I need to learn how to speak what is considered to be female, keeping in mind there are variations in womens voices normally as some speak ultra feminine and have a high pitch and some speak more deep and husky and lower pitched
I personally know how to do a great deal of accents and voice impressions and can do mannerisms of the person with my face and voice.
My normal speaking voice is one of a soft gentle male. I don't want to lose the ability to do voice impressions as I would like to pursue a career in voice acting. So I was looking at how to train my voice. I was also looking at options to be able to reach higher octaves and semi-tones with laser surgery. So what do you suggest? Please see my videos on you tube to show you the range I currently have.
I personally think I would stand out if I kept doing my whole range of impressions. I don't feel like if i did an impression of Optimus Prime that I would all of the sudden not be female. Thats silly to me. Women do male voices all the time in cartoons.
So here are a few videos to show you my range:
http://youtu.be/cf_xzsYL9fo (http://youtu.be/cf_xzsYL9fo)
http://youtu.be/0jS_jcAab14 (http://youtu.be/0jS_jcAab14)
http://youtu.be/EJpcFdKvSNI (http://youtu.be/EJpcFdKvSNI)
With the dynamic nature of your impressions, I'd really just recommend training on loopback with a headset/microphone and patience. It took me about a year before I was really comfortable with my voice but everyone else was fine with it long before that point.
Windows: http://superuser.com/questions/22347/windows-how-can-i-redirect-sound-coming-in-from-the-mic-to-the-speakers-output (http://superuser.com/questions/22347/windows-how-can-i-redirect-sound-coming-in-from-the-mic-to-the-speakers-output)
Mac: http://rogueamoeba.com/freebies/ (http://rogueamoeba.com/freebies/)
Mirrors also helped me. YMMV
Any time surgery could be avoided, I'd advise avoiding it (well, unless it's an orchiectomy). I think it can be avoided, get voice training :)
Hmm ok, Its just that I would like to have access to some higher pitches, my attempts to sound female, the only one I can do is a stereotypical California valley girl, when i try to maintain a higher voice it is more difficult, and i sound fake. This is why I was looking at laser, just to be able to reach a higher range, oddly enough though I can sing like a woman doing some church hymns in latin (not that I know latin, i just mean i imitate the sound of the opera type singing)
I can also do falsetto and sound like peter cetera of Chicago
On a side note, what do you all think of my impressions? :angel:
Just project the voice from your mouth. You lose the reverb of your chest when you do so. Maintaining a higher than confortable pitch is unheathly for your vocal cords when they're used for long periods of time. Also just remember inflection helps alot. Learn when to carry the words and when to bring the inflection waves up and down. I'm pretty good at impressions and while I have a vocal range that goes from Barry White to pre teen girl on helium, my natural voice is about mid to low pitch. Where to talk from (whether its from the chest or from the sinus cavity in your upper mouth) along with how monotone you are makes every bit of difference on whether your voice is passable or not.
And you'll get used to it. I get maamd over the phone without even thinking about how to control my voice. It just comes out how I talk now, and I kinda have to focus to get to that male range (it FREAKS MY FRIENDS OUT when I use it.) Considering you're good at impressions, I bet with some practice and going thru drive thrus and making "wrong number calls", it wont take you long to find your girl voice. It took me the first try (although I had to tune it a bit so that my voice didn't hurt at the end of the day). I bet it wont even take you a month to get there.
Great impressions btw :)
So do you ever find yourself slipping up? coughing or sneezing like a male, clearing your throat like a male? Do you sometimes like just as you wake up or are tired and talk to someone slip back into the other voice? Also if it becomes normal for me, does this make it harder to do impressions and characters? I would as of now find it easy to go from one voice to another. I am just like a parrot imitating humans. Its very natural for me to imitate.
Quote from: ShawnTOShawnna on May 29, 2012, 12:46:34 PM
So do you ever find yourself slipping up? coughing or sneezing like a male, clearing your throat like a male? Do you sometimes like just as you wake up or are tired and talk to someone slip back into the other voice? Also if it becomes normal for me, does this make it harder to do impressions and characters? I would as of now find it easy to go from one voice to another. I am just like a parrot imitating humans. Its very natural for me to imitate.
I haven't slipped up on the coughing or sneezing part. I do have to kind of think about it but the sneezing is becoming more natural too. As far as being tired and just waking up, yes I do sometimes have trouble with that, but so far the only people that I've been around that have seen me in that state were people who know. If it becomes normal for you, it won't make it harder to do impressions because your natural voice never changes.
Nonverbals - Nah, you get used to those too. Everything becomes reflex in time.
Impressions - Well, actually I'll disagree with the previous reply. It depends on hop long you go without making your voice drop into what are typically male ranges. If I've not done so in months, it's going to get very weird sounding when I do. Nothing makes it impossible.. .just harder.
stay away from vocal surgery. It's not a good idea.
Here is me chatting on a file
http://vocaroo.com/i/s0qZWSG8g5JD (http://vocaroo.com/i/s0qZWSG8g5JD)
and me talking some nonsense jibberish last December:
http://youtu.be/Rspf-70lUTU (http://youtu.be/Rspf-70lUTU)
The video file talks about the process of voice change. I used to talk very deep....it takes a lot of hard work but I would never put my voice box under a blade. Every trans site out there doesn't recommend it either.
J Voice. 2011 Jan;25(1):120-3. Epub 2010 Feb 19.
Glottoplasty for male-to-female transsexualism: voice results.
Remacle M, Matar N, Morsomme D, Veduyckt I, Lawson G.
SourceOtolaryngology and Head and Neck Surgery Department, University of Louvain at Mont-Godinne, Yvoir, Belgium.
Abstract
OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to evaluate the objective voice results of Wendler's glottoplasty in male-to-female transsexuals.
METHOD: We retrospectively reviewed our patients treated with Wendler's technique with minor modifications. Glottoplasty consisted in CO(2)-laser epithelial ablation of the anterior commissure and the two vocal folds in anterior third, suturing of the two vocal folds with two stitches of 3.0 resorbable thread, and application of fibrin sealant to strengthen the suture. Voice assessment was based mainly on fundamental frequency (F(0)), frequency range, jitter, maximum phonation time, phonation quotient, estimated subglottic pressure (ESGP) grade of dysphonia (G), and voice handicap index (VHI). These measures were taken before surgery and on the last follow-up visit.
RESULTS: Our series included 15 patients with a mean age of 36 years. The mean follow-up period was 7.2 months. We did not observe any early complications related to the technique. The comparison between the preoperative and the postoperative measurements, using Wilcoxon signed rank test, showed a significant improvement of median F(0) from 139 to 191 Hz (P=0.006) with an increase in the grade of dysphonia (G(pre)=0.2, G(post)=1, P=0.013) and ESGP (ESGP(pre)=8.1 ± 3.2, ESGP(post)=12.0 ± 3.8, P=0.002). Other measurements, including VHI, did not show any significant differences pre- and postoperatively.
CONCLUSION: Wendler's glottoplasty can contribute to feminize the voice.
Clin Linguist Phon. 2008 Sep;22(9):679-85.
Speech rate in males, females, and male-to-female transsexuals.
Van Borsel J, De Maesschalck D.
SourceGhent University Hospital, Gent, Belgium. john.vanborsel@ugent.be
Abstract
For clinicians treating transsexual clients it is important to address primarily those characteristics whose modification is most relevant to the creation of the desired gender presentation. The present study investigated the extent to which a modification of speech rate is warranted in male-to-female transsexuals. Comparison of speech rate measured in 100 non-transsexual males, 100 non-transsexual females, and 28 individuals with a confirmed diagnosis of male-to-female gender dysphoria showed no significant differences. This result suggests that a modification of overall speech rate in male-to-female transsexuals is not really indicated but does not exclude that speech rate in males and females is perceived differently by listeners or that gender differences exist in temporal aspects of speech at a micro-level.
Laryngol Otol. 2006 Jul;120(7):521-3.
Management of the transgender voice.
McNeill EJ.
SourceCumberland Infirmary, Carlisle, UK. emma_28_mc@hotmail.com
Abstract
Transsexualism is a condition involving a paradoxical feeling of belonging to the opposite sex. Acquiring a sex-appropriate voice is a crucial part of the patient gaining acceptance in their new gender. Speech and language therapists and otolaryngologists play an important role in influencing communication behaviour in transgender patients by altering the fundamental frequency of speech to one acceptable for the patient's sex. Review of the literature suggests that speech and language therapy is successful at creating an acceptable fundamental frequency in transgender patients, as well as influencing other communication behaviours. Laryngeal surgery, such as cricothyroid approximation, has an important role in raising the fundamental frequency in those who do not achieve acceptable voice via non-surgical means. There is little information on patient satisfaction and quality of life measures. Research is currently underway to explore this aspect further.
I know 5 girls who personally got Voice surgery
1 sounds like they have shredded wheat as vocal chords now (they sound very raspy)
2 sounds like Bea Arthur from the Golden Girls
1 sounds pretty decent ...but no more so if someone bought a CD and practiced on their own
1 is 50/50 (she has had her voice surgery eight months ago and she still talks rather "hoarsely")
These were done at some very reputable surgeons around the globe.
My recommendation is to spend a year trying it on your own first. You may be surprised with yourself....and you wont have to chance a permanent mishap.
Voice surgery is a risk. Always try your hardest at other options first.
That said, I had it and am very pleased so far. No laser or cutting for me though.
I just want to add, respectfully, that a ton of women who never had it warning me to stay away was the most frustrating and hair-pulling-out thing by far. Plural of anecdote is not data. Many doctors have it down and produce reliable results.
no offense, Peky, but I don't understand how copying and pasting a lot of surgeons on pubmed sites are really answering the OPs questions? Anyone can google that. I think she was suggesting ideas for voice tips.
Quote from: Annah on May 29, 2012, 01:26:56 PM
stay away from vocal surgery. It's not a good idea.
Here is me chatting on a file
http://vocaroo.com/i/s0qZWSG8g5JD (http://vocaroo.com/i/s0qZWSG8g5JD)
and me talking some nonsense jibberish last December:
http://youtu.be/Rspf-70lUTU (http://youtu.be/Rspf-70lUTU)
The video file talks about the process of voice change. I used to talk very deep....it takes a lot of hard work but I would never put my voice box under a blade. Every trans site out there doesn't recommend it either.
Thanks Annah, even when you try to use your male voice again, I still hear something there that seems to carry over from your female voice, not sure exactly what it is but its there. (*edit* it sounds like your a woman doing a male voice, i can still hear the female voice)
So i would not want to have my voicebox sliced up, but I still would like access to some higher semi tones, and peky posted what i thought suggested the laser surgery helps a bit. Hmm
Quote from: Eve87 on May 29, 2012, 01:40:02 PM
Voice surgery is a risk. Always try your hardest at other options first.
That said, I had it and am very pleased so far. No laser or cutting for me though.
I just want to add, respectfully, that a ton of women who never had it warning me to stay away was the most frustrating and hair-pulling-out thing by far. Plural of anecdote is not data. Many doctors have it down and produce reliable results.
What did you have done? I don't want lose access to my lower voices, i just want to be able to speak even higher
Oh and Annah when you called me she just now, that is starting to sound normal to me heh, being called male or dude or sir all my life, i even found on the phone today, i didn't like being called sir, it never bothered me much before.
Quote from: ShawnTOShawnna on May 29, 2012, 12:11:22 PM
Hmm ok, Its just that I would like to have access to some higher pitches, my attempts to sound female,
Two things...... first, and most important, Pitch is one very small part of speaking as a woman. I have a very deep voice (can go low, like 90hz), and with two months of working with a vocal coach I can hit pitch of G# or 415hz. Typical female pitch is about 220hz. Higher is not more feminine. It is more about resonance than pitch. Loosing the bass in your tone.
Even though I can hit 415hz easily, I talk around 290hz.... I lose the most bass from my resonance around that pitch.
Surgery to the chords is sooooooo risky. One little slip, or too much scar tissue, say goodbye to your voice. I never thought in my life I could easily hit 415hz. But with a small amount of training and practice, it is now easy.
I'm working with a coach I love, and can't wait to continue to mold it into my perfect feminine voice. I get more out of working with a coach than doing a cd. So if you can learn from that, I would........ at least try it.
The range of your vocal chords isn't just determined by your "base pitch" that you speak, when you're speaking you actually have higher resonances, or harmonics, speaking as well. To train your voice to be feminine, you have to learn how to use those higher resonances and rely less on your bottom ones. A good way to start is to try to speak "with your nose" and try to make that sound feminine, gradually push up the bottom parts of your vocal chords so that you sound less androgynous and more masculine.
Some people also use a method of speaking in high falsetto, "pinching" their vocal chords, in a way, and slowly dropping it to obtain their female resonance.
A lot of time you will be experimenting. When you're experimenting, remember what methods you're using sound bad, and what sounds good, and remember how your vocal chords feel while doing it. It took me over a year to get good results with my voice, but the more you practice, the better you will become. Good luck. ^_^
I like this guy Nick Pitera, he can sing and sound like a natural woman, is he using a falsetto voice or is this his normal voice? And can any of you not just talk female but also sing female?
http://youtu.be/iz0QrHMyP2k (http://youtu.be/iz0QrHMyP2k)
Quote from: ShawnTOShawnna on May 29, 2012, 12:11:22 PM
On a side note, what do you all think of my impressions? :angel:
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OMG!! I don't think I've ever had such a good laugh! I listened to the first link only of your voice impressions and I'm like, wow. They are awesome! As far as I could tell they were spot on and there's no way in a million years that I could even do one of them.
You have talent and should be able to go far with this. Also, America's Got Talent comes to mind, If you were to go there you would get my vote ( if I was American that is).
Good stuff! :D
I'm gonna say something shocking that you need to hear.
You have a male voice box. You will never sing like Maria Callas. Singing in full modal voice as a trans woman and sound cis can be done even with a decent range too but what you can sing adequately will be limited not to mention the quality/richness/power will always be questionable/ sub par. You can seek formal training as a counter-tenor but then I hope you like singing opera because that's pretty much all you'll be able to sing. You won't sound half as good as a bad cis woman too.
Your impersonation skills will not carry over to the female side for the most part... Well it will but only a fraction of it. I used to be very skilled at making voices, FX sounds and impersonations of all kind with my male voice too, hundreds of voices and very little carried over.
Now a little positive: sustaining your female conversational voice will require no conscious effort. Even when you wake up or in most situations that you will have to face daily. If you're skilled and have a good musical ear you will get it down easily. The real skill is not to learn how to talk like A girl that part is easy, the real skill is to learn how to unlock your own female voice as it would have been had you been cis so it matches your body perfectly. The second invaluable skill is to learn how to re-educate your brain so it learns how to draw full power from that voice and remain in female resonance. Now you need to know that the quality of the sounds you produce will increase exponentially over time. So what sounds strained and "fake" now will not remain like this if you condition your higher register daily. Provided you got teh skillz you will be able to yell across the street and even roar too.
Be weary: You cannot "stretch" both ways. Meaning that the more quality you gain on one end of the register you lose it on the other. For a while I pushed my voice in both directions but since I live full time as a woman my male voice is not what it used to be and I lost a few lower notes. So technically it's very counterproductive to fall back on your male voice and especially sing. At some point my throat really itches when I do certain male register sounds or voices I could do effortlessly before.
You will be able to sneeze and sound 100% like a woman sneezing and you will be able to clear your throat but only partially. You cannot fully clear your throat when you have a really bad itch and still sound female it's simply not doable. However, somebody that is oblivious to the fact that you're trans might not perceive it as such though. Depending on your self-control bursts of laughter could be an issue too.
So I hope you found this informative and not too discouraging :P
EDIT: Oh and BTW... Forget voice surgery. Period.
Actually I don't really laugh like a male, i don't have a jolly santa belly laugh or anything like that. I disagree with you that I won't be able to do my voice impressions though or be able to carry it over, I can learn to imitate a new voice within 2 months. I haven't imitated many female voices though because that part is something I need training on.Also I have been hiding the idea of doing female voices to my family or in public for ever because of fear and spiritual concerns, but My voice impressions are very natural to me and some I have done since I was 16, it feels like a 2nd skin as it were.
My voice is not a typical male sounding voice anyways, I have always spoken soft and gentle unless I am trying to be over the top and sound like a DJ, which i can actually and do it quite well. My big problem is when I get tired or nervous or irritated i tend to not speak clearly, I still have faith it can all work out.
Hello ShawnTOShawnna,
In terms of pitch, I can hear that you are able to reach fairly high already. The beginning of your second video reached an E♭5, which is over 600 Hz. Plus, it sounds like you can go even higher! Even 600 Hz is waaay more than enough for everyday talking.
But high pitches don't make you sound female automatically; you can go up to 800 Hz and still sound 100% like a guy. What others say about resonance is very true: it is what really makes a voice sound female. Pitch, in comparison, matters a lot less. That goes with singing as well: definitely possible to sound like a woman while singing as you have found, but another normal guy singing that song would not sound female, even with the same high pitches!
By the way, there used to be someone called Zoe Natasha here, a moderator who was very good with producing a wide range of different voices. Here is one of her videos (http://youtu.be/c9ef6u2WMK0). I find her range of voices amazing, and it might inspire you ;)
I think you don't understand what I said about voices so I'll clarify. Everything you can do now you will still be able to do what I mean is that you will not be able/nor want to transpose them all to a female sounding voice... Like in the clip of Zoe above me she didn't feminize her radio announcer or the evil voice and many people can pull Barney easily so there's nothing impressive in that video and she imitated him flawlessly instead of doing like a woman imitating Barney. That's what I meant by carrying your voices over to the female side but problem is you wouldn't do certain female voices/impersonations for the same reason you would a man's so for instance if you imitate a radio announcer like Zoe but feminize the voice it's just not as funny. Feminize the evil laughter for fun... See how you sound terribly nonthreatening.
:o wow really apple pie? Um wow ok so whats the average normal speaking Hertz for a Female and whats the normal range for a male? Well that furby voice that I do i can do for quite a while until my voice gets tired, course i cant do it all day long. And I am not even doing that in falsetto eithier, I don' know that I can get much higher than that.
I think I see what your saying Seyranna, Like for instance trying to sound like a Female Richard Nixon just would not work because it would sound nothing like him and would not translate over. I have heard some pretty evil sounding laughter from females though. Since I have never trained or taught by my parents to speak feminine, I will have to get a voice coach.
In regards to not being able to sing like a female though I still direct you to this video
http://youtu.be/xlRGidTBCPU (http://youtu.be/xlRGidTBCPU)
Now it seems to me he just has a strong falsetto voice, but I am not quite sure, there are moments it sounds falsetto and moments it sounds like its his head voice.
wow I just watched the video from zoe and I was impressed! It was a hoot hearing those voices come out. I did notice it took a little more time to work into the voices, but still they sounded authentic and worked.
I've seen some amazing videos on YouTube with people whose natural voice was very deep managing to create a very natural sounding female voice after some training. I've also seen some trans women with honestly terrible voices and I wonder if they actually record themselves and listen to it. I'm working on my voice and I can manage a fairly okay female voice at the moment but it's not perfect. I try it out on the phone by calling a big store and making an enquiry or something similar. I've always been "maam'd" which is encouraging.
The big thing to get right is the resonance. Once you've cracked that you're fine. Without the correct resonance you'll sound like a caricature of a female voice, and not an actual one. I find a good way to try to improve my resonance is to open up my nasal cavity and get the sound to resonate through it as well as my mouth, but without making an overtly nasal voice. When I feel like my face is resonating when I speak my voice is at its best. Find a pitch that you're comfortable with - i.e. one that's not straining your throat - and use it as a baseline to work upwards from, whilst continuously working on your resonance.
Another thing I found helped me was when I noticed how little I moved my lips - especially my top lip - when I spoke in my male voice. This dulls down my voice and gives me a slight mumble. When I made a conscious effort to move my lips more and to reveal more of my top teeth when I spoke (without looking like a mad dog) it not only gave my face a more friendly disposition when I spoke but it allowed me to easily attain that extra clarity you want for your female voice.
The only thing is if you don't have surgery you run the risk of talking in your male voice in your sleep, which could give a new partner a shock if you're living in steath ;D
Quote from: Seyranna on May 29, 2012, 11:02:48 PM
I'm gonna say something shocking that you need to hear.
You have a male voice box. You will never sing like Maria Callas. Singing in full modal voice as a trans woman and sound cis can be done even with a decent range too but what you can sing adequately will be limited not to mention the quality/richness/power will always be questionable/ sub par. You can seek formal training as a counter-tenor but then I hope you like singing opera because that's pretty much all you'll be able to sing. You won't sound half as good as a bad cis woman too.
Be weary: You cannot "stretch" both ways. Meaning that the more quality you gain on one end of the register you lose it on the other. For a while I pushed my voice in both directions but since I live full time as a woman my male voice is not what it used to be and I lost a few lower notes. So technically it's very counterproductive to fall back on your male voice and especially sing. At some point my throat really itches when I do certain male register sounds or voices I could do effortlessly before.
You will be able to sneeze and sound 100% like a woman sneezing and you will be able to clear your throat but only partially. You cannot fully clear your throat when you have a really bad itch and still sound female it's simply not doable. However, somebody that is oblivious to the fact that you're trans might not perceive it as such though. Depending on your self-control bursts of laughter could be an issue too.
So I hope you found this informative and not too discouraging :P
EDIT: Oh and BTW... Forget voice surgery. Period.
I'm going to disagree with you on quite a few points here. Everyone has a range, and everyones range can be expanded with training. Opera singers do not just suddenly pound out at a coloratura soprano... they train, expand, train, expand. Now, yes, at some point, everyone will reach their maximum ranges, and that is unique to each person. I have seen MANY trans women with low voices sing full out female, and you could never, ever tell they weren't a cis girl. I've seen and talked to voice therapists who have showed their work, with people flawlessly singing in a female range, speaking like a cis girl, and going back to their male voice flawlessly. And also, since I do voice over work in male voice, and am working with a voice therapist (Who specializes in TG women), even she said that I will be able to go back and forth to do voice over work in either gender at will.
So, if you try these things by yourself, you will get so far. If you train with a professional, you will get farther. This goes for anything. Golf lesson, learning a new trade... when you train with someone who knows what they are doing, you can get farther than doing it by yourself. Your limits are not as solid as you had in your post. I've seen it, I've heard it, and I am actually doing it myself. While your experience has been limiting, I assure you, that is not the way for everyone. You can not believe what you can accomplish with voice when you get with the right professional. (A final example is people who work out by themselves trying to get in shape... then suddenly work with a trainer and get leaner, stronger, and more cut than they ever did by themselves. they thought they were pushing to their limit by themselves, and then suddenly, with proper instruction, go farther than they ever imagined.)
People keep linking Nick Pitera as if they thought everybody could achieve that. Well, newsflash: Like some known sopranists (e.g Radu Marian) these guys have physiological anomalies that enable them to pull that off. You and I and 97% of the MAAB population cannot achieve that even through extensive training sorry. I'm not saying you cannot reach a certain level of quality but just don't delude yourself into thinking that every trans woman can sound like that. You can achieve a conversational voice that sounds 100% cis but singing like a woman (and sound well) is only for a fraction of the MAAB population. One could argue that even Nick doesn't "sound good", he does sing well and yeah he does sound like a woman but both his male voice and female voice are not exactly high quality voices.
No man alive sounds more like a woman than this guy:
Radu Marian, Male Soprano. Bach/Gounod, Ave Maria, video version 1 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=thr-CK_LVWg#)
and even then roughly around 2:32 you can clearly tell that it's a sopranist and not a bio female... It's still my favorite rendition of the Ave Maria though.
Auburn Aubrey, wow that's encouraging to hear that it can be done and that many have done it. I pray that I can fall into that category with some help from a pro.
Radu Marian ...wow truly amazing!
Everyone, please remember to stick to the topic and refrain from personal insults. Everyone's response deserves equal respect.
Quote from: ShawnTOShawnna on May 30, 2012, 10:48:55 AM
Auburn Aubrey, wow that's encouraging to hear that it can be done and that many have done it. I pray that I can fall into that category with some help from a pro.
Radu Marian ...wow truly amazing!
That said.... it takes training, but most of all, a TON of practice! the best golfer in the world still hits thousands of balls a week for practice. If you don't practice what you train on, then you won't see the results you are looking for.
Quote from: Seyranna on May 29, 2012, 11:02:48 PM
I'm gonna say something shocking that you need to hear.
You have a male voice box. You will never sing like Maria Callas. Singing in full modal voice as a trans woman and sound cis can be done even with a decent range too but what you can sing adequately will be limited not to mention the quality/richness/power will always be questionable/ sub par. You can seek formal training as a counter-tenor but then I hope you like singing opera because that's pretty much all you'll be able to sing. You won't sound half as good as a bad cis woman too.
Your impersonation skills will not carry over to the female side for the most part... Well it will but only a fraction of it. I used to be very skilled at making voices, FX sounds and impersonations of all kind with my male voice too, hundreds of voices and very little carried over.
Now a little positive: sustaining your female conversational voice will require no conscious effort. Even when you wake up or in most situations that you will have to face daily. If you're skilled and have a good musical ear you will get it down easily. The real skill is not to learn how to talk like A girl that part is easy, the real skill is to learn how to unlock your own female voice as it would have been had you been cis so it matches your body perfectly. The second invaluable skill is to learn how to re-educate your brain so it learns how to draw full power from that voice and remain in female resonance. Now you need to know that the quality of the sounds you produce will increase exponentially over time. So what sounds strained and "fake" now will not remain like this if you condition your higher register daily. Provided you got teh skillz you will be able to yell across the street and even roar too.
Be weary: You cannot "stretch" both ways. Meaning that the more quality you gain on one end of the register you lose it on the other. For a while I pushed my voice in both directions but since I live full time as a woman my male voice is not what it used to be and I lost a few lower notes. So technically it's very counterproductive to fall back on your male voice and especially sing. At some point my throat really itches when I do certain male register sounds or voices I could do effortlessly before.
You will be able to sneeze and sound 100% like a woman sneezing and you will be able to clear your throat but only partially. You cannot fully clear your throat when you have a really bad itch and still sound female it's simply not doable. However, somebody that is oblivious to the fact that you're trans might not perceive it as such though. Depending on your self-control bursts of laughter could be an issue too.
So I hope you found this informative and not too discouraging :P
EDIT: Oh and BTW... Forget voice surgery. Period.
Yeah, actually what you said makes a lot of sense. :) also as people are talking about Voice surgery, some thing I have always not wanted to take an option for, just don't even consider it. Way too much of a risk to seriously think about !
Quote from: Seyranna on May 29, 2012, 11:02:48 PM
I'm gonna say something shocking that you need to hear.
You have a male voice box. You will never sing like Maria Callas. Singing in full modal voice as a trans woman and sound cis can be done even with a decent range too but what you can sing adequately will be limited not to mention the quality/richness/power will always be questionable/ sub par. You can seek formal training as a counter-tenor but then I hope you like singing opera because that's pretty much all you'll be able to sing. You won't sound half as good as a bad cis woman too.
I have to disagree 100% about this.
Before I started any voice training I had a deep voice with a southern accent (born and raised in Virginia). I sang bass in high school choir and college choir as well as my churches. My voice was not high enough to sing tenor.
After over one year of intense vocal training, my singing range was easily soprano. And it isn't the corny soprano where you can tell people are squeaking their voices to get to that range. My range was very natural and I received compliments with it...being invited to sing in the choir coronation service for our President and other Seminary chapel events.
My voice training also diminished a great deal of my southern accent too (this isn't a good or bad thing...but to show you that you can do incredible changes to your voice if you train hard enough).
QuoteYou will be able to sneeze and sound 100% like a woman sneezing and you will be able to clear your throat but only partially. You cannot fully clear your throat when you have a really bad itch and still sound female it's simply not doable. However, somebody that is oblivious to the fact that you're trans might not perceive it as such though. Depending on your self-control bursts of laughter could be an issue too.
See, I don't see this as accurate either. I can clear my throat just fine without getting suspicious looks from others. Just like voice, sneezing, clearing your throat, and coughing can be changed.
I've been talking in my feminine voice for so long now, everything is natural about it. I don't even think about it anymore and it's just as hard to talk in my original voice as it was in the beginning when i first started to talk in my feminine one.
Well to be honest even in natural cis women there is such a varying degree of voice and a way of carrying yourself it doesn't much matter, I think it is more about personality than anything else.
Quote from: ShawnTOShawnna on May 31, 2012, 04:49:55 PM
Well to be honest even in natural cis women there is such a varying degree of voice and a way of carrying yourself it doesn't much matter, I think it is more about personality than anything else.
I'm not exactly cis, but I doubt my androgyne status would change anything-- but this is true. I can sing into the tenor range (not the lower notes, of course). But no way do I usually pass off as male. I think my voice could go into, say, a gentle male voice, if I lowered the volume. There's all sorts of things like resonance, pitch, timbre, etc. There is probably personality involved.
--Jay Jay