order to do something. It’s one of the most important skills for musicians, actors and artists and it can often determine their ability to be successful. It can make people more visually appealing when looking for work if they are able to play instruments (how much does a good violin cost?) or sing/speak on stage without making mistakes.
Singers and actors need to be able to keep track of where they are on stage at all times and make sure their voice is reaching the back row without any problems. Musicians need to know where their fingers are on their instruments at all times so they don’t miss a note or hit another one by accident. Actors need to be able to remember their lines without having to look down at a piece of paper every few seconds. By developing these skills a voice actor will be able to focus on speaking without struggling to juggle several things at once.
It Improves Your Communication Skills
People who are performing in front of a mic are not only communicating with their audience, but also with their fellow actors/musicians. Communication is equally important when dubbing an animated show, as you need to clearly convey the correct words, emotions and feelings to match the on-screen character’s performance.
Playing an instrument and singing can help improve your communication skills by teaching you how to better control and project your voice. You learn how to use different techniques to communicate songs with varying moods. You can get ‘in part’ just as you will when voice acting specific characters. Voice acting requires excellent communication skills – both verbal and non-verbal – and singing and playing music can be a great way to work on them.
It Increases Your Confidence
This is one of the best things about playing an instrument or singing. When you’re on stage (in front of an audience) and performing, you will progressively lose your fears. This confidence will carry over into your voice acting career, making it easier for you to take risks and experiment with new vocal techniques.
Rather than nervously mumbling, you’ll be speaking loud and clear in any situation. You’ll learn how to engage with an audience, hold their attention, and be able to entertain them.
It’s A Great Way To Prepare
Just as athletes do warm-up exercises before a competition, voice actors need to be prepared for their performance. Singing is a great way to warm up before recording lines for a video game or animated film. You can exercise your vocal cords this way, and get into character.
As you can see, both singing and playing an instrument can help improve your voice acting skills. They can provide valuable practice and experience that can help you become an actor who is better than ever before.
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