Improving your Voice Tonality for DUMMIES
The wrong tone can turn a well-meaning message into hate.
The right tone can turn hate into a well-meaning message.
It’s easy to undermine the importance of tonality in communication.
There’s a reason voice tonality is not taken seriously till later in our lives.
‘Why do you think that is?’
Problems created from poor tonality are noticed as we mature.
It’s difficult to improve something that we do not place importance in.
This article is going to get you to value tonality.
Plus, you’ll get some practical tips to improve your tone.
The voice is a muscle.
It’s never too late to reshape it to your desires.
What is Tonality?
Tonality is the harmony & musicality of your voice.
Words are the symbols.
The tone comes down to the delivery.
Therefore, the wrong tone can create an unwanted enemy.
If your voice is sharp & cold, then it seems like you are agitated.
While on the other hand, a person with a nice tone can say anything & get away with it.
‘Anything?’
Surprisingly, yes…
The tone is primal.
Before words, humans communicated with body language, grunts & tone.
Look at animals as well…
They don’t have the words as we do, but they sure as hell have the sound of their voice.
- A cat can hiss.
- A dog can bark aggressively.
- A monkey can go from silent to screaming.
All tones that imply meaning.
How Important is Tone in Communication?
There is a model by the psychologist, Dr. Albert Mehrabian, who broke down the importance of each variable in communication to:
- Words – 7%
- Tone – 38%
- Body Language – 55%
For the sake of simplicity, I like to consider tone as a part of body language.
It’s invisible…yes.
But in my worldview, it’s body language.
That means a staggering 93% of communication is body language.
There are 2 types of thinking out there:
- Reductionist – where you are breaking things down.
- Systems – where you are putting things together.
Tone is interpreted through systems thinking.
Whether the other person is aware or not…
They are looking for a general FEEL of the message.
The Holistic Communicator
It’s easy to devalue the tone because it is highly subjective.
The tone is difficult to measure through objective methods.
Words are easier to measure with formal exams.
Grammar, punctuation, spelling, etc.
School format of communication gears you to become a word communicator.
‘Is that bad?’
It’s not bad. But it isn’t good either.
When you are a word communicator, it’s easier to get brainwashed.
These types of communicators often miss the meaning of the message & cling to low-level details.
Words are a tool.
The tone is a tool as well.
It’s the message that is king.
- A lot of individuals with great messages have awful delivery.
- A lot of individuals with awful messages have great delivery.
If you cannot distinguish great messages from awful, brainwashing is in your horizon.
Say hello to being a group thinker.
Our goal is to become a HOLISTIC communicator.
One that has precise words & a warm delivery.
Speak Better by Listening Better
‘Okay Armani, I’m sold! Give me some speaking exercises to improve my tone.’
Not so fast…
Before you try improving your speaking, improve your listening.
Imagine there are 2 students who want to learn the guitar:
- One has never heard music before.
- One has grown up listening to great music & bad music.
Which one do you think has a better chance of learning the guitar?
‘The first guy.’
Why?
‘Because he has data points which allow him to distinguish great music from bad music.’
Correct.
Spend more time listening to the tone of great communicators…
Along with bad communicators.
You don’t want to be too reductionist with your approach.
Instead, get a general understanding of how their delivery makes you feel.
- Is it sharp?
- Is there a certain rhythm to their voice?
- Do you consider their voice deep or high pitched?
This sort of understanding helps you build a stronger grasp of good music from bad music.
Ooops, I mean good voice from bad voice.
Creating an Articulation Chamber & Speaking
We go to the gym to work out our muscles.
Wouldn’t it be smart to have a set location to work out our voice?
‘Is that even possible?’
Hell yea.
I break down the concept of the Articulation Chamber in detail in the Speak Easy Book.
You can grab copy by clicking the book image:
The Articulation Chamber is a location in your living facility where you practice your speaking skills.
Invest in a camera, a mic, a nice chair, posters to create a vibe, etc.
Then practice speaking, recording yourself, & listening back to it.
Since you have been listening to other people’s voices, you have more data points to experiment your tonality with.
No need to force it.
Just select any random topic & do a quick talk on it.
Or read a book out loud.
After you’re complete, wait some time (maybe till the next day) & listen back to your recording.
No need to be super detailed.
Instead, get a general understanding of how your voice is making you feel.
This is how you can improve your voice tonality.
Accumulate data, eliminate wasted movements, and a beautiful sound will soon emerge.
A Powerful Tonality is a Superpower
If you’re one of those people who is consistently being misunderstood…
Then chances are you need to read this article twice!
You don’t have a message problem; you have a tonality problem.
Those who have a sharp, cold voice often have no clue.
It’s something that they are problem unaware of.
Becoming problem aware is a good start.
But turn good to great by building an articulation chamber & practicing.
Keep your ears open for the different types of voice patterns out there.
Improving voice tonality allows you to build bridges rather than build walls.
Break away from being a word communicator.
Become the Mighty Holistic Communicator.
Words are on point.
Body language is on point.
Message is top tier.
For more practical strategies to become a POWERFUL communicator, check out the ArmaniTalks Shop!
– ArmaniTalks 
