Voice tips

[Ryuu]

I know, I know, best advice is to go on T. But I'm underage, and my parents won't let me till I'm of age. I think if I had a lower voice I would pass a lot better. Anyone have any tips or links for help with lowering your voice?

[Lachlann]

You can try doing what news reporters do by boom your voice. In the video section of the forums I posted a video I found on that. But you can't really do much to 'lower' it, but your speech patterns make a big difference too.

[Adio]

I managed to lower my voice enough to pass without T (and it didn't sound fake either).  Because I play the piano, I practiced using scales, each time time to go lower.  I did this for several years.  Both my singing and speaking voices became naturally lower.  In the car, I practiced to the radio.  When I read textbooks, I practiced reading aloud half-steps lower. 

Whether this would work for everyone, I'm not sure.  Never strain your voice or try to go lower than you're able.  Oh, and for this to work, you don't have to be a good singer or even have a piano.  It's just about training your voice to go lower gently one step at a time, over a period of time.

[Carson]

I just started T a couple of weeks ago and I trained my voice a few months before that well enough that I passed pretty much 99% and the 1% was when I didn't speak ironically.

First train yourself to breathe from the bottom of your lungs, moving your diaphragm when you breathe instead of your chest. This is difficult, especially with a binder. At first it will hurt but eventually you will get used to it and breathe like that naturally. Then just practice speaking while completely focusing on using the air from the lower part of your chest. This will make you sound more male because women tend to speak with their head voice (from their throat) and men from their lower chest. Changing HOW you speak will also help, speak slowly, and in a monotone, changing the VOLUME for different emotions instead of PITCH.

Obviously I don't guarantee that this will help you pass, but it helped me tremendously.

[Brynn]

Now you might have to take my advice with a grain of salt, since I've only recently started trying to drop my voice, but I've spoken to several different people about it, and this all fits with what they've said.

Basically, just try to focus on dropping it down in your chest. It'll feel different than speaking in your upper range and in the upper part of your throat like most women do. Also keep in mind that men speak in more of a monotone. So try to avoid unnecessary inflection.

A specific tip I heard recently was to really practice when you first get up in the morning, as that's when your voice is lowest. Try to memorize how your voice sounds and feels then, and just try to recreate it.

Basically, a lot of what Carson already said.

[andiafuera]

when you try to put your voice low, just add a country twang.

works everytime.

[Adio]

when you try to put your voice low, just add a country twang.

works everytime.

I'm assuming you mean for someone who lives outside the southern US?  Down here, nearly everyone sounds like that lol.

[Ryuu]

when you try to put your voice low, just add a country twang.

works everytime.

I started trying that after watching boys don't cry, because I noticed it seemed to make brandon/hilary's voice more masculine. lol not sure if it worked though. (is that exactly a country twang? idk)

[spacial]

I read somewhere, many years ago, that when Rock Hudson first started acting, his voice was squeeky.

He was advised to go to the top of a mountain, (presumably for the clean air), and yell as loud as he could.

I will caution you, that afterwards, your throat will be rather sore. Some gargle might be a good idea. Plus, remember to take a bottle of water, (or two). You will get thirsty, yelling in that environment.

Though, to be quite honest, the thought of it sounds rather good from a theraputic point of view anyway.

[Brynn]

I read somewhere, many years ago, that when Rock Hudson first started acting, his voice was squeeky.

He was advised to go to the top of a mountain, (presumably for the clean air), and yell as loud as he could.

I will caution you, that afterwards, your throat will be rather sore. Some gargle might be a good idea. Plus, remember to take a bottle of water, (or two). You will get thirsty, yelling in that environment.

Though, to be quite honest, the thought of it sounds rather good from a theraputic point of view anyway.

Sounds like it would only work if you have easy access to a mountain, though. I do (ish), but I don't know if Aaron Chris does.

[Lachlann]

I read somewhere, many years ago, that when Rock Hudson first started acting, his voice was squeeky.

He was advised to go to the top of a mountain, (presumably for the clean air), and yell as loud as he could.

I will caution you, that afterwards, your throat will be rather sore. Some gargle might be a good idea. Plus, remember to take a bottle of water, (or two). You will get thirsty, yelling in that environment.

Though, to be quite honest, the thought of it sounds rather good from a theraputic point of view anyway.

I agree that this would be excellent advice... if I lived near a mountain. I live around hilly areas, though.

But I'll be on T soon anyway. Hopefully Aaron lives near mountains or at the very least, hills.

[Ryuu]

I can see mt. hood from my backyard. Not russia though, unfortunately.