Hi everyone. I have the unfortunate characteristic of having a bass voice. Are there any differences in how someone with a very low voice should go about voice training than someone, say, with a tenor voice? I'd just like to know before I start my training so I know the most direct methods for my voice type.

Well, from a bass or higher pitched vocal range, it really comes down to how much you actually train your voice.
Sure you might have a bass voice right now, but give it time, and train your voice, you could end up with a very nice female range.

I'm quite lucky with voice, I did some very basic exercises with my voice, and now my baseline voice pitch is within the normal female range, then add inflection and alike, my voice sounds very female and is nice and passable.
Basically, for me, my voice seemingly naturally rose into the normal range, and then just went quite feminine. Maybe it was more psychological for me, and the more female I felt, the more female I sounded.

I doubt there would be much different in your approach.  How easy it will be. like others have said, depends on your range.  Don't think of your current range as being the limit though, you can learn to stretch it.  Like Vexing said, all of the other aspects of your speech play a bigger role than the pitch: tone, inflection, resonance, etc... even the words you use to describe things.

It's a process...

I think voice training, in a lot of cases, is just pushing it to be a bit higher and letting it adjust, gradually until it becomes normal at a female level. I will say that I've heard some EXTREMELY deep sounding voices become very natural sounding female voices.

Quote from: Jen on July 07, 2010, 12:56:35 AM
I doubt there would be much different in your approach.  How easy it will be. like others have said, depends on your range.  Don't think of your current range as being the limit though, you can learn to stretch it.  Like Vexing said, all of the other aspects of your speech play a bigger role than the pitch: tone, inflection, resonance, etc... even the words you use to describe things.

It's a process...

I've said this before, and had people disagree with me, but just to state my opinion, I don't think the actual words you use or the style of speaking you use will have almost any bearing on the actual gender your voice is perceived as being. It will absolutely affect how masculine or feminine it sounds in personality, but not in the actual gender.

In my opinion, the gender your voice sounds, is about pitch and resonance, with resonance being the more important of the two. If they both sound female, I don't think there's any chance your voice will be thought to be male no matter what you say with it, and vice verse.

I don't really disagree with you.  Just to clarify, I meant all of the other aspects together are more important than pitch, there are husky voiced girls that sound completely female.  But individually, pitch and resonance would be the top priorities.

Athrogal

Can you possibly book a few sessions with an actor's voice coach?

What I do know about these people is they have techniques and methods, based upon many years of research and study. They produce results simply because the people who rely upon them need to earn a living.

Just a thought.

Have you contacted a speech therapist?

Caroline

I am naturaly a very deep baratone, I feel the pain.

I can't get a passable voice down for anything but I keep trying.
My guess would be that we need more practice.

I have a baritone voice as well, so I know that I need help with voice training.  Although it has been a while, I did sing tenor in high school, and that did help train my upper and and falsetto, at least for the time.  I found that there is speech therapy available on my campus, so I am going to check them out.

I had a fairly low voice before I went to voice training and now I get ma'amed on the phone on problem, every time.

My voice teacher basically said there's not a lot of difference....it's more about your range than how low your voice is. You'll end up talking in a different range and in a different area (your mouth/throat instead of chest).

Here's me before I started voice training:



And here's me this morning:




Sandy Hirsch in Seattle does Skype sessions too. She's awesome: http://www.givevoice.com

Jerica,
I just wanted to let you know that I follow you on YOUTUBE and it's great to see your progression whether it be on voice or just life in general. You are one of few that inspire me to keep going.

Now for the other stuff...
I do believe that there are many Tgirls out there that don't pay enough attention to their voices. I am always incredibly surprised when a gorgeous Tgirl starts talking like James Earl Jones! I mean, why go through the whole process and then not give a hoot about your voice?
I'm in Voice-Over work primarily and it's been a little easier for me to get there. But still, I haven't gotten to the point that I can remember (LOL) to use it. I haven't fully transitioned yet...so I use my alone time to practice at home. I guess that's what it's about in the end; dedication and practice.

Quote from: ƃuıxǝʌ on July 07, 2010, 08:45:10 PM
Because they don't give a f**k about the opinions of people like you, are comfortable with themselves, comfortable with having a deep voice and are not particularly concerned about passing in general but are simply concerned with just being who they are?

Wow. I wasn't trying to hurt anyone on here at all.
I apologize if it offended anyone or you. I'm still new to the whole process ( I only recently started my own journey)so this was just an opinion based on how I perceived it outside of "the Family".
It was my understanding that most are trying to "pass" as female, but as you have pointed out to me it should start from within and not from those around you.
Although I thank you for "enlightening" me to this perspective, I would have maybe worded a bit more lady like. But that's the beauty of this forum, we are free to express our own opinions in whatever form they be.
Peace,
Stephie

That was uncalled for vexing.  NOW BACK OFF.

This isn't a free for all it's about the pitch of our voices not a throwdown on someone just because they feel like working on the outside is as important as how they feel on the inside. For me I try to match my body and voice with that of what I picture my female self as in my mind.

Wow. I wasn't trying to hurt anyone on here at all.

Don't worry, it's impossible for mere humans not to a) trigger, b) insult, c) pick a fight with, Vexing no matter what you say.  So don't worry about it.

I actually did take an acting class my first year of college that went a little into making a decision as to where to derive your voice for a character: from the back of your throat or higher up. Also, playing tuba in high school, I learned to breathe from the very bottom of the diaphram. Should I speak from the top of my throat for a higher pitch, or does that sound artificial?

I don't think Vexing crossed the line. I think she is right this time.
Granted she has a habit of pissing us off but that shouldn't be grounds for censorship.

I agree that if a trans girl is happy with their voice and comfortable with it then good for her!

Now if she complains about it and people 'sir'ing her and such.....then thats different.

Vexing was not censored.

She's mysteriously vanished from the site account and everything.