Slava Dugin Vs Tom Cruise
Hi Slava, and welcome to your own personal 'voice hacking' page, where over the coming weeks/months, you and I are going to be exchanging ideas and working on the task of adopting an accent that represents certain vocal traits and qualities held by American Actor, Tom Cruise.
I have no doubts about your ability and know you are dedicated, so it shouldn't prove too gruelling if you maintain a consistent practice.
As we move forward through this process, the exercises, info, worksheets and recordings will accumulate.
At times you may find yourself making breakthroughs, and other times might seem like you're going backwards. It can get frustrating, but this is natural. Frustrations are good as they mean you are challenging your body to adopt new habits, so don't be discouraged and maintain true to form.
I have no doubts about your ability and know you are dedicated, so it shouldn't prove too gruelling if you maintain a consistent practice.
As we move forward through this process, the exercises, info, worksheets and recordings will accumulate.
At times you may find yourself making breakthroughs, and other times might seem like you're going backwards. It can get frustrating, but this is natural. Frustrations are good as they mean you are challenging your body to adopt new habits, so don't be discouraged and maintain true to form.
Second set of work
Let's start looking at the æ sound next. This is the pronunciation similar to the Finnish ä (as opposed to a) and is something you are familiar with and use a lot. The trouble is you tend to use it when it should be either a or ə instead. In the interview above, see if you can hear Tom's use of the different a sounds. Of course he does have that sound in his voice but not as often or as sharp as you use it. Once you get a better idea, why not try out the sentences below the video and record yourself to listen back and self analyse. Once you are happy send me a version and I'll give notes accordingly.
ə - Isabel don't contradict the londoner, understand?
æ - Gather that hat and that mat and flatter Andrea Samantha Panders.
æ - Gather that hat and that mat and flatter Andrea Samantha Panders.
Also, to help with the TH sounds from before, try these sets of words and aim to make a marked difference between each set of two examples.
|
Then - Den
They - Day Though - Dough Than - Dan Lather - Lader Worthier - Wordier Bother - Bodder Soothe - Sood Clothes - Clodes |
Think - Tink
Thought - Taught Thin - Tin Thread - Tread Path - Part (take the R away like in English) Arthur - Artur Mathematician - Matematician North - Naught Thousand - Tousand |
First set of considerations
Below is your initial recording of 'comma gets a cure' and under that you'll find your first set of considerations, a relevant YouTube tutorial as well as a diagram named 'Places of Articulation'. We will refer back to this diagram from time to time as adopting a new accent requires us to consider how we use our articulators and vocal instrument in different ways.
Due to the languages you speak and where you are from, I already have an idea of what differences there may be in your accents, but we really need to focus on one thing at a time so you don't get overwhelmed.
For you Slava, these next sounds are giveaways that you are a non native (American) speaker and by mastering them you will make a tremendous leap closer to your goal.
The vowel sounds are very close (and not forgotten) but we'll look at a couple of these sounds before visiting the vowels as they may get affected by your consonant creation.
First up is the voiced and unvoiced 'TH' sounds or as they are written phonetically θ and ð.
I've explained (in the video below) the pronunciations around these. But for clarity, your tongue (16/17 in the diagram) should be starting the sound 'TH' both voiced and unvoiced by touching the top teeth ( 3 in the diagram).
NOTE: According to what I hear you do naturally your are using your bottom lip (2 in the diagram) instead of the tongue tip (16/17) to create your 'th' sounds. This makes it sound like an 'F' or even a 'V' at times.
For you Slava, these next sounds are giveaways that you are a non native (American) speaker and by mastering them you will make a tremendous leap closer to your goal.
The vowel sounds are very close (and not forgotten) but we'll look at a couple of these sounds before visiting the vowels as they may get affected by your consonant creation.
First up is the voiced and unvoiced 'TH' sounds or as they are written phonetically θ and ð.
I've explained (in the video below) the pronunciations around these. But for clarity, your tongue (16/17 in the diagram) should be starting the sound 'TH' both voiced and unvoiced by touching the top teeth ( 3 in the diagram).
NOTE: According to what I hear you do naturally your are using your bottom lip (2 in the diagram) instead of the tongue tip (16/17) to create your 'th' sounds. This makes it sound like an 'F' or even a 'V' at times.
Exercises to practice and perfect
Also, if you wish, you can use these next two lines to consider and practice as an exercise the two types of TH sounds.
THOO THOH THAW THAH THAY THEE THOW THI (AS IN THINK)
THOO THOH THAW THAH THAY THEE THOW THI (AS IN THAT)
And from the video
"THERE THOSE THOUSAND THINKERS WERE THINKING HOW DID THE OTHER THREE THIEVES GO THROUGH"
THOO THOH THAW THAH THAY THEE THOW THI (AS IN THINK)
THOO THOH THAW THAH THAY THEE THOW THI (AS IN THAT)
And from the video
"THERE THOSE THOUSAND THINKERS WERE THINKING HOW DID THE OTHER THREE THIEVES GO THROUGH"