Why do you feel it is necessary to change or not change your voice?

[Stephanie47]

I just read Teresa's thread concerning an encounter with a neighbor you admonished her to NOT change her voice. I've read many comments on this site of ladies seeking voice lessons to change their voices. Just curious for those who regularly interact with others have you made any attempts to change your voice to a more feminine voice? Have you been able to accomplish your goal? I don't have any desire to alter my speech. The only time I hear myself is listening to a message left on the home answering machine. For me any attempt to alter my voice would be hopeless anyway.

[Wildaboutheels]

As I am not trying to "pass as a female" there is no reason (for me) to "attempt" a female voice. That would be silly and I am already attired in the wrong clothes for an ol' geezer. No reason to confuse people any more than they likely already are.

[audreyinalbany]

I simply speak a little softer when dressed

[carhill2mn]

I change my voice a little as well as my manner of speaking and the words that I use. For me, it is all a part of creating the best image of a woman that I can. It also reduces the potential for adverse reactions by others.

[Micki_Finn]

It’s just feels and sounds too affected to me so I don’t.

[Steph_CD_62]

Since I don't leave the house dressed the only one that hears me is my wife. So there is no reason to change my voice.

[Alice B]

I don't. It is too much work, with little benifits

[Zoeytgtx]

I just had to respond to this one. I have been told that when I'm out my voice transforms in to a female type voice as I begin to apply my makeup. It's all a part of me getting into character. My voice naturally falls into the natural singsong method women speak in so it was all a matter of working on pitch a bit. This week I was out one afternoon and got a phone call while I was in a store. It was a call I had to take so I answered in my girl voice while stepping out of the store. The person on the other end was obviously taken back by my phone being answered by a woman and asked for my guy self by name . I told her hold on, and changed back to my male voice. This was the first time I had been misgendered while on the phone. Some thing is obviosly working on me changing my pitch.
But to get back to the original question, just like Carole I always try to change my voice to match my presentation. It seems to prevent being noticed when interacting with others. Z

[Nikki A.]

I don't really try to change. But me friend told me that when we were out, I did soften my voice a bit and lowered the volume a bit.

[Teresa]

Zoey,
That is the trap I don't want to fall into . Yes I do talk a great deal, I'm sure some people ask , " Does Teresa ever come up for air ? "

I have stood in front of a full lecture theatre to give talk on my experiences with the NHS along with two others . In the future I hope to run my own painting group as Teresa , I will need to talk clearly so changing my voice is possibly a non starter . The important point is it doesn't bother me , there are so many tells on not passing , I can't live that impossible dream , I'm so comfortable as I am .

[docrobbysherry]

I have met hundreds of dressers around the country. Yet, the number of them that were obviously changing their voices I can count on the fingers of one hand!

Before my first SCC convention, I practiced voice modification until I sounded pretty good! Then, when I met my first dressers I was greeted with booming male voices! As I have been ever since. So, to be honest? I'm afraid to sound "different", if I modify my natural speech!:o

[audreyinalbany]

I've watched a few you tube videos of crossdressing 'tips and techniques' & it seems like most of the female voice presentations sound pretty affected. Just my opinion.

[Alice_2014_B]

I've never tried to change my voice, even when doing stand-up en fem.
I might, however, for a certain joke or skit.

:)

[susan54]

Even though I do not identify as a woman I change my voice when I am out dressed except with people who know the male version. I have a very distinctive male voice and accent so I do not use it when out dressed. My Susan voice is a bit higher and I use a different accent.

[Shirley Anne]

I havent actually gone anywhere where I have needed to change my voice, but like Susan I have a very distinctive voice and accent and would be known practically anywhere local.

[t-girlxsophie]

Pretty sure after seeing me,there isn't going to be much of a surprise to them if I dont have a feminine voice, so I dont really make much of an effort to do much of anything with it,bar talking a little quieter and perhaps a little posher

In these parts you'll find many a genetic female that talks with a deep raspy voice

Sophie

[BLUE ORCHID]

Hi Stephanie :hugs:, That is part of the Feminine Illusion >Orchid. ..o:daydreaming:o..

[Stephanie47]

In these parts you'll find many a genetic female that talks with a deep raspy voice

Sophie

I hope all are not cigarette smokers. I've heard plenty of raspy voices coming from cigarette smokers. Maybe, it is a simple as hanging a cigarette from one's lips.

Oh, I know it is part of the illusion, but, sometimes it may torpedo the illusion if a cross dresser otherwise may be passable. My one year old plus grandson communicates some what effectively on some issues with American Sign Language. Perhaps, that is a way around a raspy male voice.

[nikkiwindsor]

My voice with a naturally high pitch definitely needs changing. I've made attempts on my own from time to time to try changing it. I really need a voice coach.

[Sheren Kelly]

I do try to be a bit more expressive as a lady, but I don't really "change" my voice.
I want to feel and present as natural as possible; artificially changing my voice would be self defeating. I don't expect to fool anyone about the truth of my nature. I find I get respect by "owning it" and just being as I am.

[Beverley Sims]

I do make an attempt and usually speak more softly, it sorta works.

[Stacy Darling]

My voice may "Naturally" change when I become Feminine? my actions do and my wording also does!

I won't intentionally change my voice though as I would prefer to let it evolve with me.

Plus, I'd lose too much in translation, Emotional translation too!
Stacy

[Joannie]

While my voice is very deep (loud?) it is not my most pronounced male feature. If I ever decide to go out dressed, it will be the last thing I worry about.

[Genifer Teal]

I've tried to mess around a bit with my voice and I guess I've gotten it to a point I'm comfortable with. Not going to say it's passable but it's not a super deep male voice. I think those changes have carried over to my entire life. Regardless I don't really think about it much these days or make any concentrated effort to push it further to the feminine side. I wouldn't mind but I feel that when I'm out which is quite often it's not really an issue one way or another although when I see other girls out and they have the super deep voice it just doesn't feel right especially if they have a great presentation.

[sometimes_miss]

Just like spending lots of time trying to change all my other body language, changing my voice will accomplish nothing. No one would ever mistake me for a female visually. And I'm not planning on transitioning, so I have no reason to try to emulate all the feminine things about a woman. Out of curiosity, I did watch some youtube videos by someone who did accomplish it, and was amazed at her skills. But she transitioned, and her youtube videos disappeared, so I guess she's now in stealth mode, living out her life somewhere as the woman she always wanted to be. Lucky her.

[alwayshave]

My voice is the least of my worries when dressed.

[CynthiaD]

I've been working on my voice for some time. It keeps getting better. Sometimes I'm amazed at how feminine I sound, but it could just be my Imagination. I use a feminine voice when I'm out dressed because I want to sound like a lady.

[Rachelish]

Last week I had to take a tech support call to sort something on my wife's mobile. First question was "Is that [insert SO's name]?". I decided to wing it and in my best, soft, breathy voice answered "Yes". After a lengthy pause she carried on. 10 minutes later my voice was cracking up and I was desperate for the call to end. All got sorted but I think we were both glad when it was over :whew!:

[Krisi]

If you're just dressing around the house, your male voice isn't going to be much of a problem although if you've gone to a lot of trouble to look and act like a female, it would be a shame to not sound like one.

If you go out as a "man in a dress", why bother, you're not fooling anyone anyway.

Now if you have the size to pull off the female (passing) thing and the foam and silicone accessories, wig, clothes, makeup, etc. and your goal is to have people think they have just seen a female, it would seem a shame to throw it all away by talking in a low, manly voice. This is where you should be putting the same effort into creating a female voice as you put into creating a female figure, walk, etc. Just like with size, some of us have the advantage of a natural higher pitched voice. Others would have to really work at it.

[Fran-K]

It seems to me, for me, that it all goes together as a package ... fake boobs, fake hips, fake voice. Same as for jewelry or wig or perfume or ... oh well, I hope you get the idea.

At least for me & my efforts.

Fran

[Teresa]

Rachelish,
Precisely it's almost impossible to keep it up, if you go out day after day and talk you to people you just get accepted , we are not going to fool all the people all of ther time so why make a fool of yourself trying .

Fran,
I keep the fake part to a minimum , so it's just a little extra in my bra , some makeup and my wig the rest is me , that's how the World sees me and I get along just fine !

[KimberlyJean]

The reason I work on my voice is because I want to be seen and treated as a woman. My voice isnt very manly anyway so all I do is use more words than needed and not hit the lower octaves.

[SuzyZahn]

Over the years i`ve been able to `soften ` voice to how i`m feeling (feminine). Wife can always tell when i`m dressed when I talk on phone. Hmmmm,,,hope not too obvious to others?

[DIANEF]

My natural voice isn't manly at all but attempts at a 'femme' voice just sound like me but less loud. I'd never fool anyone.

[April T]

When I'm with men, I try to talk and act feminine. I'm told my voice is quite passable. I used a trainer app and was able to hit the right pitch and tone/

[DaisyLawrence]

..........so all I do is use more words than needed...........

I laughed at that and my wife said "yep, that'll do it. First rule of being a woman, why use one word when a thousand will do". Many a true word spoken in jest me thinks. :)

[Becky Blue]

I have a deepish voice, its my giveaway when dressed out. Its actually very pleasing when i talk to someone and they get a look of surprise after hearing me. I try talk a lot softer but when I am having a lot of fun its hard to remember always lol.

[Jillian Faith]

I do alter my voice when out dressed enfemme. According to my wife i can raise and soften my pitch enough to sound like some female with a deeper pitch think, Kathleen Turner and Angelina Jolie.

[AllieSF]

I try to maintain a higher pitched and softer voice when out. It usually works for awhile with me falling back to a somewhat deeper natural sound. I do want to move into a higher and more feminine voice, but I tend to be lazy about things that require dedicated continual work. Why is it important to me? Well, a few years ago I was in a restaurant with a friend of mine, both of us dressed as women. A couple sat at the table next to us with less than a foot separating the tables. We were not talking much nor very loud when they sat down. We eventually started talking again and, as usual, included that table next door in our conversation. After a while the wife said that they initially thought that we were women. However, when they eventually heard our voices, that gave us away. That was and is my incentive, because I always blend in well and am close to passing well, as well! So, I want to speak as a woman. Now, I need to actually work more diligently on it.

[LelaK]

I don't care about going public, so I'm not concerned about my voice so far, but some day it would be nice to be dressed in the company of my GF and try my feminine voice. I've only tried it a few times when by myself and I haven't recorded it, so I don't know if it sounds good on the outside as it does inside of me. What I found is that I seem to be able to imitate Carol Channing's voice pretty well. Maybe some day I'll record myself and see if I at least still sound feminine. To do her voice, it helps me a lot to smile big while talking or singing.

[Rachel Anne]

Personally, voice is very important to me and I've tried a number of things. It takes a lot of work.

[Courtney_29]

for me the voice is very important, i am very self conscious about it since i have such a deep normal voice 😭 . i plan to work on it soon , i figure since i have a rather high singing voice strangely enough, i should be able to open up my speaking voice a bit, i hope 😉

[Rachelakld]

I'm too lazy
I mean like really, I have a mans body with all the bits and pieces including the voice
So for a few hours a week I might talk a little softer, but I don't really care.