Susan's Place Transgender Resources

Voice Tips
Here are some voice tips I have come up with.  Some of them I figured out on my own and some of them I learned through voice therapy, and some I learned from TS friends with good female voices.  The only way to master a female voice is through lots of practice. I never get "sirred" anymore - not once since going fulltime including over the phone (knock on wood).  In fact, just last night, I was ma'amed by somebody calling for <old name>.  I have been meaning to compile a list of tips to help somebody speak in a female voice that have really helped me.

Primary Techniques
These techniques should help give you an overall female voice.

Head Voice: Most people can speak in a head or a chest voice.  To try speaking in a head voice, try saying something and try to sound excited.  Most people typically speak in a head voice when they are excited.  You can tell if you are speaking in a head or chest voice if you place your hand on your chest and speak.  You should not feel any vibration.

Pitch: Say Mmm-hmm in your head voice. Press your lips together and say "mmm-hmm," as if you were agreeing with something someone said. After a number of "mmm-hmm's" say the number "one" following the "um-hmm" at the same pitch as the end of the "mmm-hmm." This is your natural voice or fundamental frequency.  Try to speak at that pitch.

Making your voice sound "sing-songy": Try speaking in an extremely "pleasant" voice.  This will usually help get the sing-songy effect, which is basically the opposite of a monotone voice.

Open the mouth: When you talk, you need to relax the jaw.  Don't force it open, but rather, let it drop.  This allows more of your voice to come out.

Secondary Techniques
These techniques should help you refine your voice, but may come as a result of working on the primary techniques.

Tighten the throat slightly: Tighten the throat just a little as if your about to speak in a falsetto voice.  This should help slide your larynx up.  You don't want to tighten it any more than this.

Relax: Speak in a relaxed voice.  Your larynx should still be in the up position, but try to relax the other muscles.  Trying too hard, makes it sound pinched and forced.  This can also help with opening your mouth easier.

Take your time: As you speak, try not to pinch off words or cut them short.  Makes sure to enunciate, but don't sound strained.  Some words require some syllables to be pronounced over a longer period of time such as the long 'o' as in the word dog.

Breath correctly: Breathing should be from your diaphram, as it is usually taught in singing lessons.  Basically breath in the mouth and let the air fill your belly.  Try not to move your chest as you breathe in.  This will become easier and more natural with practice.

Facial/Hand Gestures: As you speak, try to use hand and facial gestures.  Body language plays an important part in communications and most women speak this way.

Eye Contact: Try and maintain eye contact when speaking with a person.  This is an important aspect of communication that should be practiced by both males and females.

Vocabulary:  Women tend to use larger words than men as well as complete sentences.  This aspect can be  explored further in other voice tips online.

Practice
Remember to practice often.  You need to get used to your new voice at first and the more often you use it, the easier it gets.  Here are some practice tips.

Write down some words and phrases:  It is far easier to read some words or phrases that are written down, than it is to come up with phrases in your head.  It can become very difficult to focus on the technique you are trying to learn.  Try writing down a number of words and/or phrase that complement the technique you are working on at the time.  This will make prctice easier.

Add only a little at a time:  Learn only 1 technique at a time.  After you have learned it and can do it reasonably well, practice it for a week.  Eventually you can start combining techniques, but try not to rush  the learning process as the quality of the techniques may be diminished.

Record your voice:  During practice, try recording your voice, so you can immediately play it back for instant feedback.  I would recommend using voicemail or an answering machine as most people already have those.  If you are going to use a recorder, I would recommend a digital recorder, as the tape ones seem to make your voice sound bad no matter how well you're doing.

Practice often:  Try practicing whenever you can.  Talking while driving or whenever you are alone in a female voice can be very convenient.  If you are out to your family, you may explain that you are working on your female voice and you will be using it.

Use a male head voice:  If you are transitioning, try switching to a male head voice.  Most people don't notice the change in your voice if you keep the same pitch and it allows you to practice this aspect all the time.  It also has the bonus advantage of increasing your chances of possibly being ma'amed in public, if you like that kind of thing.

These techniques are based on many sources I learned from and I feel most of these are not taught properly in many of the Tape/CD-based courses or online courses and I hope they will be of some benefit.

Melissa

Another tip I have found useful; your subject matter and content during an extended conversation, women just talk differently about the same subject then men. I like to listen to women in groups talking about ???? then try and mimick not only the conversation but there body language etc.

I added some additional tips since creating this:
Facial/Hand Gestures
Eye Contact
Vocabulary
Record your voice
Use a male head voice

Melissa

melissa---------

love your tips............REALLY.

but I fear............MY voice is set...so deep...and I don't per se ...chest speak...as much as I speak from way down, like from my belly.
my voice resonates SO loud and SO deep the neighbors hear me 4 houses over.
SINCERELY.

it will be a very l o n g time before this lil gray duck gets past it.

Well, it does take work and dedication Veronica.  You don't instantly get a female voice from following these tips.  To speak, you don't just go at full volume, but you may need to soften your voice until you build the muscles.  A lot of it is being able to constantly hold the muscles in your throat in a tightened position and it takes work.  Usually about a month or 2 of constant use of the voice will make it seem natural, but once the muscles are developed, it seems to "lock" into place.  Anyway, these tips are free, so take them as you will. :)

Melissa

melissa
hold the muscles in your throat in a tightened position
-----------

okay
I'm an old fart..please explain in more detail?

Quote from: veronica06 on September 18, 2006, 03:51:37 PM
melissa
hold the muscles in your throat in a tightened position
-----------

okay
I'm an old fart..please explain in more detail?

Fiind some music with female vocals that you really enjoy.. and sing along with her. Just relax, don't think about it, but let yourself follow her lead. You may find that you start doing it subconsciously, instinctively trying to "mimick" what you're hearing.

Besides, most people DO pinch their voice when singing. You're not SUPPOSED to, mind you, but us ordinary folk often do it...

You're not SUPPOSED to, mind you, but us ordinary folk often do it...
==========

oh no. now I am below ordinary...I have never done that. I sing along with dean martin in those deep tone songs........."in the misty moonlight,...."

damn. how long before I become ordinary again?


wink wink

As you go up in pitch, your muscles naturally tighten.  If you still feel you can't do it with these tips or the various ones free on the internet, then you can always go to a speech/voice therapist.  That's what I ended up doing and that's how I developed a lot of these tips.

Melissa

Wow, those are really cool and I'm definitely going to practice them!  I don't fully understand how to do a lot of them, but I'll give it a shot.   ;D

Melissa,

Thanks so much for posting this.  It's as if you read my mind.  I was about to make a post asking for some help in this area, and low and behold, you have already made a post.  Again, thanks!!!!

Love always,
Elizabeth

Regarding the sing song.... Try to find a video of a woman that speaks with an Irish or Scottish accent.  Mimmick the rolling sound with inflections.  Pay attention to the sentence endings.  This is an example that is a bit extreme.  At the end of each sentence, bring your pitch up of the last word.  Changing that tone ever so slightly, will make a world of difference.  It is oh so not male.  It isn't quite female, but it is definitely not male.

I've talked to Melissa on the phone.  She does very well with her voice.

Cindi

I've talked to Melissa on the phone.  She does very well with her voice.

Cindi
==============

not fair.
I haven't been allowed to....................

(he he giggles)

Voice is my strongest passing skill. My advice is to get to know the technical aspects of it and to find a partner to practice with. Most transsexuals concentrate on pitch, when it's not even the most important aspect.

I am up for practice if anyone ever needs any help.

Veronica,

I think you asked what tightening your vocal folds is like and how to acheive it.  At he highest pitch before you enter falsetto, try the following.  Relax your jaw and in a soft voice say "aaahhhhhhhhhh".  The vocal folds will feel relaxed.  Then with the same softness, say "eeeeeeee".  Hopefully, you will feel a difference as you tighten your vocal folds.

Shayna

Veronica,

I think you asked what tightening your vocal folds is like and how to acheive it.  At he highest pitch before you enter falsetto, try the following.  Relax your jaw and in a soft voice say "aaahhhhhhhhhh".  The vocal folds will feel relaxed.  Then with the same softness, say "eeeeeeee".  Hopefully, you will feel a difference as you tighten your vocal folds.

Shayna
=============

I will publicly embarrass myself here-----
I do not know falsetto from soprano...these terms mean nothing.
I just need..some time..someone..to listen to me..and help instruct.
with my bad ears..being partially deaf anyway..I already speak too loud just as a male.
most folks tell me--"you are broadcasting"...and even thought THEY hear me..be damned if "I" hear me.

Falsetto is the higher range that males enter (typically when mimicing females poorly) that sounds "false". 

I had a thought about myself recently that others may not like so much.  I think being IS I probably had an easier time with my voice than the average TS.  I was already doing many of the techniques correctly prior to transition and I just had to focus on a couple others.  Everything else came naturally.

Melissa

Don't feel bad, Veronica.  I didn't know what they meant, either.  I've been meaning to ask someone for some time.

Oh, but I've tried singing along to Vanessa Carlton songs lately, and sorta mimicking her.  Or at least, her pitch and stuff.  Think that's useful at all, or am I just wasting time when I should be doing other techniques?

If you are unfamiliar with any terms, you could always google it, but you probably should seek out vocal lessons.

Melissa

I know this is now an old topic, but...

I'd like to point out, and seek confirmation that, the techniques Melissa talked about (thanks Melissa!) take a different approach than the "Melanie Anne Phillips" method... this is right, right?

I'd been working on that method for a long time and pretty much hit a road block. I've since started focusing more on speaking with a head voice, tightening it a little bit, and raising pitch slightly and I'm getting much better results. Now, people keep calling me "ma'am" after hearing me speak! :) :)

Quote from: Melissa on September 24, 2006, 08:07:02 PM
Falsetto is the higher range that males enter (typically when mimicing females poorly) that sounds "false". 
Melissa

Just listen to the first girl sing in the Dutch version of American Idol......that is 100%FALSETTO!!!

Quote from: ElaineI've since started focusing more on speaking with a head voice

That is the trick!  speak with your head and not with your chest, right kitties? >:D


tinkerbell :icon_chick:

Quote from: Elaine on November 30, 2006, 10:14:07 PM
I know this is now an old topic, but...

I'd like to point out, and seek confirmation that, the techniques Melissa talked about (thanks Melissa!) take a different approach than the "Melanie Anne Phillips" method... this is right, right?

I'd been working on that method for a long time and pretty much hit a road block. I've since started focusing more on speaking with a head voice, tightening it a little bit, and raising pitch slightly and I'm getting much better results. Now, people keep calling me "ma'am" after hearing me speak! :) :)

As far as I know (I don't know the Melanie method), it is different.  Most of this is taken from my own personal experience and things I had learned.  So, if you are getting results from following these tips, then I'm very happy about that--both for you and the fact the tips are working. :)

Melissa

Wonderful tips Melissa. I have been praticing some of the things here myself for some time and it works. I do get ma'med on the phone a lot and sometimes out in public too.

Thanks Melissa, I'm putting these tips to work tonight.

Owen
Love being female :angel:

Forgive me for being blonde here - well actually, maybe you should encourage me to make that change, I'm not sure - but two things on female voice have me confused, at least two things.  sing song voice, and head voice. 

One of the neater things I've discovered lately while listening to GWs talking is the way some will occasionally actually sing one or two words in a sentence.  I love it, but I don't think that is what sing song means. 

Head voice I know is opposite of chest voice.  I remember my high school glee club teacher using the male abuse example of "deeeeep riiivvver" in getting the voice down in the diaphram, but I do not grasp the reverse concept of getting it up.  The voice, that is.  I mean, it seems to me the reverse would be nasal - not a pretty sound.  It sure would have been easier to have been born the right way!

Susan Kay

Quote from: SusanKay140 on December 04, 2006, 01:18:11 AM
Forgive me for being blonde here - well actually, maybe you should encourage me to make that change, I'm not sure - but two things on female voice have me confused, at least two things.  sing song voice, and head voice. 

One of the neater things I've discovered lately while listening to GWs talking is the way some will occasionally actually sing one or two words in a sentence.  I love it, but I don't think that is what sing song means. 

Men usually have about 3 tones they vary between, but the modulate their volume to get inflection in their voice.  Sing-song just means in general that the tone of your syllables vary between that of the one before.  Here's a visual example:

Man
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
-------going---------grocery-store----------------some milk-------------------------
--I-am-------to-the----------------tonight-to-get-----------------------------------
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Woman
---think----------------grocery------------------------------------------------------
------------go----------------------------------------------------------------------
--------I'll-----------------------------------and-buy-------milk---------------------
---------------to-the----------------tonight----------some--------------------------
-I-----------------------------store-------------------------------------------------

Notice how the woman's tones tend to vary more than for the man's tone. To say a man speak in a monotone voice, is unfair for the average man, because if they did, they would sound like Ben Stein (think the teacher in Ferris Bueller who keeps repeating his name).  I believe the difference in speaking reflects on how women tend to be more expressive in society.  For some people the "sing-song" part may come naturally.

Quote from: SusanKay140 on December 04, 2006, 01:18:11 AM
Head voice I know is opposite of chest voice.  I remember my high school glee club teacher using the male abuse example of "deeeeep riiivvver" in getting the voice down in the diaphram, but I do not grasp the reverse concept of getting it up.  The voice, that is.  I mean, it seems to me the reverse would be nasal - not a pretty sound.  It sure would have been easier to have been born the right way!

To get the "sing-song" voice, speaking in a head voice is necessary.  Speaking in a head voice should be the very first thing you should work on.  It will make everything else much easier.  Most males are capable of both ways of speaking and there are actually many males that speak in a head voice, rather than a chest voice naturally.  Like I had said in tips portion of this post, many people will automatically switch between a head voice and a chest voice under certain conditions.  One of the more common ones is when you get excited and talk in a higher, faster voice.  It tends to automatically switch to the head to resonate, rather than the chest.  For me, I had actually noticed the 2 different sounds that came out of me (even before transition), although at the time, I didn't know it was chest and head resonance.  One thing to note is that raising the pitch may possibly switch you to a head voice automatically.

One more thing.  This is a tip I came up with last night.  Once you feel your voice sounds pretty good, get a hold of a video camera or a digital camera capable of recording video (with sound) and record yourself speaking in a female voice along with all your mannerisms (preferably dressed as female), then play it back right away.  You can then make adjustments to get your voice to fit the image you present.  For me, I was quite shocked at how feminine my facial expressions and mannerisms (that I didn't realize I was even doing) came across.  I did also note a couple adjustments I needed to make to my voice.  I think the voice is something that can always be improved and even I'm still working on mine. :)

Melissa

Melissa,

I love your new photo!

Thanks for the response on voice, particularly the sentence breakdown graphic.  That helps.  By the way, the wording difference male to female ("I am going" vs "I think I'll go") is interesting.  Is that natural with you or have you had to work on using that wording style?

The digital video camera idea sounds like a good one - our tape one quit several years ago, and we haven't entered the digital age yet.  I can see where our particular needs are well met by a digital camera.  It was looking promising for a favorable visit from Ms. Claus, but our son managed to get his truck wrecked this weekend.  Not his fault, but getting a rental for him has done a temporary raid on the Christmas fund. 

Again thank you for taking the time to help.  You're wonderful.

Susan Kay

Quote from: SusanKay140 on December 11, 2006, 08:54:02 PM
I love your new photo!

Thank you. :)

Quote from: SusanKay140 on December 11, 2006, 08:54:02 PM
Thanks for the response on voice, particularly the sentence breakdown graphic.  That helps.  By the way, the wording difference male to female ("I am going" vs "I think I'll go") is interesting.  Is that natural with you or have you had to work on using that wording style?

It's definitely natural.  Did I always talk like that?  No.  As I accepted that I was female more and more, mannerisms and speech patterns naturall became more prominent.  It was pretty much NOT hiding stuff anymore.

Quote from: SusanKay140 on December 11, 2006, 08:54:02 PM
The digital video camera idea sounds like a good one - our tape one quit several years ago, and we haven't entered the digital age yet.  I can see where our particular needs are well met by a digital camera.  It was looking promising for a favorable visit from Ms. Claus, but our son managed to get his truck wrecked this weekend.  Not his fault, but getting a rental for him has done a temporary raid on the Christmas fund. 

Again thank you for taking the time to help.  You're wonderful.

You're definitely welcome. :)  I'm glad I'm able to help.  Voice work is one thing I'm pretty proud of, since I was able to figure so much stuff out and then I just put it all out there in a format that seemed much less confusing than the Andrea James or Melanie Ann Phillips methods.

Melissa

Quote from: Brianna on September 24, 2006, 05:04:55 PM
Voice is my strongest passing skill. My advice is to get to know the technical aspects of it and to find a partner to practice with. Most transsexuals concentrate on pitch, when it's not even the most important aspect.

I am up for practice if anyone ever needs any help.

Yeah, your voice is great, I love that East Coast accent too.

I *think* I understand head voice vs. chest voice, and I *think* I've been speaking in head voice my whole life. Although, no matter what I try there's still some vibration in my chest.  ???

Anyway, my technique is that growing up, as my pitch range became lower, I refused to let my speaking voice change pitch. (It has, but not nearly to the extent that the average male's voice does.) So there I was at 23 still speaking in what I thought was just a little kid voice, and I thought ya know, maybe I should learn a deeper voice just to fit in. (Am I ever glad I didn't!) Then I met someone in the T* community who commented that my voice was already right on.

So maybe the trick is to try to duplicate the way one spoke before the voice change.

Quote from: umop ap!sdn on December 26, 2006, 12:51:05 PM
I *think* I understand head voice vs. chest voice, and I *think* I've been speaking in head voice my whole life. Although, no matter what I try there's still some vibration in my chest.  ???

Anyway, my technique is that growing up, as my pitch range became lower, I refused to let my speaking voice change pitch. (It has, but not nearly to the extent that the average male's voice does.) So there I was at 23 still speaking in what I thought was just a little kid voice, and I thought ya know, maybe I should learn a deeper voice just to fit in. (Am I ever glad I didn't!) Then I met someone in the T* community who commented that my voice was already right on.

So maybe the trick is to try to duplicate the way one spoke before the voice change.

Personally, I think it's ok if there's a little vibration.  Like I said, some people always speak in a head voice.  It doesn't surprise me that you may have been doing that.  For me personally, I would switch back and forth unintentionally without realizing it.  I remember when I was taking some singing lessons (as male), I could sing in 2 different ways and the teacher quickly told me to sing in the "head voice" method.  At the time I didn't realize that was head voice/chest voice.  So I distinctly remember before transition (or admitting to myself I was really female), I was able to consciously switch between the 2.  Now I can talk in head voice and sometimes it vibrate slightly in my chest and sometimes it doesn't.  Either way seems to get me by.

Melissa