Finding the best accents actors suitable for your needs isnt easy. With hundreds of choices can distract you. Knowing whats bad and whats good can be something of a minefield. In this article, weve done the hard work for you.
Reviews
1. Accents: A Manual for Actors- Revised and Expanded Edition
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Used Book in Good ConditionDescription
Note: This ASIN doesn't include a CD. (Limelight). This practical reference manual, with its precise, authentic instructions on how to speak in more than 100 dialects, has established itself as the most useful and comprehensive guide to accents available, now increased by a third in this revised printing. As before, the accents range from regional U.S. and British dialects to European accents that include, among others, the Germanic, Slavic and Romance Languages. Completing his around-the-world journey, the author then covers the Middle East, Africa and Asia. Online audio is accessed at halleonard.com/mylibrary2. Accents & Dialects for Stage and Screen (includes 12 CDs)
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Used Book in Good ConditionDescription
This easy-to-follow yet incredibly detailed 370-page book is the industry standard on accents and dialects of the English language. This is the updated, improved and perfect-bound 2012 edition, with photos. You get not only a proven system of instruction instead of mere voice mimicry, but an invaluable collection of 12 CDs. Paul Meier is a leading dialect coach for theatre and film, and contained in this impressive publication is his entire standard repertoire of the 24 most valuable accents and dialects for actors: Afrikaans (South Africa), American Deep South (Mississippi/Georgia/Alabama), American Southern (Kentucky/Tennessee), Australian, Cockney, Downeast New England, French, General American, German, Hampshire, Indian, Irish, Italian, Liverpool, New York, Northern Ireland, Russian, Scottish, South Boston, Spanish (Castilian & Colonial), Standard British English (Received Pronunciation), Welsh, Yiddish, and Yorkshire. Coaching many famous actors (Tobey Maguire, Tom Wilkinson, Mark Ruffalo, etc.), Meier has also taught dialects at RADA, LAMDA, Webber-Douglas, the North Carolina School of the Arts, and other famous institutions. In addition to his user-friendly practice material, for each dialect Paul coaches you in two monologues (one male and one female) from a well-known play or film, and links you to the hundreds of online recordings of native speakers on his International Dialects of English Archive (IDEA). Further enhancing the value of the book are his interactive IPA phonetics charts, in addition to information on his unique show-specific dialect CDs for hundreds of plays and musicals, custom CD recording, and phone-coaching services. Easy enough for the beginner, rigorous enough for the experienced professional.3. Teach Yourself Accents - North America: A Handbook for Young Actors and Speakers
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(Limelight). Are you doing a play by Tennessee Williams? Or one of David Mamet's plays set in Chicago? Need to learn a Southern or Boston or New York or Caribbean Islands accent quickly, or do you have plenty of time? Then Teach Yourself Accents North America: A Handbook for Young Actors and Speakers is for you: an easy-to-use manual full of clear, cogent advice and fascinating information. Contemporary monologues and scenes for two are included, and an enclosed CD contains the extensive practice exercises. Perfect for the young acting student, the book will help anyone beginning a study of accents to get a rapid handle on the subject and use any accent immediately, with an authentic sound. More experienced actors who need an authoritative quick guide for an audition or for role preparation will find it equally useful, as will speakers who want to improve a specific accent or liven up a presentation with an apt anecdote. This second volume of the new Teach Yourself Accents series by Robert Blumenfeld, author of the best-selling Accents: A Manual for Actors , covers General American, the most widely used accent of Standard American English, as well as Northern and Southern regional accents, AAVE (African-American Vernacular English), Hispanic, Caribbean Islands, and Canadian English and French accents.4. How To Do Accents
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Used Book in Good ConditionDescription
This new, revised edition is accessible and comprehensive, and has become an essential tool for drama students and amateurs alike. The principle involves analyzing your own voice and breaking it down into component sounds; then, listening along with the samples on the CD and adapting vowels and consonants to replicate new accents.
5. Access Accents: Welsh (South) - An Accent Training Resource for Actors
Description
Access Accents bring the highly sought-after voice techniques of top voice coach Penny Dyer to the actor's audio device. They offer a unique opportunity to prepare for auditions at short notice.
Included in this programme:
- A description of the accent and region
- Examples of resident speakers
- Penny Dyer and actor Adrian Scarborough working on the accent and text
- Practice sentences
- The text example
6. A Russian Accent (CD included)
Description
This user-friendly book (approximately 25 pages and 30 minutes of recording on the accompanying CD) is the industry standard for the Russian accent. Instead of mere voice mimicry, you get a proven system of instruction. One in Paul Meier's acclaimed series, it's easy enough for the beginner, yet rigorous enough for the most experienced professional. Coaching many famous actors in films (Tobey Maguire, Tom Wilkinson, Mark Ruffalo, for example), Meier has also taught dialects at RADA, LAMDA, Webber-Douglas, Drama Studio, the North Carolina School of the Arts, and other conservatories. In addition to his easy-to-follow practice material, for each dialect Paul coaches you in two monologues (one male and one female) from a well-known play or film, and links you to the hundreds of online recordings of native dialect speakers on his International Dialects of English Archive (IDEA). Further enhancing the value of the book are his interactive IPA phonetics charts and information on his unique show-specific dialect CDs for hundreds of plays and musicals, custom CD recording, and phone-coaching services. "Accents and Dialects for Stage and Screen" (also available on Amazon) contains all 24 of Meier's individually available dialects and accents. The complete series, all available on Amazon, includes: Afrikaans (South Africa), American Deep South (Mississippi/Georgia/Alabama), American Southern (Kentucky/Tennessee), Australian, Cockney, Downeast New England, French, General American, German, Hampshire, Indian, Irish, Italian, Liverpool, New York, Northern Ireland, Russian, Scottish, South Boston, Spanish (Castilian & Colonial), Standard British English (Received Pronunciation), Welsh, Yiddish, and Yorkshire.7. A French Accent (CD included)
Description
This user-friendly book (approximately 25 pages and 30 minutes of recording on the accompanying CD) is the industry standard for the French accent. Instead of mere voice mimicry, you get a proven system of instruction. One in Paul Meier's acclaimed series, it's easy enough for the beginner, yet rigorous enough for the most experienced professional. Coaching many famous actors in films (Tobey Maguire, Tom Wilkinson, Mark Ruffalo, for example), Meier has also taught dialects at RADA, LAMDA, Webber-Douglas, Drama Studio, the North Carolina School of the Arts, and other conservatories. In addition to his easy-to-follow practice material, for each dialect Paul coaches you in two monologues (one male and one female) from a well-known play or film, and links you to the hundreds of online recordings of native dialect speakers on his International Dialects of English Archive (IDEA). Further enhancing the value of the book are his interactive IPA phonetics charts and information on his unique show-specific dialect CDs for hundreds of plays and musicals, custom CD recording, and phone-coaching services. "Accents and Dialects for Stage and Screen" (also available on Amazon) contains all 24 of Meier's individually available dialects and accents. The complete series, all available on Amazon, includes: Afrikaans (South Africa), American Deep South (Mississippi/Georgia/Alabama), American Southern (Kentucky/Tennessee), Australian, Cockney, Downeast New England, French, General American, German, Hampshire, Indian, Irish, Italian, Liverpool, New York, Northern Ireland, Russian, Scottish, South Boston, Spanish (Castilian & Colonial), Standard British English (Received Pronunciation), Welsh, Yiddish, and Yorkshire.8. Accents and Dialects for the Younger Actor (CD included)
Description
Designed for actors ages 8-15, this user-friendly book (with accompanying CD) is a simplified version of Paul Meier's industry-leading instructional materials on accents and dialects. It includes the following seven dialects: Australian, Cockney, Deep South, French, New York, Northern Ireland, and Standard British English. (It may also be useful as a less demanding introduction to stage dialects for the mature student.) Coaching many famous actors in films (Tobey Maguire, Tom Wilkinson, Kris Kristofferson, and Mark Ruffalo, for example), Meier has also served as voice, speech, dialects, and Shakespeare performance professor at leading drama schools in England and America. These include RADA, LAMDA, Webber-Douglas, Drama Studio, and the North Carolina School of the Arts. In addition to his easy-to-follow practice material, for each dialect Paul coaches you in two monologues (one male and one female) from a well-known play or film, and links you to the hundreds of online recordings of native dialect speakers on the International Dialects of English Archive (IDEA), for which he is founder and director. Further enhancing the value of the book are his interactive IPA phonetics charts and information on his unique show-specific dialect CDs for hundreds of plays and musicals, custom CD recording, and phone-coaching services. Easy enough for the beginner, yet rigorous enough for the more experienced actor.9. Mastering the American Accent