Exercise 1-1: Rubber Band Practice with Nonsense Syllables

Take a rubber band and hold it with your two thumbs. Every time you want to stress a word by

changing pitch, pull on the rubber band. Stretch it out gently, don' t jerk it sharply. Make a looping °

° figure with it and do the same with your voice. Use the rubber band and stretch it out every time

you change pitch. Read first across, then down.

Clipped

No

///////// ou

///////// /////////

seat

////////////

Unvoiced

see

///////// eed

///////// /////////

Voiced

A                            B                                    C                            D

1. duh duh duh            1. la la la                       1. mee mee mee          1. ho ho ho

2. duh duh duh            2. la la la                       2. mee mee mee           2. ho ho ho

3. duh duh duh            3. la la la                       3. mee mee mee           3. ho ho ho

4. duh duh duh            4. la la la                       4. mee mee mee           4. ho ho ho

Read each column down, keeping the same intonation pattern.

A                            B                                    C                            D

1. duh duh duh            1. duh duh duh              1. duh duh duh             1. duh duh duh

2. ABC                        2. imprecise                 2. condition                  2. alphabet

3. 123                          3. a hot dog                  3. a hot dog                  3. hot dog stand

4. Dogs eat bones.      4. They eat bones.        4. They eat them.         4. Give me one.