Does Your Voice Sound Femme?

[Clare]

Many years ago, our family had to record their voices for my stepson's high school class (can't remember what for).

At the time i was suprised at how relatively 'quiet' my own voice sounded to me on tape. I asked my wife if that's how i really sounded and she said i didn't have a strong deep mans voice at all.

Although its not exactly a femme either, i was wondering if you know whether your voice was manly or not?

Christine

[jo_ann]

I'm really lazy when I talk, so I end sounding pretty low.. when I try talking femme, I think it actually comes out clearer because it ends up getting more annunciated, plus the higher pitch probably helps too.

[Melissa Ryan]

In my head Ive got a really girly voice! But then again, every post on here, in my head, you have all got femenine voices I think that I am to embarrased to try with my voice. But am very interested in hearing from any who have managed to find thier female voice.


......Melissa...........

[Shaylynn]

I was stunned the 1st time it happened. I answered the phone and the person on the other end called me "Miss". At first I was a little upset I'm a guy not a gal." Now i love it when they think a woman is on the line. Come to think of it maybe they're right! Now I not only want to sound girly but look girly.
Hugs
Shaylynn

[RachelDenise]

I don't have a deep male voice but it isn't a woman's voice by any means. Even when I try it is still male. But when you use different words and inflection, you can be mistaken for female. That has happened to me on occasion. All people have a range of sounds and it is the other qualities that we subconciously identify.

[Tristen Cox]

For a number of years I've developed two voices, one of course I never use in public. The fem one still needs some work but it's good enough I think to pass even if the rest of the body doesn't

[sarah]

I am allways surprised when people meet me after talking on the phone most say they thought i was gay ...I think this comes from talking correctly ..but maybe thats just the girl trying to get out..

[Jamie M]

I have tried over the years to perfect a less manly voice but have had to concede to the fact that it's just not gonna happen anytime soon

Like many of you have said , it's not gruff or excessively manly normally just cannot get that girly twang right.

[Priscilla1018]

My voice is hopelessly Male,very deep,melodic.We're talking James Earl Jones here;I could'nt even try to sound feminine without it sounding like Donald Duck on helium.

[Tristen Cox]

You got something against Donald Duck? Do YA!?

[susandrea]

You might be interested in this article I saw just yesterday:

http://tinyurl.com/a2ayr

[Brittney M]

I could only wish my voice was feminine. But I guess It really don't matter since I'm 6'2". I only go out to my group meeting once a month.

[AllThingsPretty]

I have a deep southern draw voice but I can raise it and make it softer but then i get a sore throat if i do it to long.

[Mx Justina]

You might be interested in this article I saw just yesterday:

http://tinyurl.com/a2ayr

Took a long long time in my dwindling life for me to figure out what was working against me voicewise when I tried interacting on par within group gatherings. Takes very little effort (for me) projecting a femme voice...but in conventional group situations (and dressed unisex) that innate ability relegates me to being non-credible or simply ïnvisible"... If I opt to soften (my voice) and femme phrase in order to register better...then I'd be flaunting my "quirkyness" in an exhibitionist way (damned if I do or don't).


J.

[carson]

I'm afraid my voice is hopelessly male. To begin with, I hate the way my voice sounds (who doesn't?) and it's a solid baritone. Used to sing baritone/bass in glee club and choir. The only time I do a female voice is when I'm reading bedtime stories to my daughter and I try to do the characters. (You should hear me as Ariel, it's NOT pretty!) But then again, I've never really tried or had any coaching so who knows?

[arula]

I was at a 24 hour shoppers drug mart one night, and low and behold there were two CDs TVs whatever. Went to the counter. Did not say a single sound. I thought to myself, you girls haven't been practising. I keep trying to sing female songs at the same pitch and hoping one day I will sound female.

[cosmolovesph]

oh not me... i have a deep voice (would have been perfect for broadcasting...)

to get a femme voice.. a far off dream.

[Wendy me]

well not realy but i can still go out and do what i want voice is a little shakey ...

[jo_ann]

speaking of feminine voices, anyone remember that male "american idol" contestant last year during the tryouts that had an unmistakable female voice (and singing voice)? I was so jealous of him.

[Priscilla1018]

You got something against Donald Duck? Do YA!?

Absolutely not,but I do have Daisy envy.

[susiej]

You know what theater people say about tenors? They have resonance spaces where other people have brains . Well, I'm a tenor. I was not particularly happy about this in high school, as it made me sound kind of girly. Now, I don't mind it, for the same reason. Shaylynn, I have also had the delicious experience of being mistaken for a woman over the phone.

I do a bit of directing in amateur theater, and my best advice with regard to your feminine voice is given to actors the world around. "Charlie, don't be a caricature of Richard III, be Richard III!.

So, point 1, don't try to make your voice sound like Britany or Madonna, because not only are they caricatures, they are highly-trained caricatures . Look at your femme self in a photograph, or in the mirror, and then ask that woman a trivial question, like "welcome to McDonalds, how can I help you?" Then, let her answer, "hi, I'd like an order of fries and a cup of coffee, please." If you're by yourself right now, say that 10 times, and ferevinsake don't use the same intonation as you would if you were saying, "hi, I'm horny, and I'd love to go home with you and have you *bleep* me silly". If you can sound like a girl while ordering fries at McDonalds, you're going to be all right.

(Aside -- I've only been here a couple days. As you other girls get to know me, you'll discover that I have learned most of the important lessons of my life in theater!)

There's a wonderful scene in "My Fair Lady" where Eliza Doolittle, cockney guttersnipe, has been taught to speak proper "Rich People" English. But nobody bothered to tell her what to say. She's at Ascot (aristocratic race track) talking to a group of highborn ladies, and says, pronouncing every syllable perfectly, "my uncle just disappeared one night on fleet street; my mum and her sister think that somebody done the old bugger in."

So, point 2, when you speak like a girl, think like a girl and act like a girl, too. Not like a caricature of a girl. What you say, and what you do while you're saying it, can mean more than the voice itself. Your words and your actions can validate the voice, because it makes you sound as the viewer expexts from a woman like you. So, maybe the McDonalds clerk asks before you've decided: "oh -- I don't really -- um -- I --" (self-consciously, turning to the next person) "-- oh, you go ahead, I can't quite make up my mind". Not, "Uhhh, I dunno, just a minute".

There is gobs and gobs of information out there on the internet about this. Just google for "feminine voice", and be patient and slog through all the garbage. You can do it, but just like playing Richard III (or Eliza Doolittle ), its work.

Hugs,
Susie

[gender_blender]

I don't try to sound feminine. It's not that important to me. I wouldn't be a gender blender if I completely passed as female.


Charlie

[Rachel Morley]

Recently I have started to go out en femme and as such I know that there will come a time (planned or not) that will require me to speak. I have only just begun to try to speak in a less manly (more womanly?) voice.

The only thing is, if I keep my voice in its higher range then my already pronounced English accent gets even more English. I think I sound like a bit of a snob. Thankfully being a Brit living in California has only ever gotten me compliments on my accent (so far).

[Ibuki_Warpetal]

People say my voice is sexy in a somber, sultry romantic manly way.

And I can hit almost every key out there, soooooo......

it sounds how ever I want it to.

And I recorded a bunch of clips for a voice thread on another forum. ;D

AND AT THE RISK OF SOUnding like a total dweeb here I will let you listen to the one where I was singing for someone
linkzor

I totally can't sing.

[Marlena Dahlstrom]

The only thing is, if I keep my voice in its higher range then my already pronounced English accent gets even more English. I think I sound like a bit of a snob. Thankfully being a Brit living in California has only ever gotten me compliments on my accent (so far).

Actually I seem to remember from the Melanie Anne CD that a temporary Cockney accent isn't unusual when trying to develop your voice, even for us girls from the wrong side of the pond. It's related to trying to retrain one's vocal muscles to open up the throat so you can talk higher in your throat and take out that male ressonance. 'Course a lot of people then move onto a Southern drawl as a another transitional voice, so I hope you've got your hoop skirts ready.