When describing a good voice, one of the qualities frequently mentioned is “deep”. Everyone seems to want a deeper voice, hoping they’ll sound stronger, more commanding, sexier or whatever.

But then they make a big mistake. They pitch their voice as low as possible, so they end up speaking in the very bottom of their range. Their voice gets tense, tires easily and actually sounds higher because it’s stuck in their throat. Developing a deep voice is not about speaking on a lower pitch; it’s about finding deeper resonance.

Here’s how to make your voice deeper. A deep voice is the product of three elements. The first essential is relaxation. Muscle tension stops sound vibrations. Tension anywhere in your body limits the spread of sound vibrations. This restricts your voice to your throat and mouth and makes the sound seem higher. Feel the ground under you. Allow your whole body to relax down onto the ground. Your voice will drop further into your body and sound deeper.

The second essential is breath. Breathing well relaxes the body at very deep levels, creates more space on the inside and keeps the channels very open. If your in-breath is small and high, your voice will be small and high. If your in-breath is full and deep, your voice will tend to be full and deep.

The third essential is space. Think of a bass drum. Its large interior space tends to emphasize the lower frequencies of its sound. The same thing will happen with your voice if you enhance the feeling of open space throughout your body. That’s how to make your voice deeper, the healthy way, by cultivating more relaxation, breath and space.

Some people get lucky and seem to be born with voices that sound confident and authoritative. The rest of us have to develop it. The good news is that everyone, including you, has the potential for a voice that’s warm, resonant and strong. With some training and practice, you can learn to relax, breathe, and be expansive, cultivating a genuine sense of depth in your voice that others will find authentic, appealing and attractive.

For more exercises to develop depth in your voice, visit voice and speech dot com and enroll in the free video mini course, The Sound of Success.