I worked hard for a long time to get to the point where I could raise my pitch at will. I can do it fairly comfortably. The problem now is remembering to do it.
It may seem like a simple social interaction, but in reality there are so many things going on that it's near impossible to get it to come out as we wish it would.
Think of being expected to perform a concert on an instrument you've barely learned to play.
I don't make a conscious effort to change anything, as it would probably sound forced and a little silly.
I just try to talk naturally. If it sounds more fem, it's due to a subconscious organic process.
Speaking softer is one thing that we have to do.
There is one thing that a TS taught me years ago......
Tighten your throat slightly as if you were about to gargle and speak. This will will automatically raise your voice pitch a bit without resorting to an awful falsetto.
I try to talk softer but my fem voice really sucks!
I did for a while. Eventually, like most things, it became my new normal as I slowly evolve.
That is my fear of going out in public. My voice is a dead giveaway.
Debbie, don't let that stop you! I found myself at a Panera which suddenly got busy so I sat quietly and finished my meal. Just before the last bites the manager came by to ask how my meal was and how the service went. I had no out and just spoke a bit quietly, everything was great, and she continued without even a hint of a reaction. Please get out there if that's what you want to do, the water is awesome!
Yes, I do. I have no trouble pitching my voice high.
Debbie, I talk with my masculine bass voice while wearing a dress, hair below my shoulders, and bust, resembling a genetic woman, and nobody seems to notice. So I say don't worry about the voice. By the way, I'm the only true bass in my church's choir as I mentioned before.
Raising my pitch slightly, along with softening it and changing to female patterns is something I try to do and is important for me to feel as feminine as possible when dressed.
Thinking about this thread, I ran across this video today. I found it quite amusing, and it goes far to explain what I was talking about in #8 - the importance of voice placement in addition to pitch - in a far more articulate way than I could. I found the voice change quite striking.
https://youtu.be/aiFgbyEQY_o