Speaking Pitch

Almost all languages in the world depend heavily on the pitch being perfect. English is a language where the meaning changes according to the tone and inflection of the speech, and having perfect pitch is important.

The speaking pitch matters both within the individual words and in the context of longer statements. This article will focus on pitch and the use of pitch movement in utterances.

Perfect Pitch Range

Each individual voice has a pitch movement range that can be adjusted by adjusting the vocal cords in addition to the modal pitch—using the vocal cords to tighten or loosen the vocal cords to decrease the pitch of the voice. The pitch of the vocal cords increases when the cords are stretched—variations in pitch in speech result from changes in the tension of the vocal cords. Pitch movement in speech offers speakers the opportunity to achieve a wide variety of effects.

Vibrations of the vocal cords are the single most important factor in determining the pitch of a voice—the pitch increases as the frequency of vibrations increases. High pitches are usually not more than 200 Hz, while low pitches are not more than 70 Hz.

There are three parts to pitch range, which are high, mid, and low.

In addition, the pitch movement range of the utterance shows the speaker's attitude towards the information being conveyed. Using the speaker's modal pitch, also called the neutral, unmarked midrange range, the speaker makes a statement neutrally.

Statements and Pitch Range

As the speaker finishes saying everything they intend to say and signals the end of their speech, their voice pitches down. A pitch movement indicates that information or interaction is unfinished as long as it has not fallen. As a result, pitch usually falls at the end of a statement and stays level or only rises a tiny bit at the end of a phrase containing more information.

Why learn pitch movement?

Being able to control your pitch will help you sound more natural in English. Below-mentioned are a few reasons one should consider learning pitch movement or pitch improvement for better public speaking.

The pitch of some people's voices doesn't vary much, so they sound robotic when speaking. However, a monotone voice is usually considered unengaging, uninteresting, and unclear.
Both men and women use pitch movement in every sentence when speaking English for effective communication.
The person listening to you might have trouble understanding you if you do not create this pitch variation in your speech, especially on stressed words and stressed syllables.
In addition to speaking clearly, a perfect pitch can influence people’s impression of you. An effective pitch is essential to communicating clearly!

What are the benefits of kids speaking in perfect pitch?

In the depths of our hearts, we all desire to deliver that perfect speech that wins over hearts and minds at the same time or to become amazing storytellers with intriguing tales and anecdotes that captivate the world. Communication via oral means is an art, as is writing. Speakers who speak with eloquence are able to strike a chord with their audience, even inspiring and influencing them.

In order to succeed, you must be able to communicate effectively with an audience. The mind of a young person might be filled with great ideas, but they are unable to present these ideas in a way that is interactive and engaging to the right audience.

Having a good knowledge of public speaking is essential for everyone, including children. Standing out in a crowd and overcoming the fear of public speaking is easier with this method.

In any career choice, a child will need to work with their peers, attend forums, and, if they are extraordinary achievers, take the stage to speak about their experiences, their thoughts and theories, and their achievements. They will gain an edge over their competitors with their eloquence.

The world has seen countless examples of achievers who inspire others by communicating their experiences in the most captivating and engaging ways.

Here are some of the advantages of public speaking with a pitch.

Enhances communication skills
Develops leadership skills
Improves articulation
Persuasion and negotiation skills are enhanced
To overcome self-consciousness
Contributes to career advancement

How to develop a child’s pitch?

If you want to improve your child’s pitch, you can play a few games with them to help. The most important thing is that your child enjoys the process and wants to continue.

To develop your child’s pitch, start by listening to different songs together and talking about their pitches. You can also sing some simple songs together and have your child guess whether you are singing high or low. For example, you can sing “Mary Had A Little Lamb” and have them tell you which words are higher than others.

If you want to make it more fun, put on an item of clothing for each time you get it wrong. For example, if you sing a high word as a low word, ask your child to put on your coat or hat. After five mistakes, they win!

Break the task up into smaller steps.

Your child should learn to recognize the pitch and tone of other people's voices. Help them distinguish between positive, neutral, and negative pitches and tones. Afterward, discuss the emotions expressed in the speaker's voice.

Attitude is important.

Explain that body language plus the tone of voice equals attitude. It is important to observe others’ social cues as well in order to get a clear picture of the dialogue (notice the way your friend or your favorite movie character crosses his arms as he says dialogue with pitch modulations).

Emphasize the inflections.

Emphasize how words take on different meanings depending on the emphasis, volume, and speed of speech. In this case, a quiet, “Where are you going?“ makes sense. An abrupt, loud “Where are you going?“ sounds angry or sarcastic.

Don't worry about the meaning of the words.

Your child can just focus on vocal sounds when there is no meaning to consider. Practicing inflections, volume, and speed with phrases such as "bibbidi bobbidi boo" can help develop these skills. For practice, have your child respond to certain words in the form of questions, statements, or demands. This would help in pitch improvement.

Watch TV and videos.

You can watch TV together and analyze difficult things together, such as sarcasm, teasing, and joking. Sometimes play the recording with the sound on, and sometimes turn it off to reinforce the idea that voice, body language, and words all contribute to attitude.

If your child is unsure about a speaking pitch, encourage him or her to ask questions.

Ensure your child knows it's ok to ask questions. In this case, your child may ask questions such as, "Sometimes I have trouble reading your tone of voice." “Are you mad at me?”

Speaking pitch and public speaking

Public speaking skills and effective communication skills are essential for success as they help in networking, sharing information, influencing and motivating the listeners. Despite this, public speaking with a perfect pitch is something that is feared by many kids and students. To help your child overcome their fear of public speaking, here are some simple steps you can follow.

Get them used to facing an audience early on.

Getting children used to facing an audience from an early age is the best way to start. Initially, they may shy away or forget the right answers, or may get distracted due to self-consciousness.

You can instill confidence in them by helping them practice by creating a fictional audience, talking in front of the mirror or using games, etc. It may sound like an uphill task, but it is not at all unachievable.

Engage them in public speaking in school

In schools today, students are required to speak in public. It is essential to ensure that kids participate wholeheartedly in classroom discussions and debates and be proactive in class. Gradually, they will gain confidence and become fluent public speakers as a result of the experience.

They will become more comfortable speaking in public as they interact and participate.

Preparation is essential

Being a good speaker requires more than confidence in front of a crowd. Being a good speaker requires practice as well as preparation. Children should be prepared with techniques for preparing for such events.

Information gathering techniques can help them. It is essential that they know what will be discussed and how their ideas will be presented. Each aspect of the piece must be considered, from introductory sentences to expressions.

Analyzing and reviewing

Take a moment to review your work before addressing the audience. By recording and listening to your speech, you will be able to identify the gaps in your explanation.

Children of older years are advised to use this technique in order to identify unnecessary pauses, lack of filler words, repetition, monotone, awkwardness, etc., and then to improvise where necessary.

Exercise

Practice, practice, and practice to make all the above-mentioned things possible. It won't happen overnight. You will learn nuances every single day, and each one will enhance your oratory skills.

Summing up

Today, when children use technology to contact each other, it is imperative to remove them from their virtual worlds and expose them to the real ones in order to develop a sense of public speaking. Attaining a perfect speaking pitch is essential for various purposes, such as interviews and pitches.

It is also essential to match your body language, your gestures, and your expressions with the words you say. What you need to do now is to practice your pitch. There is no need for a vocal coach. Your pitch should be used effectively, and you should start thinking about how you can do it. Throughout the course of your exploration of different word stress patterns, sentence stress patterns, and intonation patterns, you’ll develop this pitch variation.

It may feel a little stressful, forced, or even challenging at first to change your pitch and alter the sound of your voice since you're not used to it. But when you are continuing to focus on word stress and intonation and reducing your accent, make sure to practice pitch before or during the process.

Whenever you speak, you should try to vary your pitch. Rather than feeling that pitch variation isn't possible or that you will never be able to accomplish it, you need to change your mindset and recognize that this is a possibility.