Boston Accent Intonation
The intonation of an accent is the musicality or prosody, and though there is some degree of variation from one person to another, any accent has some consistent elements that help people to almost immediately recognize where someone is from.
Actors Learning a Boston Accent
Whenever an actor is learning a Boston accent, one of the first things they need to work on is the intonation - and Boston is quite distinct from other accents in the northeast of the US.
In the video above, you can hear me demonstrating the drag or press intonation of Boston. (I'll use a few different words to describe it, because sometimes the right word is the big key for someone getting a solid grasp of it.)
It does require me saying that it's always best to start with a VERY strong version of the intonation of an accent, so we're going Disney, cartoon, over-the-top, offensive with this! It's really important to get the strong version, because then it's more likely you'll grasp that element as you begin to lighten it up to whatever degree is necessary for what you're working on - without losing it. Start strong!
Boston Drag Intonation
This drag or press or grinding musicality is the big key for teaching an actor to speak with a Boston accent. It can also feel off-key, like it's coming in just a little flat or under-pitched.
Some of the techniques that can help with this is to physicalize the intonation with your hands, pressing down and forward, with tension in your arms. Sometimes physicalizing it is a big trigger for an actor nailing an accent - and it's very true with Boston accents.
In addition, you might think of it as a robot voice, which usually triggers someone to speak a bit off-pitch, almost monotone - remember that we're going over the top here!
You can also try whining really strongly, complaining about how terrible the pitcher was, or letting the Astros know that they're bigger cheaters than the Sox. (This is open to debate... and I say that as a 'stros fan who is still pissed they beat those garbage cans.)
Intonation on Stressed Words
The intonation of any accent comes out the strongest on stressed words - what I commonly call "operative words."
It's useful to start by doing the intonation on EVERY word - remember how we're starting too strong?
But then we want to shift it to being focused on the specific words that you're stressing the most in the phrase. Once you strongly identify the musicality, then it's time to refine it and let the focus be these important words. That's where the press should come out.
That's going to bring you from a wicked-ass stereotype of the accent to something that's more likely to happen in Dorchester.
Learning Other Accents that Press
The great thing about learning an accent is that you're also going to be picking up keys to learn other accents as well. This press intonation is present in a lot of other accents - and I go into many of them in the video above.
You can hear a similar press intonation in accents of Northern Ireland, in Caribbean accents, with various accents of New York City, with Austrian accents, and many others.
Again, physicalizing it and going to the extreme is going to be a key, and if you have experience with one of them, it's likely to help you with finding the specifics of another one of these drag accents.
Dialect Recordings for Learning Accents
The Accent Help materials - in addition to teaching you the accent - include thousands of dialect recordings of native speakers that I've gathered over the years.
I've made multiple trips to Boston for dialect recordings. I've recorded people in Boston Common, in a Dorchester assisted living community, and even at Fenway Park.
I was lucky enough to have a former student whose husband worked for the Sox, and with his help, I was able to interview a number of administrators and even some of the ground crew. They were so welcoming and helpful! (I also got tix to see the Astros play against the Red Sox - sitting in the old seats behind home plate. 'Stros won. Just sayin'.)
I always feel so lucky to get to talk with folks like this, and to get to share it all with you on the site.
Thank you, Boston, for having much nicer humans than the stereotype suggests!