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Develop a Singing Voice

Started by Paulina, April 19, 2009, 06:36:35 AM

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Paulina

I am just curious after the transition and all, is it possibly to create a female singing voice?

I know of the mtf Korean singer Harisu, and she has a decent singing voice. So how would that be done? Or would it require surgery.... has anyone develop a singing voice.

Oh and I wouldn't say I can sing now, since I don't care for my voice, but it be great to have a new singing voice.

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Mr. Fox

Surgery is not required, although it can be done (it is risky, though).  There is voice training which is immensely helpful.  I also always hear that one should watch some of the movie "Valley Girls" for examples of very female voices.

More specifically for singing voices, check out Dana International, a transsexual woman who won some HUGE singing contest.  Proof that there is hope of developing a good female singing voice (though some people just suck at singing and that's that).
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Steffi

First one would have to define "Female singing voice"  ;)
It's normal to immediately take this to mean high-pitched and if that's what you meant, then it is very difficult, but OCCASIONALLY can be done IF one is blessed with a larynx etc that can adapt.
There are a lot of famous and well respected female vocalists who have comparatively low pitch and these voices are often judged to be very sexy.

Surgery to raise pitch is very risky and the end result very unpredictable indeed - poor tonal quality or hoarseness and sometimes even total loss of voice.

Although pitch is undeniably an important factor in judging a voice male or female, it has been established that the critical threshold is approx 165Hz - about the open 3rd string on a guitar, "G" below Middle C. This is actually quite a low frequency that is well within the reach of the upper end of the male range.
Below 165Hz one is likely to be instantly judged male.
BUT - Staying above it does not make you sound female, there is a lot more to it than that - the length and size of various resonating parts of the neck and head, speech and stress patterns etc. Speech therapy addresses these issues, training you to keep the larynx held high(er) to raise pitch and avoid chest resonance, to "place" the voice so that one utilises more female sounding resonant parts and to change attack and inflection patterns.
Once testosterone enlarges your larynx etc there is no way back and the only way that 99%+ of males can get above the lower medium female range is by using Falsetto.
Few guys can produce a decent falsetto that is full and rounded in tone, it invariably sounds thin, scratchy, forced and patently false   :(  - think Terry Jones in Monty Python drag sketches.
The problem for transwomen is one of Range. Ones range remains the same, so if the lower half is discarded then one doesn't have much scope left in an upward direction.

Bottom line - Can a transwoman -who can pitch and sing anyway - learn to produce a very pleasant and very convincing singing voice that sounds totally female - Yes, certainly.
- but she won't be singing "Ave Maria" at glass-shattering pitch!   ;D

To those who understand, I extend my hand
To the doubtful I demand, take me as I am
Not under your command, I know where I stand
I won't change to fix your plan, Take me as I am (Dreamtheatre - As I Am)
I started out with nothing..... and I still have most of it left.
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V M

I was lucky to grow up singing and can do most male or female voices out there  :laugh:
The main things to remember in life are Love, Kindness, Understanding and Respect - Always make forward progress

Superficial fanny kissing friends are a dime a dozen, a TRUE FRIEND however is PRICELESS


- V M
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Northern Jane

Voice training is the key to developing ANY good singing voice but it is a LOT of work and I mean every day for quite awhile.

My natural voice tends to the high side of androgynous but I used to sing a LOT when I was young and in my teens so I decided (a couple of years ago) to see if I could get my singing voice back. Within a couple of weeks, I had it and managed to raise the clarity and pitch to mezzo-soprano fairly easily.

Not being willing to give up cigarettes and not having the time to keep it up, I let it go. Besides, my adoring public know my voice as it is and would wonder about any major changes  ;D
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Renate

Just a bit of nit-picking...

E3 is about 165 Hz.
That's the 4th string on a guitar, 2nd fret.

(G3 is 196 Hz)
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Paulina

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Steffi

@ Paulina....
Hey..... give me a body like that and let me stroke myself in that sheer, lacy outfit and I could probably get up there myself!  ;D
(....seriously.....WTH was that video about.....I associate Ave Maria with nuns and stuff :P)
Nice track. She's not singing THAT high....... but whether you can get there or not I've no idea..... depends what you're starting out with.

@ Renate......you.....you.....nit-picker you!  ;D
Yes, although I'm a guitarist and (very poor) singer myself, I've never payed much attention to the actual frequencies so was just quoting from memory of my speech-therapists handout sheets.
E3 is what you HAVE to stay above and kill the booming chest resonance.
G is a good target for the average cos it gives you a little bit of range downward and a fair amount upwards.
My comments and therefore those of my speech therapist relate to my own voice which is unfortunately a low baritone - by the time I get to the open E string I'm fast running out of natural range, so a lot of the songs we used to cover were either very tiring for me or else had to be played in a lower key than the original  :(

My femme voice is not at all great, but I keep working on it. At least I'm not afraid to speak and can now produce a decent amount of volume/penetrating tone when I need to make myself heard.
To those who understand, I extend my hand
To the doubtful I demand, take me as I am
Not under your command, I know where I stand
I won't change to fix your plan, Take me as I am (Dreamtheatre - As I Am)
I started out with nothing..... and I still have most of it left.
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V M

Ha Ha Ha you silly's  :laugh: I work off of the A just below middle C on the piano and I tune my guitars down
The main things to remember in life are Love, Kindness, Understanding and Respect - Always make forward progress

Superficial fanny kissing friends are a dime a dozen, a TRUE FRIEND however is PRICELESS


- V M
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