Voice Progression

[The Sarah♀]

Voice Progression

Do I 'have it' yet, guys and gals? I've been practicing so hard. I apologize if this is the wrong forum.

[Cindy]

Hi Sarah.
I suppose this might answer you question are you MtF or FtM. You sound more male than female. But generally I would class this as gender neutral. I would take my ideas from physical appearance and not judge on voice.

Hope that helps

Love
Cindy

[The Sarah♀]

I know that voice is only one aspect of passing; I'm MtF. I'm just curious as to whether or not this one particular aspect (the voice) seems passable as female. Thanks!

[Janet_Girl]

Awesome.  When I first heard it I thought you had a GG say the words.  But I really think that you are right there.  But do watch the way you speak.  Women say words differently than guys.  That was the next thing I had to learn.

But good job, Sweety.

Janet

[The Sarah♀]

Thanks! I'm trying to get that aspect of speaking down, too (the way I actually say the words). I guess I can only pick up on that through observation. ^^;

[Ms Bev]

I coach voice transition in MD, DE, VA, and honestly, that's very nice progress.  I don't know how long you worked to get there, but your pitch is nice....could be a tiny bit higher, but not really necessary.  A lot of that will be tied to visual body cues.  The resonance and modulation of your voice needs work, but will become more stable with daily practice, and will fall more in tune with average female voice patterns over time.  As Janet said, watch out for your word choices and enunciation.  Listen constantly to other women.  Make discreet eavesdropping your favorite hobby for a while.  Find a fundamental note, ie G3, A3, and memorize it.  Practice, practice, practice.
Nice work, Sarah



Miss Bev

[The Sarah♀]

I coach voice transition in MD, DE, VA, and honestly, that's very nice progress.  I don't know how long you worked to get there, but your pitch is nice....could be a tiny bit higher, but not really necessary.  A lot of that will be tied to visual body cues.  The resonance and modulation of your voice needs work, but will become more stable with daily practice, and will fall more in tune with average female voice patterns over time.  As Janet said, watch out for your word choices and enunciation.  Listen constantly to other women.  Make discreet eavesdropping your favorite hobby for a while.  Find a fundamental note, ie G3, A3, and memorize it.  Practice, practice, practice.
Nice work, Sarah



Miss Bev

Thank you very much, especially for the advice. I honestly don't know a lot about these individual aspects (resonance, modulation); I didn't watch tapes or the like, I just practiced all of this without any aide, except for a tip about positioning my larynx (I think that was it) from a good friend. Maybe I should take classes or finally order some tapes, because I don't know a lot about voice.

[Ms Bev]

....Have to run to my regular jay oh bee (sales) in a minute or so.  I measured the frequency of your voice, and it 'averages' around F3.  Like I said, raise it a note or two.
How do you adjust your larynx??  Put your fingers on your throat and swallow.  Feel the thyroid cartilage go up?  Now yawn......it goes down.  Learn how to move it up and down without swallowing, yawning.  It's a muscular exercise you need to do.

Miss Bev

[The Sarah♀]

I've been practicing that with my larynx, I'll keep at it. Raising my voice a note or two... it'll take some time to slip into getting comfortable with that and making it sound natural, but then it was the same with getting to the way my voice is now. Thanks for the advice. =)

[TooManyToasters]

Ha. I knew I recognized you from somewhere on the internet, Sarah. Don't tell digibutter I'm here.
I'll just copy-paste my response here.
Your "new" voice is much, much better. Hearing it in direct contrast to your old voice probably makes it sound better than usual, but regardless, I probably wouldn't second-guess you being female if I heard you in real life.

[The Sarah♀]

Ha. I knew I recognized you from somewhere on the internet, Sarah. Don't tell digibutter I'm here.
I'll just copy-paste my response here.
Your "new" voice is much, much better. Hearing it in direct contrast to your old voice probably makes it sound better than usual, but regardless, I probably wouldn't second-guess you being female if I heard you in real life.

Wow. I wasn't expecting this. Good to see you! Your secret is safe with me. 

[Renate]

Your voice sounds pretty good, although I would agree with Bev that raising it a note or two would help.

Personal opinion (using standard disclaimer):
I think one important factor is to never use your old voice.
Your training should be done to get a single, natural voice.
If someone drops an ice cube down your neck you shouldn't have to think which voice to use to complain.
I also think that recordings with before/after, while impressive, cloud the ability to really objectively evaluate the new voice.

Obviously, a single voice presumes full-time.

[The Sarah♀]

It takes more effort to do the old voice than my current voice, and I used it just for the sake of this before and after, really. I'm really trying to make this voice my own; also, my instinctive reactionary voice is set on the track of the voice I use now. I'm just a freak for before and afters, I guess. ^^; I'm living fulltime, have been since April.

[Ms Bev]

never use your old voice.
Your training should be done to get a single, natural voice.
If someone drops an ice cube down your neck you shouldn't have to think which voice to use to complain.

I agree here too.  Forget the old voice.  Also, practice coughing, clearing your throat, and sneezing. When you can survive a cold in public full time without getting clocked, you have reached the promised land.

[Nero]

the second voice sounds good.

[The Sarah♀]

Thanks. Guess it was a big no-no to use the old voice in comparison. ^^;

I actually have practiced coughing, and even sneezing. Clearing my throat... I hadn't thought of that. I'll practice with it.

[myles]

Definitely more female in the second voice. They don't sound like the same person to me.
Myles

[The Sarah♀]

Definitely more female in the second voice. They don't sound like the same person to me.
Myles

Thanks! It took about a year to get to how it sounds right now.

[miniangel]

I actually have practiced coughing, and even sneezing. Clearing my throat... I hadn't thought of that. I'll practice with it.

I recall a great actor saying how pleasant it was to film a role using his real voice because he didn't have to think about even breathing in the right accent and voice for whatever role he was playing. It's not just the voice, it's the whole package of sounds.

While I think you're doing an amazing job, as shown by the contrast (which I really liked BTW) if I were to just hear your new voice I'd probably think first off that you were a gay man. That's without any visual clues, of course. There's a bit of - I don't know - throat tension or something happening there.

Could I suggest you listen to someone like, say, Marilyn Monroe who spoke in an ultra-feminine way to the point of caricature. Try out that breathy, girlish way of speaking and then let it fall back towards your new voice to a point where it feels comfortable and natural. Loosen up that throat a little more.

[The Sarah♀]

Thanks... I'll try that, too. I appreciate all of the advice.