Does anyone else just get really frustrated by their voice?

[Dena]

I have to agree with iKate, seems like it had a bit of an impact for me. However, I am still not fully satisfied with my speaking voice. However, I am just scared that if I do go under the knife that results may not be as good as what iKate got from her VFS in SKorea.

Here's a sample of my speaking voice:

http://vocaroo.com/i/s1EsTg4qru9G

I like the voice. It's a mid range feminine voice and contains enough inflection to sound feminine. Surgery would raise the pitch but I don't see a need for surgery as the voice should pass the telephone test. Ikate's before voice was sing song and very expressive. The surgery gave her an out of the box voice that didn't need therapy to sound right. The first time I heard her post surgical voice, I couldn't understand where it came from and then she posted her original voice and I understood.

[Catherine Sarah]

"Does anyone else just get really frustrated by their voice"

AB - SO - Bloody - LUTELY!!!!

Do I WHAT??

The trouble my voice has got me into is unbelievable. You should hear some of the things it says. No, when I mean yes; yes when I mean no. And as for those porky-pies it tell the constable when he's caught me speeding. Where does it dream up those stories? My voice has a mind of it's very own.
Geez if there's an operation that can fix this (apart from a lobotomy) I'm in. Fix me up.

Speak to you as soon as I'm out of jail.

Huggs
Catherine

[Dena]

"Does anyone else just get really frustrated by their voice"

AB - SO - Bloody - LUTELY!!!!

Do I WHAT??

The trouble my voice has got me into is unbelievable. You should hear some of the things it says. No, when I mean yes; yes when I mean no. And as for those porky-pies it tell the constable when he's caught me speeding. Where does it dream up those stories? My voice has a mind of it's very own.
Geez if there's an operation that can fix this (apart from a lobotomy) I'm in. Fix me up.

Speak to you as soon as I'm out of jail.

Huggs
Catherine

How about removing your tongue or stitching up you lips? I have also heard about a procedure where they wire you teeth together. Then again, there is always a big cork.

[Catherine Sarah]

Thanks for coming to the rescue Dena,

How about removing your tongue or stitching up you lips? I have also heard about a procedure where they wire you teeth together. Then again, there is always a big cork.

Tried all those, but that wretched voice of mine learnt how to use my nose and ear cavities to get it's vile message out.

Can you imagine the embarrassment walking down the street with this voice belting out at top C, "Get me out of here, she's stitched me in"

Speak to you as soon as I pluck my brows.

Huggs
Catherine

[Candi.Krol]

@ April_TO your voice is great! totally passes
I won't post mine, I KNOW it doesn't pass

xox, Candi

[Denise]

April_TO said...

Here's a sample of my speaking voice:

http://vocaroo.com/i/s1EsTg4qru9G

Totally female.  I like the description I read in this thread - does it pass the phone test?  I would definitely call you "miss" on the phone.

[RachelsMantra]

Instead of posting my high-pitch practice voice that I don't actually use, I am going to post my most natural conversational voice even though I don't think it passes at all - I have never been gendered female on the phone.

http://vocaroo.com/i/s1DQf7b6ta1c


Someone told me today I shouldn't worry about my voice because it sounds fine but I don't believe them at all and think my voice just sounds so masculine and it probably like throws people off when they're talking to me. Thoughts? Brutal honesty please.

[RachelsMantra]

I have to agree with iKate, seems like it had a bit of an impact for me. However, I am still not fully satisfied with my speaking voice. However, I am just scared that if I do go under the knife that results may not be as good as what iKate got from her VFS in SKorea.

Here's a sample of my speaking voice:

http://vocaroo.com/i/s1EsTg4qru9G

I don't think you need surgery whatsoever you sound great.

[Dena]

Instead of posting my high-pitch practice voice that I don't actually use, I am going to post my most natural conversational voice even though I don't think it passes at all - I have never been gendered female on the phone.

http://vocaroo.com/i/s1DQf7b6ta1c


Someone told me today I shouldn't worry about my voice because it sounds fine but I don't believe them at all and think my voice just sounds so masculine and it probably like throws people off when they're talking to me. Thoughts? Brutal honesty please.

It could use some improvement. You need to get Praat for your pc or PitchLab for mobile devices and check you pitch. Compare it agains the link If you can, target 220 Hz but if that's a stretch, go for 190 Hz or above. You are using inflection and your voice isn't all that low but pitch is why it's failing the telephone test. In person, your looks override what people hear in the voice so they will gender you female from your appearance.
http://www.nyspeechandvoicelab.net/transgender/voice-feminization/

[RachelsMantra]

It could use some improvement. You need to get Praat for your pc or PitchLab for mobile devices and check you pitch. Compare it agains the link If you can, target 220 Hz but if that's a stretch, go for 190 Hz or above. You are using inflection and your voice isn't all that low but pitch is why it's failing the telephone test. In person, your looks override what people hear in the voice so they will gender you female from your appearance.
http://www.nyspeechandvoicelab.net/transgender/voice-feminization/

http://vocaroo.com/i/s1Yg2S6wxem9

So I can get my voice around 190hz but I just think it sounds so forced and fake that I am highly reluctant to speak like that around other people until I can somehow get it to sound more natural.

[April_TO]

Thanks Rachel now for my feedback - I believe if you continue with this pace with an emphasis on inflection and just making more your voice more airy (can't remember the technical term they use for that) I believe I would consider it Female voice on the lower end of the spectrum.

I once saw a youtube video where you should always feel your adams apple and it has to be consistently on an upward position to produce a more feminine voice. She said you may sound unnatural when you hear yourself talk. However, always ask a friend or post a voice recording here so we can give you another feedback.

Nonetheless, I think it's progress.

Hugs,

April

Instead of posting my high-pitch practice voice that I don't actually use, I am going to post my most natural conversational voice even though I don't think it passes at all - I have never been gendered female on the phone.

http://vocaroo.com/i/s1DQf7b6ta1c


Someone told me today I shouldn't worry about my voice because it sounds fine but I don't believe them at all and think my voice just sounds so masculine and it probably like throws people off when they're talking to me. Thoughts? Brutal honesty please.

[April_TO]

Thanks again Dena, PJ and Candi xoxo

[Dena]

http://vocaroo.com/i/s1Yg2S6wxem9

So I can get my voice around 190hz but I just think it sounds so forced and fake that I am highly reluctant to speak like that around other people until I can somehow get it to sound more natural.

Right out the gate, this voice is much more feminine sounding. You still have enough inflection that it sound feminine. Between the two voices I think the second one will work better for you and you shouldn't fear it.

[April_TO]

Hi Candi, I'm sure with practice it will improve. Why dont you post it here so we can at least give you some feedback
xoxo

@ April_TO your voice is great! totally passes
I won't post mine, I KNOW it doesn't pass

xox, Candi

[RachelsMantra]

you shouldn't fear it.

I think I do have a lot of fears associated with using a higher-pitched voice. I don't know why. I feel less comfortable speaking like that around people who knew me pre-transition because I dont want them to think I am just faking it. I cant explain it. I just have these psychological hangups about it that I default to the lower pitch. I feel like I am so close to making the switch over to the second voice in natural conversation - I feel like I am almost there but I struggle to connect the voice I do in practice with the voice I do in conversation.

[April_TO]

It is but natural to feel that way since you are not used to hearing yourself in a much higher pitched voice. Thats why sometimes when we look at ourselves in the mirror we still see the old us when others don't see it anymore because our mind I think is just wired this way.

Be strong!

I think I do have a lot of fears associated with using a higher-pitched voice. I don't know why. I feel less comfortable speaking like that around people who knew me pre-transition because I dont want them to think I am just faking it. I cant explain it. I just have these psychological hangups about it that I default to the lower pitch. I feel like I am so close to making the switch over to the second voice in natural conversation - I feel like I am almost there but I struggle to connect the voice I do in practice with the voice I do in conversation.

[kittenpower]

When I first started speaking with my female voice in public, I knew it wasn't that good, but I allowed myself to have a steep learning curve, and I put other peoples' feeling about it on the back burner, because I was determined to have a good voice, and I wasn't going to let anyone hold me back. 

[Candi.Krol]

I think I do have a lot of fears associated with using a higher-pitched voice. I don't know why. I feel less comfortable speaking like that around people who knew me pre-transition because I dont want them to think I am just faking it...

yeah, that's totally how I feel.
but is a cis woman faking it by wearing make-up to look like the woman in magazines?
same thing no?
I don't feel I'm faking it by not wearing jeans and a t-shirt, putting on a skirt and top instead. I don't feel I'm faking it by going on HRT to feminize my body and mind (as if that needs more feminizing lol).
Intellectually I see all this stuff as the same thing. I wish I could just get over the voice thing

I've only just started to play with a new talking voice... last time (I spent most of my adult life in a skirt, but I stopped a while back due to crappy stuff, but I'm back now)  last time I noticed my voice went softer and a bit higher without thinking... I think unconsciously I was adapting and trying to fit in... it's happening a bit this time as well, but I think I'm going to actually try to work on it this time.
I'm more concerned with my singing voice, as that's what I do

Hi Candi, I'm sure with practice it will improve. Why dont you post it here so we can at least give you some feedback
xoxo

I will, as soon as I make a bit of an effort.

xox, Candi

[stephaniec]

Not to sound mean or dumb . but personally I cold care less about my voice. I do fine just going softly and maybe an octave higher and no one has said anything except this gorgeous hunk of a cashier yesterday that kept asking me to repeat myself.

[Martine A.]

This is a painful topic for me too.

Long story short, I developed a basso profondo range during puberty. Being ignorant of ability to actually make my voice sound female, I spent almost two decades doing nothing to explore my luck of having 2,5 octaves of clean voice. Since I also stopped singing long ago, I did lose part of range both up and down.

Now I am training sparsely. Sometimes I have success of a passing voice, enough that people stop clocking me as I pretend to be talking on a phone call. Sometimes I just can't nail it, and that are ugly times when I get chuckles. : ((((

If the surgery option was safe and predictable, I would have gone for it unreservedly, if safely possible before HRT*. Voice training is going to be much work and much further prodding of the dysphoria.

* - As HRT is waited for ages here, whilst the surgery would be outsourced and done elsewhere