Voice help - advice...

[EmilyMI]

Here is a very recent voice recording that I did. I honestly do not like how I sound (the tone is not right?) Any honest recommendations/suggestions is very welcome. The good thing though is that this is becoming a lot easier for me to use my 'feminine voice' more/longer without strain. Thank You in advance.

http://soundcloud.com/emilymi/voice-session-10-12-2012

[Inna]

WOW, Emily is a GIRL! Hon, you are right on the mark. We often find our selves be the worst critic, it is a good think so that we can constantly improve, but often we loose the sight of achievements at hand! You got it, and believe me, I am very critical of truth!!!!!!

[EmilyMI]

WOW, Emily is a GIRL! Hon, you are right on the mark. We often find our selves be the worst critic, it is a good think so that we can constantly improve, but often we loose the sight of achievements at hand! You got it, and believe me, I am very critical of truth!!!!!!


OMG, thank you for being honest, and the compliment about my voice. I know I am my own worst critic when it comes to things like this. There are some things that I still want to try to improve on though, for some reason the frequency just does not sound right to me? I also need to start using more inflexion with my voice which I think will help me out more down the road when I go full-time. The messages like yours really does help me in so many ways!!! /Husg

-Emily

[Kaitlyn Michele]

I'm with Inna...i checked it with a ear towards disaster and i heard a terrific voice...

It sure sounds to me like you are way past the practice stage and as you use it more and more it will become so second nature that it becomes your voice..and that's when you are "you" in the voice department.

[Michelle.M]

I dunno . . . I listened to it and also the the other one from a year ago and they both sound terrific! Kinda makes me wonder how I compare.

HEY, maybe I'm on to something! Perhaps we could post links to our voice samples for others to comment on? (Now just to find the cojones to actually do that)

[EmilyMI]

I dunno . . . I listened to it and also the the other one from a year ago and they both sound terrific! Kinda makes me wonder how I compare.

HEY, maybe I'm on to something! Perhaps we could post links to our voice samples for others to comment on? (Now just to find the cojones to actually do that)

Awww Thank You! I listened to the one before and (to me) it did not sound like I did not make any huge differences? maybe it is just me though being too critical again LOL. I am looking at ways to try to increase me frequency though - not a lot but just enough for me to notice a difference. If you would like to start posting each other voice samples I am more then willing to assist with any comments. I think any help either of us can get is always a plus!

/Hugs

-Emily



I'm with Inna...i checked it with a ear towards disaster and i heard a terrific voice...

It sure sounds to me like you are way past the practice stage and as you use it more and more it will become so second nature that it becomes your voice..and that's when you are "you" in the voice department.
I practice all the chances I can get - today was a 2 hour drive home from work (ugh) so I used that time to practice a lot. I defiantly want/need for this to become my normal speaking voice and have it where my 'normal' voice is something that will take effort to try to use again (which I hoping that I will never have to again) :daydreaming:

-Emily

[Stephenie S]

Well I thought you sounded pretty darn good.

Keep up the good work. But don't think about having two voices. What you want is to find YOUR voice.

S

[Stephanie-L]

I agree, that was a pretty good voice. Your pitch is good, you do need a bit more inflection, but not a lot. If you know how to work on resonance, that might help with the quality a bit, give you a fuller sound. Yes, it did sound a bit nasal, but well within a normal range, if that annoys you it is something you can work on, but I don't think it is a big deal. It wasn't a long enough sample to get an indication of your breath support, so I can't give an opinion there.
What have you been doing, what program have you been following, for your voice training? The voice therapists I work with, one of them is a serious singer, and comes to voice therapy from that aspect, so I got a lot of exercises that singers use to improve their voice. They also look at things like inflection, etc. And they also get into non-verbal stuff, posture, mannerisms, that sort of thing. You are sounding good, keep it up.............Stephanie

[EmilyMI]

I agree, that was a pretty good voice. Your pitch is good, you do need a bit more inflection, but not a lot. If you know how to work on resonance, that might help with the quality a bit, give you a fuller sound. Yes, it did sound a bit nasal, but well within a normal range, if that annoys you it is something you can work on, but I don't think it is a big deal. It wasn't a long enough sample to get an indication of your breath support, so I can't give an opinion there.
What have you been doing, what program have you been following, for your voice training? The voice therapists I work with, one of them is a serious singer, and comes to voice therapy from that aspect, so I got a lot of exercises that singers use to improve their voice. They also look at things like inflection, etc. And they also get into non-verbal stuff, posture, mannerisms, that sort of thing. You are sounding good, keep it up.............Stephanie

My sinuses are just crazy right now so I am a bit stuffed up (or nose is very runny) so it is hard for me to not sound like I am congested right now. Once I start feeling a bit better I will record another session that will be longer hopefully. I am about to start up my voice therapy sessions again hopefully soon, she was suggesting pretty much what you suggested and try to use for inflection which would help, but not over do it and sound like a 14 year old teenager girl. She also suggested that I start trying to "speaking in the front of your mouth, and focusing on articulation you naturally increase pitch" which I am not quite sure what she means by front of my mouth? so I will have to try to Google it later or see some examples on YouTube? I know for sure that I have to work A LOT more on my non-verbal stuff (posture, mannerisms, etc...) which I admit that I need to work on quite a bit still. Voice is one major step to be sure but there is A LOT more involved with passing as a Woman then a feminine voice.


-Emily

[morgan51]

You are almost there Emily nice! You sound feminine to me. I am just starting. I'ts surely the most difficult thing for me to change.

[Tracii G]

Really good the inflections are there. Sounds very femme.
Finding that comfy range is the key.

[EmilyMI]

You are almost there Emily nice! You sound feminine to me. I am just starting. I'ts surely the most difficult thing for me to change.


Good luck with trying to find your voice - It was not easy for me at all to get where I am now and took A LOT of patience and dedication. Don't get discouraged with your progress, once you get start to get it down more and more it will be second nature to you!!!

/Hugs

[Antoinette]

What kind of steps do you take for practice. I've been trying on and off for a bit but can't get it. It becomes discouraging after a while and almost impossible. I always figure you'd have to be able to sing to pull it off and I cannot sing to save my life. I record on my phone sometimes and it sounds unnatural. Any tips you could share for me?

[Bree-asaurus]

What kind of steps do you take for practice. I've been trying on and off for a bit but can't get it. It becomes discouraging after a while and almost impossible. I always figure you'd have to be able to sing to pull it off and I cannot sing to save my life. I record on my phone sometimes and it sounds unnatural. Any tips you could share for me?

Common opinion is that you need to use your female voice, no matter how sucky and KEEP USING IT. It gets better over time.

Trust ME when I say that the off and on method DOES NOT WORK.

[abigailf]

Great job Emily. Pitch is fine. Most woman speak at a lower pitch than even that. Inflection seems okay to me as well. I don't think you need anymore practice with that just keep doing what you are doing.

If you feel that you need to improve on anything, and honestly I don't think you do, work on your resonance. Resonance is the way sound echos in your voice box, males with typically bigger voice boxes tend to naturally have a "deeper" resonance. This also occurs for many woman as they get older, and ultimately it is not going matter anyway as we all have to get older.

[EmilyMI]

What kind of steps do you take for practice. I've been trying on and off for a bit but can't get it. It becomes discouraging after a while and almost impossible. I always figure you'd have to be able to sing to pull it off and I cannot sing to save my life. I record on my phone sometimes and it sounds unnatural. Any tips you could share for me?


Honestly for the most part I just kept on practicing on my own for the longest time: Driving to and from work, practicing at home, or just while taking my puppies out for a long walk etc... I still was not happy with my progress so I had about 6 sessions so far with a speech therapist who helped me out quite a bit with using more inflection in how I talk. I not really tried it singing yet, like you I just so sound so awful that I don't want to even want to hear it right now. I record quite a bit my voice on my phone (hence the link I provided) and I continue to do a lot more as the weeks/months go on. This helps with trying to find the small changes that I think I need to make still. I know some said that I don't need to change anything with the responses and I do appreciate the compliments in how others think I sound. I do have a tendency to 'slur' my words then I talk so maybe I can work on trying to improve on that as well? Right now I just want to continue to use it as much as I can so it is just natural for me. That is my ultimate goal right now - At least with my voice.

I know it can be very frustrating at times, to the point that you might want to just quit and say why should I even bother? Keep at it as much as you can is all really the only good tips I can give. Everyone is different so what might work for me might now work for you? When I first started I literally sounded like a VERY bad version of Mickey Mouse, I just slowly brought down my pitch until I found something that sounded half-way feminine (without cracking my voice, which is important) and kept on using that over and over again. I am still learning and will continue to do....Keep it up girl! you will get it!!!

[Antoinette]

Thanks! I'll keep at it the best that I can. I haven't really thought about speech therapy. Is it worth it?

[Saffron]

I'm trying this course: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mO41CpUW7IM

I've been practicing only for two weeks, but I can see the progress hearing my recordings and what matters most, I've gained a better understanding and control of my voice.

[Stephenie S]

Remember what I said?

You need to find YOUR voice. Trying to switch back and forth can be an exercise in frustration. Don't do it. Are you transitioning? Then use your voice. If you have to appear in "guy" mode, others will just assume you are an effeminate male. What's wrong with that?

S

[Saffron]

Hahaha using my actual female voice would be too weird, it sounds so female.

I didn't have a deep voice to start with.

In a early stage I think it's better to just use both. After all it's your voice, you're simply changing your register.

[EmilyMI]

Thanks! I'll keep at it the best that I can. I haven't really thought about speech therapy. Is it worth it?

For me it was worth it, she actually helped me with my infection quite a bit and also how to speaking in the front of your mouth, and focusing on articulation was helped me the most I think. I hope this helps and good luck!

[EnglishRose]

I had two people do double takes yesterday when they'd seen and passed me by, then I spoke. :) Time to get my female voice right methinks.

[EmilyMI]

I had two people do double takes yesterday when they'd seen and passed me by, then I spoke. :) Time to get my female voice right methinks.


Was it just this one time thing? or is this more typical then what you would really like it to be?

[EnglishRose]

Was it just this one time thing? or is this more typical then what you would really like it to be?

Well for me, the correct gendering even in guy mode is getting more frequent. I'm extremely tall but working on confidence for at least part time and of course voice is a huge part of that.

[EmilyMI]

Well for me, the correct gendering even in guy mode is getting more frequent. I'm extremely tall but working on confidence for at least part time and of course voice is a huge part of that.

I know what you mean, working on my confidence is my biggest issue right now and something that I defiantly need to work on more...

[Kaitlyn Michele]

Fail upwards. Your voice really is quite good. But as pointed out earlier you have to use it...responding talking thinking all at the same time is not possible if you are thinking about your voice...

People in the real world will be the ones that matter. You just have to go through the funny looks and "uhhhhhs......"...those moment s are not fun, but they are hugely helpful to give you tips and confidence. Just do it.. Go out 20 miles from home, get dressed and buy some toilet paper at target, talk to the sales girl at the gap....you are the customer...nothing is ever perfect but I guarantee you will benefit more from three conversations than many hours of practice