Accents!?!

[Pattycakes]

I need help! I have been trying to come up with a Pirate character for me. I was thinking along the lines of "Patty the Red" as name. But, my problem is that I can not do ANY type of accents. I can't do a british accent, irish or scotish brogue. I'm lost. Do I need to have an accent? Or can I still come up with the character and eventually get the hang of an accent. I've tried and most people think I just sound slow not british, hahaha! Please help?

[McGuinness]

Are you on cast or just going to enjoy yourself as a patron? If you are on cast, I'd say try to learn some type of accent. If you aren't, then you certainly don't need to. As a patron, you are going to enjoy yourself and shouldn't be expected to do anything other than pay your admission, be it be in costume, in character, anything.

That said, accents aren't as hard as they seem. It just takes practice. After all, you didn't learn how to speak whatever you first language was overnight so you can't be expected to learn a new one that fast (and when you get down to it, an accent IS basically a new language however based in English or whatever it is).

[DonaCatalina]

Some people do and some people don't.
http://www.renaissancefestival.com/forums/index.php?topic=5744.0
If you're not on cast I would say go with whatever feels comfortable.

[Pattycakes]

No, I'm not part of the cast. I'm just a patron. But, someday I would like to be part of the cast. May be later on in the future. But, it seems like it would be so much fun. I'll keep trying and who knows maybe someday I'll get the hang of it. But, If you are at TRF and you hear a really bad accent and wonder where it's coming from, well, that'll be me! HaHaHa

[McGuinness]

Being brave enough to try is the first step. We all have to sound bad before it gets good (you should hear the Swedish accent I'm trying to learn....yikes)

[wyckdblyss]

Patty...if you are doing a bad accent at TRF, you are not the only one! I am sure mine is worse...LOL
Do what makes you happy...I gave up on the accents years ago...I can't get get rid of my Texas Twang, so I decided not to bother 

[Pattycakes]

Thanks, Blyss! That makes me feel alot better. I felt soo self conscious when I would try. But, yeah, I cant' get rid of my texas accent no matter what. I lived in Boston for about 6 years and people used to get a kick out of my accent. Especially since I was trying to fit in so my accent was alittle bit texan and Bostonian. Weird!!! I sounded more or less like this " Hey, ahh ya'll going to go to the pahhhty layta?" which is why so many people laughed at me.LOL!!!! I get confused like that sometimes....HaHa

[Queen Margaret]

I can help with Scottish.

The best advice ever given to me with regard to a Scottish accent was from the late Bert Pfeiffer, a much beloved member of the SRF cast for many years:

"Prrrrreetend ye've got a rotten tairnip in th' front of yer mooth an' ye're too proud tae spit it oot!"

I've been able to roll the brogue ever since.

[dragongirl]

Well, It depends on what type of accent you are going for.  Now as a Texan you should try to find an accent that is closer to your natural twang and modify it from there.  Also you should try to keep with one that hear often.  Perhaps a Spanish accent?  Since you are in TX you should be used to hearing it often. 

[Queen Margaret]

Well, It depends on what type of accent you are going for.  Now as a Texan you should try to find an accent that is closer to your natural twang and modify it from there.  Also you should try to keep with one that hear often.  Perhaps a Spanish accent?  Since you are in TX you should be used to hearing it often. 

Not necessarily. The Spanish accent down here in Texas is vastly different than the one in Spain. Being in New York, you know that Puerto Ricans, Cubans, Dominicans, Mexicans, etc are distinctly different cultures even though they are all Latino.

And not ALL of us have "twangs." Spanish is not even close to the drawl down here anyway, just as all Long Island folks do not have that high nasal whine that makes them sound like geese flying south for the winter.

"Also you should try to keep with one that hear often.  Perhaps a Spanish accent?  Since you are in TX you should be used to hearing it often." Does that mean native New Yorkers are best at Italian accents because of the Mafia? 

[DonaCatalina]

Well, It depends on what type of accent you are going for.  Now as a Texan you should try to find an accent that is closer to your natural twang and modify it from there.  Also you should try to keep with one that hear often.  Perhaps a Spanish accent?  Since you are in TX you should be used to hearing it often. 

I do a Spanish accent, but it is waaaaay different than Mexican/Cuban/South American.
There is a slight lisp and the Y's and J's are pronounced hard as they would be in the British Isles.
Don Diego has an excellent Spanish accent, while Don Alejandro's comes across more as Basque/Northern Spain.

[Queen Onyx]

I need help! I have been trying to come up with a Pirate character for me. I was thinking along the lines of "Patty the Red" as name. But, my problem is that I can not do ANY type of accents. I can't do a british accent, irish or scotish brogue. I'm lost. Do I need to have an accent? Or can I still come up with the character and eventually get the hang of an accent. I've tried and most people think I just sound slow not british, hahaha! Please help?

no worries, you're not the only one (i grew up with a british mom and still can't do a good british accent  ). i actually just came on here tonight looking for pointers on how to work on my ren faire accent. i get embarrassed when i try to attempt any kind of accent because it never comes out right, lol, but when i speak in my normal voice i feel like i'm not getting into the faire spirit enough, hehe.

and as to your feeling too self-conscious when you've tried an accent... yep me too! 

[Lady Renee Buchanan]

My husband is British, and one time at faire somebody told him to drop the fake accent because it sounded awful.

I tried for years to do a British accent, and Steve laughed at me, because I'm originally from New Jersey, and he said no British person says "foive."

So I suggest you just go and have fun and don't worry about it.

[DonaCatalina]

That is too funny, especially since when I first met your husband, I told him his accent sounded English rather than what I expected from someone in Illinois. He just laughed and said that was because he was English.

[Molden]

I have a nice drunken slurr that seldom fails! 

[crashbot]

I was born in Ireland, lived there until I was 6 and spent pretty much every summer over there until I was 16 or 17. I have no accent at all and cannot do Irish to save my life.

I tend to do an exagerated Saturday Night Live "Sprokets"  German that is pretty aweful and funny at the same time.

[LadyFae]

The accent I can do (somewhat) it is just finding the correct words to SAY with that accent that gets me all tangled up!