Well I just got my 2nd ma'am in the month - so yippee!!!  even though I was in boy mode - so no makeup and the light was bad.

But then my stupid voice gave me away! I don't have a very thick voice but it is unmistakeably masculine - which I find irritating!

To make matters worse - I have the flu - so my voice is just plain extra crappy right now - and I can't pass when I cough!

The other thing that bugs me is my idiotic 5 o'clock shadow that gets on my nerves even though I've done like 10 sessions of laser on my face!

Any tips? or reading material or videos? Please help!!! 

There are various resources for voice training. Google might help most. Not sure about the cough, though - I've never pulled it off myself.

get a frequency analyzer software... talk and aim for 220 hz average

or call Kathe Perez, she does Skype lessons but is expensive... she is super nice and her program is great, I did it!

Quote from: oZma on January 17, 2013, 08:12:29 PM
get a frequency analyzer software... talk and aim for 220 hz average

For a frequency analyzer software - found http://www.stillwellaudio.com/?page_id=26
http://www.bluecataudio.com/Products/Product_FreqAnalyst/
http://www.vertexdsp.com/products_multiinspectorfree.html
http://www.sygyt.com/en/free-spectrum-analyzer
http://www.ultimaserial.com/UltimaSound.html

Think I would be trying the stillwell first - but is there any particular software that you would recommend?

As for classes - Between the laser, HRT and other expenses - I don't think I would be able to afford any of them anytime soon...

And another thing is to enunciate your words.  Men sort of mumble when they talk.  Women speak each word clearly.

and LISTEN to girls talk... everyone of them... pay close attention

Get the analyzer and then a recording software. That way you can record your voice and the check the analyzer later. I at least found, that it's easier that way, when I can just relax, read a book and record my voice. Rather than stare the analyzer and try to relax and be natural 

I started of finding the 220hz, but I wouldn't really try to aim for that as your daily voice, unless it comes out naturally. For me, the natural voice kind of sits in 180hz to 200hz range and I'm perfectly happy for that, as it's a natural voice and I don't have to work hard to get it out.

So far trying these and my voice is still a long way to go... But I don't expect anything overnight 

Also does pushing the Adam's apple upwards (no matter how small it is) with your fingers while practicing speaking help?

You want to pull it up with your muscles around your throat, not your fingers.

As far as I know, you need to do three things (besides avoiding the bass ranges):

1. try to speak with thinning out your voice but without going into the falsetto (takes practice, I started out by singing really high without "breaking" my voice)

2. articulation of speech, no mumbling as one poster above said.

3. cadence. I haven't met a woman that speak in a single tone, in sentences they raise and lower their tone and put emphasis on words.


I have yet to overcome these three obstacles but I hope this helps.

Kind regards,
Viv.

Try using a piano, that helped me gain a lot of control over my voice. Also, imagine you are speaking from the top of your vocal chords when you speak

Quote from: Alexia6 on January 22, 2013, 10:44:41 AM
Also does pushing the Adam's apple upwards (no matter how small it is) with your fingers while practicing speaking help?

Probably the only practical thing to do WRT touching your voice box (where the Adam's apple sits at the upper edge of it) is to touch that area gently and feel for vibration. If you get much of a vibration from it, you are probably still speaking in a male-sounding voice.

I would definitely avoid trying to manipulate the voice box itself by hand, since even if it did something, it's not something you could rely on for any practical, day-to-day purpose.

I just posted this in another thread, but it's more appropriate here, sort of:

What worked for me many years ago was listening to the women around me and on TV.  Listening to their tones and inflections and playing them over in my head replacing their voice with mine. Train your thoughts to use those inflections you have been listening to - rising at the end of a word, beginning of words etc. 

When you keep this up all the time speaking that way will come naturally.  I was lucky though and had a small voice to start with.  But any voice can be trained.  So much can be achieved with mental training. 

I found Patricia Richardson's voice from Home Improvement particularly inspiring and sort of modeled my voice on hers to start with - and I'm Aussie   

There's more to it of course, but that's a good start.

I am having this same issue.. I walk around the house and talk to myself all day to try and strengthen my female voice

If you can afford it or your insurance pays, try getting a speech therapist.
I was lucky that there s a speech therapist in my area who also has already dealt with transgender people. In my oppion you learn more with them because you have somebody who immediately tells you if you do something wrong, so you won't get into false speaking patterns.
Hugs
Chrissie

pitch & resonance tips:

try saying something at exactly this pitch (average female voice pitch A3 - 220hz). Then try saying it "around" that pitch. Going up and down in pitch over the course of a sentence / word helps.

And yes, moving your adams apple up such as when you swallow is where it should be for better resonance, but don't force it up with your fingers no no no.

I tend to touch it, swallow, feel it go up there, keep it up and relax other muscles, and then keep touching it as I talk to practice. Anymore, I don't have to keep my finger there, it has become muscle memory. Makes such an amazing difference to be able to hear the resonance change! Very exciting!

Good luck! You'll get it! It takes a LOT of practice though. I practice in the car every day to and from work. It's been 2 months since I started and I finally JUST recently feel like I've been getting somewhere. I still have a hard time actually using it in public though, need to build up some experiential confidence

Listening to GG's is the best tip of all. The difference in the pronunciation of S's is huge.

I'm told I have a passable voice... to me its no good cause I can't do sing song high pitch girl noises.  I don't feel free with my voice, I feel inadequate around born girls...

so.... what I'm going to try... singing lessons! my first step was to get a voice lessons CD of Amazon.  I replaced the CD in my car with it so instead of listening to music, its voice practice. 

I've only practiced a couple times and I suck compared to the teacher on the cd, but id I keep at it... hopefully I can get more dynamic a range in vocal quality!

Quote from: oZma on March 12, 2013, 01:59:49 PM
I'm told I have a passable voice... to me its no good cause I can't do sing song high pitch girl noises.  I don't feel free with my voice, I feel inadequate around born girls...

so.... what I'm going to try... singing lessons! my first step was to get a voice lessons CD of Amazon.  I replaced the CD in my car with it so instead of listening to music, its voice practice. 

I've only practiced a couple times and I suck compared to the teacher on the cd, but id I keep at it... hopefully I can get more dynamic a range in vocal quality!

Practice, that's the key! The only way you will get better. My mom is a retired voice teacher, so I grew up hearing voice lessons every day until I moved away for college.

I'm sure you're voice lessons are all about this too, but make sure you are breathing right (from the diaphragm / stomach), sit with good posture in your car, and don't stretch yourself too hard! You can really do harm if you strain your voice. Have fun singing is GREAT!

I think my voice passes too, when I have the courage to use it... Still working on that. So far I've only been practicing to myself which makes it hard to use it during actual interactions. But the years of vocal training have definitely helped a ton. I don't really have a chest/falsetto break in my voice at all (I sang baritone but could also sing tenor, too). So now I guess I'm a contralto

Oh dear I'm just different.

I'm Cindy, I talk how I talk and people can go fly.

It's the beginning of the Uni year here (we are upside down) and I have a slew of new students and medics in and out of my lab and office trying to meet me and not a one has mentioned my voice or anything else and not a one has misgendered me and not a one seems embarrassed or anything.

And no one of any gender or race seems in the slightest perturbed on meeting me.

No hesitation, no catch in the voice, no eye reaction, no bad vibe.

I'm not saying don't keep trying and keep improving and stuff, and the more comfortable you are, the nicer and more comfy in your self you will be. But don't beat yourself up on it either, your self confidence and ego are the key (IMO), be you, love you and have the have the enjoyableness (new word?) and total pleasure of being you.

Let others sweat the small stuff.

Cindy

Cindy- thats exactly what my therapist told me a few sessions ago when I brought up voice... I think you said it even better than she did, though

I still like the idea of using a feminine voice.. being properly gendered on the phone is a nice perk.

Totally agree though, comfort is best. I am with you in not sweating it, but when I do (rarely) use the new voice it gives me that warm fuzzy feminine feeling inside so imma keep working it!