Learn How To Be a Ventriloquist
Over the past 25 years, Ronn Lucas has entertained four U.S. presidents, Queen Elizabeth and the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia. He has had three TV series and numerous TV specials, performed on Broadway and starred in his own Las Vegas show for nearly a decade.
The constant in all his acts: Boys’ Life magazine.
“My earliest shows were for my fellow Scouts,” Lucas says. “I often used jokes found in Boys’ Life. To this day, I’m pretty sure there is at least one joke floating around my act that was borrowed from Pedro.”
Lucas started with Boys’ Life. Now, you can, too, as this awesome ventriloquist shares the secrets of his art.
WHAT IS VENTRILOQUISM?
Ventriloquism (say ven-TRIL-o-kwism) is the art of talking with the tongue and not moving the mouth or face. When a skilled ventriloquist does this sitting beside a figure (or “dummy”) that has a moving mouth, it looks like the figure is talking. It works because humans use their eyes to find sound sources. When the ventriloquist is not moving his mouth but the puppet’s mouth is moving, people think they “see” the figure talking.
LEARN THE EASY ALPHABET
Sit in front of a mirror and make a slight smile with your lips parted. Make your teeth lightly touch. Your tongue should have room to move. If you see your tongue moving in the mirror, then change your smile until the tongue is hidden. Your goal is to breathe easily and read aloud these 19 letters without moving your lips:
A, C, D, E, G, H, I, J, K, L, N, O, Q, R, S, T, U, X, Z.
Practice the following sentences until they sound clear but your lips don’t move: “Hey, this rocks, dude! It is sooooo easy. Anything you can say, I can say, too!” If you sound muffled, try making your voice come from some higher place in your head as well as your mouth.
MOVE ON THE THE TRICKY LETTERS
There are seven trickier letters: B, F, M, P, V, W and Y.
These letters normally require you to move your lips. To say them without moving his face, the ventriloquist borrows from the easy alphabet, some other letters or combined sounds to “fake” the tricky letters. Use these substitutions:
B = D
F = “eth”
M = N
P = T
V = “thee”
W and Y = O+I
B = D
Instead of saying “The Bad Boy Buys a Basket” the ventriloquist says, “The Dad Doy Duys a Dasket.” Try this in the mirror. At first, this substitution won’t sound right; but with practice, D can be made to sound like B. [Hint: When your tongue rises to the top inside of your mouth to make D, let it stick to the roof of your mouth a little longer before releasing. Also, say D but think B.]
F = ETH
Instead of saying “Phil is a Frisky, Funny Fellow,” try saying, “Thil is a Thrisky, Thunny Thellow.” Say the “eth” sound but think F as you do it.
M = N
“Mary Mashes Many Mangos” becomes “Nary Nashes Nany Nangos.” Make the N vibrate against the roof of your mouth. Keep thinking M.
P = T
“Peter is a Practice Pilot” becomes “Teter is a Tractice Tilot.” Try holding the T a little longer, then release with a little puff of air behind it.
V = THEE
“Vinnie Very much Values Victory” becomes “Thinny Thery nuch Thalues Thictory.”
W AND Y = O+I
W and Y are treated alike. By quickly sliding the letters O and I together you can say “O-Aye” and it sounds like Why. Try putting a fast O to the front of the following: “Why Would Wally Walk?” You’ll be saying “O-Aye O-ould O-olly O-alk?” Now drop the O (or say it silently in your head), and you’ll be saying a clean W sound without using your lips.
In a short time, these substitutions become automatic. Practice for 15 to 20 minutes a day and in about a week you’ll see some serious results! Practice your ventriloquism with a relaxed puppet-like voice that is higher or lower than your own.
I really want to try doing ventriloquism, but I don’t know where to go to study or try it out…
Thank you so much!
VERY HELPFUL LEARNINB TO BE A VENTRILIQUIST IN FOUR WEEKS FOR A SENIOR SHOW. I AM ALSO A SENIOR
This was very helpful I llllllllooooooovvvvvvveeeeeee Ventriloquism
Carol would love to learn
looks pretty hard but, actually pretty easy. cooool
Thery helpful adthice
i want to do this
This is TOO hard.
I know right
I can’t do it. I can’t do dummy speak.
I find this super! Very helpful!
Don’t know why I never tried it before, especially since I love making characters in different voices, but not bringing them to life with a puppet or have them talk.
i cannot do it!!!
I find it easy doing the alphabet. Ventriloquist A Master😃😃
I find this very hard.
It is really hard
Fun but where do you get pupets and how much do they cost?
its actually pretty easy.
I love this website
Me too
they cost a lot!
Sry typo I meant thing
After seeing Darci Lynn win America’s Got Talent I’m very inspired to start learning ventriloquism! Let’s DO THIS THANG!!!
I know right same. 🙂
ME too
Ya darcy realy inspired me to do it suprisingly i learnt in one day but im not the best
Sir in your introduction you said ‘ let your teeth touch the tongue gently’ is this upper or lower teeth?
Thanking you in anticipation
Wow this is great. Tysm
both maybe
Omg thanks so much for teaching me ventriloquism! Because of this i’m now the entertainer in our school with my friend puppet, Peanuts! It was very fun to learn and do thanks so much! Looking forward to more of these awesome things!
I’ve always loved ventriloquism and knowing that i can learn such a brilliant thing is amazing! I think I’m already getting the hang of it!
you are welcome
I love this article. More please.
it really works
Well nothing new… Good for the beginners 😇
How do you throw your voice?
You can bring life into things just by using your talent. No need to look further to learn the superb art of ventriloquism, as you can acquire this amazing talent from the most experienced ventriloquist at affordable prices.
Will a sock puppet work when your first starting
I will be a great ventriloquist
I have my own ventriloquist dummy. It wasn’t a high price. But don’t think I’m real good at ventriloquism because I only got mine yesterday. I have the Danny o’ day dummy. Only his mouth moves though.
this is so fun but hard some times its easy
A sock puppet would work….
Umm…
very useful
I found a bit challenging
i agree
cool
This was very handy if you put the fair time needed into it. I have already done a few shows. It’s quite a fun yet unusual talent to catch.
Ronn Lucas is a terriffic entertainer! He was the only thing of value that I saw when I was in Las Vegas years ago. His show was truly family fare. It’s great to know that he was a Scout – it all makes sense now!
i realy want to try this!!!!!!!!!!!!!
how much do the dolls cost
The costs of the dolls increase with complexity and depend on materials. Old style puppets start out around 50 dollars. They are cheaply made and are not as nice as they could be. The better dolls are 200 dollars or more. Usually more. Jeff Dunham has produced a little Jeff doll for 125-150 per doll depending on where you buy it.
The dolls can run as cheap as 50 bucks to thousands of dollars. A good vent figure on average is around 350.00.
how long does this take?
Like anything it takes practice, practice, practice.
About 86 days
this is soo hard
Add more things to practice
Need more advice on talking without moving your lips
Explain more clearly on what to change the libels (hard letters) to
But most is very good
This is soo Jeff.
wow! i soooo want to be A ventriloquist. Lets do dis!
This is very fun. I really like it.
i’m doing TERRIBLE
I like learning about ventriloquists and i’m just starting this information
This seems like fun, now i want a puppet
I make and sell them,
Very cool thank you
you are right