So long story short: I'm blessed to have a lower pitched but less masculine voice than most transwomen and my therapist mentioned a practicing with tapes/cds that can be ordered. I have heard there is also surgery and voice therapists. What other avenues are there and what tips do you have, if any? Thanks everyone! :)
I was under the impression that surgery was generally not successful, especially if you don't want to sound like Minnie Mouse. But that could be really old info I have and modern treatments leave more to be desired.
Practice is really the only way to get a good sounding voice. Some suggestions though...
- Record yourself and listen back with a critical (not criticising) ear. What bits sound good? Which bits need work? Work on those bits more! Repeat!
- Certain words are more likely to catch you up than others, for some reason they end with a deeper note or cross an octave when you are speaking them and crack your voice. Be aware of those words and learn to avoid falling into those traps when speaking them or similar - try to end words with a slight rising intonation, speak more clearly and precisely rather than mumbling.
- My singing teacher once told me that using the whole mouth, especially the teeth (yes, the teeth!), can give you a clearer and cleaner singing voice! Essentially it means smiling while singing. I've found the same applies when speaking with a lighter pitch.
- Aim for a lighter, softer sounding voice rather than a higher one. High pitched voices will be difficult to maintain and can damage your vocal cords if done wrong.
- Quite a few women have lower voices, husky almost - if you ever hear any listen to them speaking see if you can pick up any tricks! In fact listen to how all women talk, what they talk about and the body language they use... communicating like a woman is not just about talking.
- One of the worst things is a throat that needs to be cleared especially when you have to speak, try practicing to clear it in a more restrained womanly way (ahem), rather than the loud way men often do (GRUMPH!!!). I find that humming lightly and quietly to myself when not talking is a good way to keep my vocal cords limber and less likely to need clearing.
- Humming or soft quiet singing also helps you to aim your voice upwards.
- Practice conversing using your feminine voice with people you know and who are supportive before you try taking it into more public places where you might feel nervous talking - anxiety about how your voice sounds is the enemy of a natural sounding feminine voice!
Those are my tips, hopefully others have some more. Practice is the key, don't expect immediate results and don't get discouraged. If all else fails, just be yourself and don't stress it.