Accent Reduction Video Tip # 1 - The Resonance
Accent Reduction training begins with clearly defining the resonance. If you can nail down the resonance in any dialect (including the Standard American Dialect), you will be able to believably do that dialect. Being able to reduce your accent makes it easier to be understood. In a world where honest connection and relationships are more critical to your career than ever, Accent Reduction gives you an edge in your professional life. In this video, I teach you how to go about finding your native resonance and begin adjusting it on your own in order to achieve a believable Standard American Dialect. You'll be rocking it in no time!
Video Transcription Hey everybody, Donald The Dialect Coach here! I'm here today talking to you in sunny California and I want to address something before we get started - You see this cut on my lip? Well, I'm the recent owner of a razor which gives me a super close shave, but I really suck at it. So, I cut the crap out of my lip, but I'm here today pushing through the pain so that I can teach you about the resonance in the Standard American Dialect. 90% of ANY dialect is the resonance, so if you can really key into what the resonance is, you can master whatever dialect you'd like, including the Standard American Dialect.
What is resonance?
The resonance is where in your mouth the voice resides. It's different for every dialect. For instance, the British Dialect is in the front of your mouth - that's where the resonance is. Whereas Cockney or Australian is in the back of your mouth. The Standard American Dialect is right in the middle of your mouth. If you took your fingers between your cheeks - if your fingers could touch - that's right where the resonance would live.
What you need to do is figure out is "What is the resonance that you normally have in your dialect?" Whether that's Texas, New York, or if it's a foreign dialect like British, Irish, Scottish or whatever it may be. Figure out what that resonance is and start working on moving that resonance either back or forward into the center of your mouth. Once you do that, you'll be able to master the Standard American Dialect.
How would I go about practicing the resonance? I do a trick with my hands. Whenever I'm speaking, if the resonance moves forward then you can move your hands forward. If the resonance needs to move back, then you can move your hands back. If you were a Texas speaker - and Texas speakers have the resonance in the front of the mouth with a flat lip - then I would be practicing moving that resonance back to the middle of your mouth. If my sentence was, "Hey, How are you guys doing?" In Texas I might say it in the front of my mouth, but when I'm practicing it, I want to shift it backwards until the resonance lands right in the sweet spot in the center of my mouth.
