About Estill Voice Training™

Over 20 Years of Revolutionizing Voice Training

Founded by Jo Estill in 1988, Estill Voice Training™ (also known as Estill Voicecraft™), is an innovative system for developing masterful control of the human voice. It offers a clear and concise vocabulary for describing what voices can do and powerful exercises that allow voices to realize their full potential – be it for better speaking or for better singing. Estill Voice Training™ grew out of ground-breaking research into singing. Actors and singers have recognized its benefits since the beginning, but its principles and exercises apply in corporate and clinical settings, too! Because Estill Voice Training™ has no aesthetic or cultural biases, its common sense approach can be used by any voice, for any purpose, in any setting.

Elegant and Effective Exercises

Figures for Voice™ are the foundation of Estill Voice Training™. These “Figures”, modeled on what were once the “Compulsory Figures” in ice skating competitions, are exercises designed to develop control of specific structures that contribute to the sound and feeling of the voice. Each structure has two to four conditions, or options, that are explained and explored through introductory exercises. The 13 Figures for Voice™ are advanced exercises that challenge the speaker and singer to produce the options in different combinations, at different pitches, on different vowels. Overall voice quality is the result of complex and dynamic combinations of the options chosen by the speaker or singer for each structure.

Hearing is Believing

There are Figures for Voice™ that control the vibrating edges of the true vocal folds, the source of our vocal sound. There are other Figures that influence the shape of the vocal tract that resonates and filters the tone produced. Yet other Figures influence the posture of the body and breath that power the voice. Click on the icons below to hear for yourself.

Options for True Vocal Fold Body-Cover Control:

Listen for Thick-Stiff-Thin (low, high), Thick-Slack
Female Sample
Male Sample

Listen for options above in these Figure Combinations for Six Voice Qualities™

Estill Speech Quality	Estill Falsetto Quality
Estill Sob Quality	Estill Oral Twang Quality
Estill Nasal Twang Quality	Estill Belt Quality
Estill Opera Quality

Purchase a download of the introductory chapter from our Level One Workbook by clicking here.