How To Practice Ventriloquism

Don’t move your lips. In normal conversation, you use your mouth, nose, and throat to produce a sound that’s present, or “near.” To throw your voice, you must learn to keep your tongue behind your teeth and make sound from the back of your throat, which produces the illusion of distance.

To root sound deeper in your body, practice grunting. Open your mouth slightly, so that the syllable you produce is kind of an “ah.” Use the back of your throat – the part that triggers a gag reflex – to make a low, droning sound. Your tongue should be pushed all the way down and back, and your chin may move a little closer to your chest.

The letters B, F, M, P, Q, V, and W are impossible to say without moving your lips. Because of this, learn to substitute “D” for “B,” a soft “Th” for “F,” “Nah” or “M,” “T” for “P,” “Koo” for “Q,” “Th” (like the th in “the”) for “V,” and “Ooo” for “W.”

While you’re practicing grunting and pronouncing words, breathe in deeply. Make sure your stomach puffs out as you inhale, and when you exhale, contract your abdominal muscles so that they pull back in towards your spine. Learn not to rely on your mouth’s movements in order to form words.

For a voice that comes from above, pull your jaw down and back, and push the sound towards the top of your head. If you want your voice to seem like it’s coming from your puppet, jut your chin out, and block your throat more with your tongue. Angle your head and mouth in its direction.

If you want people to believe, you’ll need to ham it up. Pick a spot you want your voice to come from. Act surprised when you hear it. Convince your crowd by quickly shifting back and forth between your normal voice and the “thrown” voice. They’ll be mighty impressed!