voice? o.O

[DRAIN]

After talking to someone from the chat on a voice chat today, I was told I come across waaay more masculine online than off. I know its true, but I also know that it wasn't always like that....I recently found a recording from a couple years ago where I said to myself....wow, sounded like a boy (with a really high voice). Now, I'm trying to figure out why.

I know my voice is really high and I tend to sound like a valley girl. I have yet to try sounding more masculine, except for singing, but how about voice patterns? any hints? do you all do anything to sound more male even if your voice hasn't changed yet? thanks 

[GQjoey]

I always had a deeper voice, even from when I was younger. Don't know if I taught myself how to speak lower, or if it was natural. But ever since I can remember, every time the phone rang, I was always mistaken for my older bro.

I DO know that when you're forcing yourself to talk lower, it's pretty obvious. I don't know of any exercises to help out your voice, but I did see an interesting video you youtube, and this kid did a good job dropping his. Check it out, maybe it will help.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oet7stRO_sU&mode=related&search=

[Jay]

I've always had a deep voice so I have had no problems in that department... and I haven't got a clue about any technics that you can do... try talking in a lower pitch :S

[jonjon]

i've heard drinking milk before bed and *attempting* to sing along to male vocalists to practice getting that pitch right.

Funnily enough i can do that singing thing. I got a great male singing voice (so my head says) but somehow i just cant seem to shift it to normal everyday speech 

[no_id]

Check it out, maybe it will help.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oet7stRO_sU&mode=related&search=

Hehe, I'm going to try that one once I got some time by myself. Curious if it will work.

I know my voice is really high and I tend to sound like a valley girl. I have yet to try sounding more masculine, except for singing, but how about voice patterns? any hints? do you all do anything to sound more male even if your voice hasn't changed yet? thanks 

Well, when it comes to singing; a-many choir teacher will tell you to use your lower regions/stomach instead of your 'head' (yeah yeah lower regions and head are definitely the most excellent combination of word choices). This way you don't lose your voice, have a larger range, and tones sound more vast. So, this should work with trying to lower your voice as well.
 
To use your lower region rather than 'head', fill your stomach with air and tense the muscles while producing a note; you should feel vibration in your chest and below. Try doing a simple do-re-mi-fa-so-la-ti do-ti-la-so-fa-mi-re-do and repeat the sequence starting at a lower pitch each time. Also try variations: do-ho-ho-ho, re-he-he-he,  mi-i-i-i(i-i-i-i-iiii), to get used to using your lower regions (which should be tensed-relaxed-tensed with this variation), and just as with the previous start at a lower pitch each time. Then you can start lengthening the notes by going dohohoho-rehehehe-mihihihihihihihihiiiii (no, that isn't like a leprechaun giggling).

Funnily enough i can do that singing thing. I got a great male singing voice (so my head says) but somehow i just cant seem to shift it to normal everyday speech 

To incorporate this in speech, start by singing one note (for example 'do'), and before you are out of breath say a regular sentence (might want to start it with an 'o' if doing 'do' in the beginning since it's easier, e.g.: "open the door.."). This should give you a good feel of how to use your breath, and muscles in order to lower your voice (just keep that vibration in mind).

Tip 1.) try listening to some Jazz/Blues (artists such as BBKing or John Lee Hooker) or some early 50s and 20s singers, and listen to how they use their voice.)
Tip 2.) write the do-re-mi-fa-so-la-ti-do sequence (and backwards) on a piece of paper and hang it on your wall so you don't stress over the order.
Tip 3.) keep your hand on your stomach to find out whether it's rising or not, and check for vibrations.
Tip 4.) tape yourself practising.

Now, besides singing, you could also try to sound more monotone since women often throw their pitches all over the place when talking, and put a lot of stress on certain sounds. An interesting example is a guy who works at a call centre; when trying to sound more enthusiastic/spontaneous (and therefore putting more stress on sounds) his voice sounds a lot higher. And, therefore it should be the reverse for women when they do the opposite.

Ehh well, that's my two Andro cents on it. 

[Nero]

After talking to someone from the chat on a voice chat today, I was told I come across waaay more masculine online than off. I know its true, but I also know that it wasn't always like that....I recently found a recording from a couple years ago where I said to myself....wow, sounded like a boy (with a really high voice). Now, I'm trying to figure out why.

I would not advise attempting to lower your voice. As Joey said, it's brutally obvious when someone does this. There were transguys I was embarassed to go out in public with, because they talked in that phony laughable affected voice, the strain of which was painfully clear all over their face. It actually draws more attention than if you talk in your natural voice. People are curious as to what in hades is wrong with you when you force your voice.

I know my voice is really high and I tend to sound like a valley girl.

Valley girl? Whoa. In 6th grade, I used to have my comedy routine during class, where I would do the valley girl voice. I had fun with it. Even the teachers cracked up.

I have yet to try sounding more masculine, except for singing, but how about voice patterns? any hints? do you all do anything to sound more male even if your voice hasn't changed yet? thanks 

Do anything? No. I don't have a deep voice either, but everybody says I sound male. I don't sound my age, but I do sound male the way I speak.
I wouldn't recommend trying to sound masculine. It's one of those things that's just gotta come natural, or don't bother.
Voice patterns? What in Sam Hill is a voice pattern? I wouldn't recommend trying a 'voice pattern'. How the hell could you hold a conversation if you're busy concentrating on what 'voice pattern' you're using?
There are no tricks (none that work anyway). You just talk how you talk. Unless you want to look like a clown trying to force your voice low and implementing some 'speech pattern'.
Honestly dude, it's nothing you can fake.

[no_id]

Interestingly enough, I have been trying out the assignments present in the video that GQjoey posted earlier on.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oet7stRO_sU&mode=related&search=

I have/had a very high voice of my own, but after practicing this and working on my vocal cords my regular voice has dropped a bit. I pretty much fall in and out of it; it's not masculine, but at least I don't sound like a fairy, and it's starting to feel more comfortable than talking in my regular high voice. Nevertheless, I guess it's different for everyone.

[mallard500]

Do anything? No. I don't have a deep voice either, but everybody says I sound male. I don't sound my age, but I do sound male the way I speak.
I wouldn't recommend trying to sound masculine. It's one of those things that's just gotta come natural, or don't bother.
Voice patterns? What in Sam Hill is a voice pattern? I wouldn't recommend trying a 'voice pattern'. How the hell could you hold a conversation if you're busy concentrating on what 'voice pattern' you're using?
There are no tricks (none that work anyway). You just talk how you talk. Unless you want to look like a clown trying to force your voice low and implementing some 'speech pattern'.
Honestly dude, it's nothing you can fake.

Prior to transitioning, I already had a baritone voice, and was consistently called Sir on the phone.  By time I'd been on T for 6 months, my voice had stabilized into a comfortable and natural bass range.  What I'm still having issues with is in projection... my former voice range was such that I could easily turn on my "Drill Sergeants" voice and be heard easily in any situation.

Now however, I find people sometimes having a hard time hearing/understand me, and my public speaking voice just doesn't carry like it used to.  The video you posted was very interesting, and I'm sure will help a lot of folks.  I'm still trying to find ways to improve the projection of my voice however.

But aside from that, I personally don't think the range itself (outside of the obvious extremes) is really that important... it's WHAT you say and how you put things that are more telling.

For example, as a Call Center Supervisor, I often find myself speaking with customers, and I initially had problems after coming out as male at work, and using my male name with customers for the first time.  They heard a male voice, and a male name, but the Customer Service mannerisms I've learned/used for years read as female - which was very confusing to customers!   

I've found that the choice of words/terms, and what you're saying itself, are more important to being read as male or female in terms of voice, then the actual pitch or range of the voice.


Scott

[chase]

I think that you can lower your voice, at least a little.  I think there is probably a difference between the embarrassing folks you were talking about and just talking a little lower.  I think that female voices speak differently, and i notice it for myself, a lot higher. My voice has changed on t, but if I dont use it right, it can still be high (its only been 5 mos, and there have only been some changes, i think it will definitely get deeper) and you should talk more mono, without the flourishes.  it sounds more male.  and dont go up a note at the end of sentences..

[Melissa]

What that guy does in the video seems like it could work.  I've talked to Nero on the phone and he sounds like the guy in this video a little ways after he starts lowering his voice. Some other things to try would be to relax your vocal cords as much as possible and secondly get rid of any breathiness.  Also, you should feel your chest while talking.  The more vibration you feel, the more male it should sound.  What I think that guy is doing is trying to stretch out his vocal cords so that they are more relaxed.

Another difference I've noticed between male and female voices is that a female's voice is much less "forced" than a male's voice is.  Regarding singing, I've discovered that the range of androgynous sounds is much broader, which makes it much easier for males to sound female and females to sound male.  Once I realized this, I was able to increase my volume and even though I sounded much like I did when singing as male, nobody seemed to notice anything "odd".  I think this is partially due to the fact that both male and female singing voices will vary in pitch as each note changes and because bodies are different, resonance will vary enough between people that it's not particularly noticable.  In my musical, there's even a couple GGs who sing lower than I do (at least compared to the parts I sing).

I hope this helps.

[Osiris]

I've just glanced over this topic so I don't know if this has been brought up but I thought I'd add my 2 cents.

A lot of times it isn't how high or deep your voice is that makes you appear masculine/feminine, but more how you say things. A lot of women use an upward inflection within sentences. Men tend to speak within a smaller range. Try doing exercises where you try to say something completely monotone and see how it sounds. Then try adding a little more emotion without having your tone bounce around too far from your "base tone."

BTW Howdy community.

[Melissa]

The unfortunate truth is that different people pick up gender in the voice in different manners.  Some may look at pitch, some may look at word choice, some may listen to inflection, etc, but it's all subconscious.  If you want to be correctly gendered all the time, you would need to work on all aspects of the voice.  That's why GGs get sirred and GMs get ma'amed sometimes.  It's because there is some aspect of their voice that others are picking up as the wrong gender.