You may think the new words with the substituted letters sound ridiculous, but if you learn to put stress on the syllables that don’t contain these letters, the words will begin to sound more natural. Hold a finger over your mouth as if trying to tell someone to be quiet to help prevent your lips from moving. Gritting your teeth together may also help.
One excellent way to change your voice is to force air through your nose instead of your mouth when you speak. Another option is to force the sound from the diaphragm. Tighten your stomach muscles when speaking for a deeper, raspier voice.
The voice you choose helps to amplify your puppet’s personality and brings them to life. For example, if you’re from the south, you may want to create a fast-talking Yankee voice for your partner. Alternatively, you could choose a relaxed, French accent to complement your own midwestern way of speech.
If you are athletic and love watching sports, make your partner someone who hates watching football and loves going to the opera instead. Make your partner a scientist or mathematician if you are someone who prefers painting or sculpting, instead. Think about what kind of routine you wish to create and what personality would complement yours the best for creating this routine.
You can choose a puppet with a hard figure (made out of wood) or soft figure (such as a cloth doll) as well as a “novelty” figure (like a jalapeno). You can find a wide array of puppets to choose from online.
Some puppets have other features, including the ability to move their eyebrows, lips, ears, and eyes.
Be sure that the head isn’t moving too much while they speak, or this will distract the audience from the actual speech. Try to observe real people as they speak, and have your partner mimic those movements.
If your partner only moves their head, they will seem unrealistic to the audience. Move the rest of their body as well. For example, have them shift around on your knee or the stool they are sitting on, slump over, or stretch.
Practice interrupting your puppet and your puppet interrupting you to make your dialogue more believable.
Practice every day if you want to make ventriloquism your career.
Choose an outfit that makes you feel comfortable and confident, and do the same for your puppet! You could have your puppet choose a member of the audience to speak to. People will enjoy being included in the show.
Always entertain people in good humor, rather than using your puppet to lash out at specific groups or people.
