The student will want to try to produce the voice for his ventriloquist figure overhead or under the floor, although in attempting either of these effects there are several striking points or essentials to be carefully observed.
For the voice on the roof instead of retaining the voice in the back of the throat, as it were, you force it against the back of the hard palate, or roof of the mouth.
The quality of the voice should be a kind of gruff falsetto, elevated to a high pitch.
By rolling back the tongue and keeping the jaws rigid, with the lips slightly apart, the palate will be elevated and drawn nearer to the pharynx, thereby forming a cavity in the back part of the mouth and throat.
The consonant sounds need not be articulated plainly, all words being formed in the pharynx and exploded, as it were, against the roof of the mouth by sudden expulsions of the breath clear from the lungs at every word.
When you are ready to try this voice in public, take your position as far from the audience as possible, because, as already stated, the more removed you are from the listeners the better the effect will seem to them.
If you are not entirely sure of yourself, deliberately turn your back on the company and direct their attention to the ceiling, either by looking upward or by pointing while calling loudly, as if you have reason to believe some one is concealed above.
Make your own voice very distinct and loud and as close to the lips as possible to give further contrast between the natural and the ventriloquial voice.
In fact, almost shout, and then in exactly the same tone and pitch, but as faint as possible consistent with audibility, answer in the manner already described.
Careful attention must be paid to the manner of breathing in order properly to get the right effect for the ventriloquist figure.
When using the ventriloquial voice the breath must be allowed to escape from the lungs very slowly, when the sound will come in a subdued and muffled manner, hardly louder than a whisper, but still containing body enough to be well distinguished.
We will now take up the best method for producing the illusion of the " man under the floor," which is somewhat different than that the voice mentioned The voice of the "man under the floor" is chiefly distinguished its tonal quality.
It is a guttural voice made as far down the throat as possible.
To produce it shorten your neck until your chin touches your chest.
This compresses the vocal cords and draws up your stomach in such a manner that when you speak the sound is prevented from rising and is forced down the throat.
Of course you would not in public sink your chin to your chest, but it is necessary to do so in your preliminary practice in order to obtain the right result.
When once you have accustomed your ear to the sound and your vocal organs to the right formation, it can be made naturally without difficulty.
The idea is to make the sound as far back in the pharynx as possible, and to prevent it from rising into the cavity of the mouth by compressing the vocal mechanism.
Note well that this voice is low-pitched and is not exploded against the palate.
In other words, you always send the sound originating in the larynx in the direction from which you desire it to come-if from above you pitch it high and force it against the roof of the mouth, or hard palate; if from near at hand you make it near by confining it in the cavity of the mouth.
This voice for your ventriloquist figure will allow you to produce many interesting dialogues which will enchant and mystify your audience.