How to Do a Chipmunk Voice
A chipmunk voice is high, quick and bright. Lift into a light head voice, place the sound forward in your mouth and nose, and chatter quickly with crisp consonants. The classic sped-up cartoon sound is easiest to get by recording a normal take and pitch-shifting it up with a voice changer.
The sound
- pitch
- High, in a light head voice or bright mix, well above your speaking pitch.
- pace
- Fast and chattery, with quick bursts and squeaks.
- resonance
- Small and forward: front of the mouth and nose, with very little chest.
- texture
- Clean and bright, with a touch of nasal twang.
- signature
- Rapid, high chatter punctuated by tiny squeaks of excitement.
How to do a chipmunk voice, step by step
- Find a light head voice. Siren gently up from your speaking pitch on 'ooo' until you reach a light, comfortable high tone. Speak from there, keeping it gentle rather than loud.
- Make the space small. Spread your lips into a slight smile and keep your tongue forward. Imagine the sound coming from the tip of your nose. A small mouth space creates a small-creature sound.
- Add nasal brightness. Let a little resonance into the nose for a bright, buzzy twang. Twang adds brightness and carry without extra effort.
- Speed up the chatter. Talk quickly with sharp, light consonants: tiny rushes of words, then a sudden stop.
- Add squeaks of emotion. On surprise or delight, jump even higher for a quick squeak: 'Ooh! Acorns!' Keep these very short.
- Or pitch-shift a normal take. For the classic effect, record your lines in your normal voice and raise the pitch several semitones with a voice changer. If your tool also speeds up playback, read a little slower than usual so the result stays clear.
Practice lines
Read these with the voice, then record yourself and listen back. The teleprompter below scrolls through all of them.
- Acorns! Acorns everywhere! This is the best day of my whole entire life!
- Shh, shh, shh! Somebody's coming. Hide the snacks!
- I can fit eleven nuts in one cheek. Eleven! Want to see? No? I'll show you anyway.
- No, no, no, that's my tree! I called it! I called it last Tuesday!
- Is it winter yet? Is it winter yet? Is it winter yet?
- Ooh, shiny! What is it? Can I eat it? Can I keep it?
- I wasn't scared. I was just running in a very brave direction.
- Quick, quick, quick, the dog's awake!
- Thank you, thank you! I'd like to thank my family, my tree and especially my tail.
- Three, two, one, jump! Wait, I didn't mean me!
Common mistakes
- Squeezing the throat to get high. It sounds pinched and strains quickly.
- Getting loud at a high pitch. Chipmunk voices work at moderate volume; the brightness does the carrying.
- Losing the words. High and fast still needs crisp consonants.
- Holding the voice for long stretches without breaks.
Keep your voice healthy
High voices are safest in a light, easy head voice. If your throat tightens or you feel the larynx jamming upward, drop the pitch a little and lighten the volume. Warm up with gentle sirens first, avoid holding extreme high voices for long sessions and drink water. For long recordings, speaking naturally and pitch-shifting with a voice changer is much easier on your voice.
Use it in a scene
Try the voice in a dubbing scene, roll a random prompt, or warm up first with the vocal warm-up.
Frequently asked questions
How do you get a chipmunk voice without an app?
Use a light head voice, spread your lips into a slight smile, keep your tongue forward and talk quickly with crisp consonants. A little nasal twang makes the sound brighter and smaller.
How was the original chipmunk effect made?
Early cartoon voices were recorded at a slow tape speed and played back faster, which raised both pitch and tempo. Today a pitch shifter or voice changer does something similar instantly.
Why does my high voice crack?
Cracks usually happen when you push too much air or squeeze at a register change. Lighten the volume, siren gently through the break and let the voice settle into head voice.