How important is a femme voice?

[Freddy12]

I have been read several times because I didn't remember to use a femme voice. I could have kicked myself afterwards. It happens when I don't expect someone to greet me.

I think that some folks don't try to use a femme voice and figure that they are going to be read anyway, but for me I'd like to pass as much as possible. How important is using a femme voice to you?

[bianca66]

When I am Bianca I always talk using the upper part of my throat and not with my adams apple. It comes natural now but needed practice. I once got caught off guard and was asked for directions by a real gg and my voice cracked like crazy...Now I can go from male to female without any thinking about it.

The other girls I have been around with sound about the same as myself (no one talked using their male voice). I don't think any of us really sound as good as a real gg but that seemed to be the acceptable level for everyone...Realising this made me more comfortable with my Bianca talking voice.

Candifla: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qbaj4tIX1kw&feature=related

I like Candifla because she shows you the difference between her male and female voice and transitions quite easily...It takes practise and I could only talk for 5 about minutes a day in the beginning before my vocal cords would hurt but now its not a problem.

[linda allen]

I have been read several times because I didn't remember to use a femme voice. I could have kicked myself afterwards. It happens when I don't expect someone to greet me.

I think that some folks don't try to use a femme voice and figure that they are going to be read anyway, but for me I'd like to pass as much as possible. How important is using a femme voice to you?

I'm just trying to figure out how to get one. :daydreaming:

[Teresa Ann]

Hi Freddy It is very important to me but a few years ago I would pratice every day and came up with a very good sounding voice but was having trouble going back to my male voice, it was causing problems at work so I quit for some time but now want to try it again.

[Loveday]

I have always been soft spoken and that helps, my problem has been how not to sound like a fake when using the femme voice.

[Julogden]

We pull no punches in our attempts to look as female as possible, so why would one not try to make their voice match the picture?

Coming up with a totally convincing femme voice can be a daunting task, but we should at least work on softening our voice and taking on a more feminine speech pattern.:2c:

Carol

[Chickhe]

Maybe it is a good test to see how well you pass...but it is probably most important if you are full time and want to pass as best as you can. My guess, it is mostly the incongruity that shocks people...if you look female they expect you to sound that way. Ever hear someone large who sounds like micky mouse...its odd. So you can have a really crappy female voice and not raise eyebrows.

[LitaKelley]

I've tried several times and then just gave up. It's virtually impossible for me.

My wife says it sounds like a very poor Damon Wayans being gay impression :brolleyes:

[Nicole Brown]

I have been working at developing and improving Nicole's voice ever since I began going out as her many years ago. Today, it is second nature for me to converse in her voice when I am presenting as her. The hard part is when I am working from home and all dress and made up and waiting to go out. On several of these occasions, while leading a conference call, I looked at the mirror above my desk and started talking to 30 some odd people in Nicole's voice. Now that was an interesting experience...

[Lexine]

Having a femme voice is very important to me because I'm generally mindful of other people's feelings, so this became a huge factor as to whether or not I could successfully step out and go stealth... not that my whole intention was to do so, but I like making people comfortable around me and the less I arouse suspicion that "something is definitely not what it seems" with me the better.

[Laura Evans]

It took a lot of practice and the right coaching to use a feminine voice without thinking but it has paid off and I am very happy I have taken the time to learn. To me it is very important to use a feminine voice when dressed. The coaching source is from: www.exceptionalvoice.com

[Alice Torn]

I have tried and tried, but when i do it, i get sore throat, tonsil area. Very difficult for some of us. i tried it several times at driveups, did not work well, but i try.

[Stephenie S]

There is nothing mysterious about gaining a female voice. Just like anything else in this world worth doing well it takes practice. You can't just pick up a violin and play, or speak French fluently. But both of these things are easily within the reach of anyone who puts in the required time to learn and PRACTICE.

Speaking like a woman is no different. "Oh I tried, but I couldn't do it so I gave up", is a common remark here on this forum. Sorry, all that means is that you don't really want to do it all that much. I often say that the best way to develop your female voice is to go full time. Then you HAVE to do it. But for most of you, that's not an option or even a desire. Being able to switch back to your easy, lazy, "guy voice" makes it hard to practice enough. Some, like candiFLA on Utube, are exceptionally talented. But he/she is the exception. Don't despair if you are not that talented.

Practice, practice, practice. It will come eventually. Honest.

Stephie

[AllieSF]

In a nutshell, it is not too important for me to have a female voice. Yes, I would prefer to have one when dressed because, of course, it completes the package that I have struggled so hard to put together. However, since I go out a lot and actively interface with complete strangers whenever I can, I have found that I have no problems having all the fun I desire without having to worry about how I sound. That being said, I will continue to try to improve my female voice.

[VikkiVixen7188]

For me it isnt important, my range is so low that I just accepted that as something I cant pull off. However anyone who is going to be interested in a Tgirl in the first place will be likely to overlook something like that anyway. I wouldnt stress over it.

[t-girlxsophie]

It doesn't make a difference to me at all,I dont think anyones perspective of me would change If I altered the way I talk,im usually made long
before I utter a word,and I certainly wouldn't feel less worthy because I didn't talk in a feminine way

:hugs:Sophie xx

[Starling]

I know that we want to project as many feminine cues as we can, and a credible soprano is certainly a strong one. But I have heard many voices on the radio that, judged by pitch alone, could easily have belonged to either a man or a woman. Pitch is only one vocal parameter, and pitch variation is also important. Whatever their range, women usually change their pitch more than men do--there is more music in their voices. Men's voices are flatter, more monotonous. Women generally have a wider range of emotional expression, too, which naturally affects the colors of their speech.

So maybe it's just as important for me to relax into my female persona and speak naturally, as it is to raise my pitch--and it may also be a more realistic goal.

:) Lallie

[noeleena]

Hi ,

What works for me is im accepted as i am , i dont need to prove im a woman or not its a given as far as my many friends are concerned & as to others iv not been rejected because of my voice so may be its good as far as others are concerned, & i dont need to try & be other than i am, thats acceptance from others to me as a person.

...noeleena...

[Princess Chantal]

Converting my voice into a more feminine one is a practice that I don't have a desire to involve into my crossdressing. I'm not concerned with "passing" as the female gender, so if my voice pegs me out as a crossdresser...... GREAT!!!!!!

[Julogden]

I have tried and tried, but when i do it, i get sore throat, tonsil area. Very difficult for some of us. i tried it several times at driveups, did not work well, but i try.
Hi Louise,

Many years ago, I bought a videotape that addressed developing a femme-sounding voice. The tape was done by a TS, Melanie Anne Phillips, who has a really convincing voice, and her technique worked, but I did go through a time when it irritated my throat. But with persistence, that eventually stopped, so maybe you were on the right track and just need to keep working on your voice.

I've found that if I don't use my femme voice regularly, I lose it, and when I tried recently after not using it for a long time, I couldn't get it back, so I have to start from scratch.

Carol

[Cassiecd]

Wow, this is a great thread! It is very important to me and has kept me from going out in public because I figured I could never convincingly change my voice and I do not want to be read! I am happy to see so many coaching tips on you tube and here....wee! I can start practicing now with a bit of guidance. thanks

[jenifer m.]

i find its not really important.as long as i present well its never been a problem.ive used a fem voice befor but i guess im just too lazy to try all the time.

[suchacutie]

When Tina first appeared 5 years ago, her voice was not on my radar. The learning curve was so steep and there was so much to learn that I couldn't imagine that I would come to a place in years where voice would be important. What I didn't realized was that Tina's voice was different from very early on, and it took my wife to tell me that Tina's voice was softer and rounder.

So, I went looking on UTube for voice instructions and ran across the videos that are mentioned all over this forum under this topic. The video that struck me the most was one where she was introducing herself and said that it just made sense to her that when she presented as feminine that the voice should match (and it did!). Then she went back to her male voice and said, "see what I mean...it's just out of place to have a male voice with this presentation". The next time Tina arrived, I looked at her in the mirror and spoke in my normal (bass-baritone) male voice. It made me shudder, frankly.

I went back to UTube and started searching, reading, and listening. I found the bass resonant cavity in my throat and started slowly to restrict it. It took a couple of days of talking while I drove to work and back, but in less than a week I had the start of a voice. Then the hard part: in my reading I started to find out about use of language and inflection and voice speed. The intonation was just the beginning. One thing that I began to realize was that the voice pitch control was easier if the delivery was feminine. If I tried to talk like a guy with my femme voice, it hurt a little after a while. That made to look at the whole package and by slowing down and thinking about feminine speach patterns, my voice settled in!

Now when I look into the mirror and talk, the feeling of being Tina is incredibly enhanced! It's now a part of her and it really feels good!!!

:)

tina

[carhill2mn]

I always try to use my "femme" voice when ever I am presenting as a woman. Apparently, I succeed most of the time as no one has ever made any comments about my voice.

[sissystephanie]

I have been a CD for 70 plus years, and have never had or used a feminine voice. I have a very definite masculine voice, or so I have been told. My late wife. who totally supported my CD'ing, told me that my voice was too masculine to try to change and not to bother. So I didn't, and it has never been a problem! Now that I never wear a wig or makeup, I am a man anyway even if I am dressed enfemme!

[windycissy]

It's only important if you open your mouth! Seriously, you can get by a lot with a shy smile, but if you are called upon to speak, or want to, projecting a female voice is very important...practice, practice, practice! will get you there especially in short spurts, I find the longer I'm in a conversation the more likely I am to slide back into my guy voice, but I'm continuing to work at it and in short spurts I sound like I look, which is my objective.

[GirlieAmanda]

Hey this is a timely thread. I was literally just working on my voice with my recording software. I was just reading an advertisement as Amanda like she was reading a commercial. I have been doing the voice for a while but I took a long hiatus. When I was going out and very much into CDing about 10 years ago I did speak to a few people. All of them seemed convinced and did not seem to bat an eyelash. One even was excited to meet me. Still they were just a few sentences. Now, I am going for as close to a GG voice as possible. I have been recording music for many years and doing some limited vocal impressions. A female voice would be the topper though. I have been talking when in the car and to my cats. This helps just to say everyday things as you would as a female. I think I have it pretty good but I won't know until I record some more videos as Amanda. I am probably my own worst critic.

[KristinSkye]

Pretty important to me...I've only been out twice and I've pretty much avoided conversation just because I haven't perfected the voice. Been practicing a lot lately though, so its getting better.

I think its probably a bit more important to those of us who are really trying to pass but for others it seems like its not a big deal, and thats OK too :)

[Angiemead12]

I think its important, and I need to practice more!

[KristinSkye]

I've been following the guidance of a video and audio training program and once you get the exercises down it really is all about practice. The last time I practiced I made a voice recording, was going to post it to get a unbiased opinion but was too embarassed lol.

[Rachel Morley]

Recently I have been attempting to work on my voice. At the moment I have only been practicing at home and in the car on the way to work. I have not yet "taken it out for a test drive" .... mostly because it's still sounding a little bit like a gay man but I guess it does take a lot of time to get it right. To answer your question though, how important is it? .... I think it depends on where you go and who you interact with. At our TG group's socials and parties for example, I tend not to even bother as everyone already knows how I sound and also the pressure is off because obviously everyone already knows.

[sandra-leigh]

I have rarely tried, and have not "studied" at all. At the same time, though, I believe that my voice does change when I am in "obvious female" mode, such as wearing a dress or skirt. I wear female clothes all the time anyhow, but more borderline.

With regards to not practicing my voice, note that I am TG living as TG; I am (probably) not TS, and I seldom go out any-more with wig and makeup and all. I "pass" as transgendered pretty well :battingeyelashes:

If I do at some point decide to present as "female" rather than as "transgendered" then it would make sense to work on my voice, but it isn't a priority at the moment.

Meanwhile, there's something about my face that is quite readable no matter how I'm dressed, even when I've had my makeup professionally done. Life is actually easier for me as TG than as "female" -- there is no element of "I think this might be a guy! Ah-hah! I've proved it! What's he doing sneaking around trying to look like a woman?!": if you look guy-ish and you dress the way I do anyhow, then it's just "being who you are".

[eluuzion]

My answer is the same one I give to the IRS about my tax return...I think it is very important...I am still working on it...lol

[Jenny Gurl]

Candifla: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qbaj4tIX1kw&feature=related

I like Candifla because she shows you the difference between her male and female voice and transitions quite easily...It takes practise and I could only talk for 5 about minutes a day in the beginning before my vocal cords would hurt but now its not a problem.

Is it better to talk in the upper tone to get the voice or do you need to go to the very high tone of Falsetto as demonstrated by the video link to gain a higher range. I think I would like to be able to present the voice to match the image if you want to just blend and be "one of the girls." I never gave it much thought since I know my current range is below what would be passable. I thought when puberty finished with you that was it, I didn't realize you could excercise it and get a better range. The video in your link was amazing. I also was thinking maybe a collection of music in the higher ranges to sing along with might make the practice seem less like work and more like singing along with the radio.

[Princess_of_Hckloins]

I've done some practice with it but not being a "full-timer" I find it takes a bit of time to get into that mode. Talking in the car helps.

[faltenrock]

I think if you have a good passing in general and change your voice a bit to make it soft it won't be a problem. If people see you as a woman, they might not change their mind because of a deep voice. I've many women with a deep voice, did I think they were CD or TS - no.

[Asako]

A female voice is very important to me but it's hard to get into it like I do things I enjoy if it's just practice so, I use singing as a medium to engage me since it's something I've always enjoyed. My voice is definitely masculine but if what I've read on some sites is any indication, then my voice rises and falls in a similar manner to a woman's voice all on it's own. Though, my "natural" voice sits in my chest instead of my throat. =/ It is practically Hell but, to me, it's like learning how to play drums. Took me over a year of practicing 4-6 days a week for a few hours a day before I started to get really, really good at it to where even my dad, who played drums in local venue concerts as a young adult, is surprised at my skill. So, don't get daunted by time spent acquiring something. Just keep practicing, especially if you think you aren't improving. THAT is normally when you start to make a break through. I had several weeks like that where I made many stupid mistakes that I THOUGHT I had removed from the way I play drums. Even now, I still occasionally lose a stick due to relaxing my "proper" grip and sliding back into my "old" grip that gives less bounce/rebound. For those who didn't understand that last sentence, think of it as accidentally slipping back into your male voice in mid conversation.

It just goes back to the old "Practice! Practice! Practice!...Practice makes perfect!".