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Thread: Let's Talk Voice!

  1. #1
    Senior Member Kris Burton's Avatar
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    Let's Talk Voice!

    Friends and colleagues - How many of you are working on your feminine voice? I certainly have been. I'm interested in finding out what you are doing to create an effective feminine sounding voice to enhance your overall presentation while out and about. We've all seen the You Tube videos, but I have found them long on the theory behind what it is you are doing but less so on actually doing it. So, beyond the obvious "practice, practice, practice" answer, specifically what are you doing and what are you working on when you practice? Vocal range? Vocal placement? Pitch? Projection? Tonal properties? - things like that.

    Let's discuss.
    Last edited by Kris Burton; 11-04-2022 at 11:45 AM. Reason: added info
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  2. #2
    Female Illusionist! docrobbysherry's Avatar
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    "Mum's the word", Kris.

    My answer is verbal "blending". In other words: Don't speak!
    Last edited by docrobbysherry; 11-04-2022 at 06:09 PM.
    U can't keep doing the same things over and over and expect to enjoy life to the max. When u try new things, even if they r out of your comfort zone, u may experience new excitement and growth that u never expected.

    Challenge yourself and pursue your passions! When your life clock runs out, you'll have few or NO REGRETS!

  3. #3
    Silver Member Sandi Beech's Avatar
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    I do not bother changing my voice other than maybe speaking a bit softer in restaurants etc. i figure I am who I am - just decorated a bit different than most ; )

    Sandi

  4. #4
    Silver Member CynthiaD's Avatar
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    I speak in a higher pitch and use a feminine sing-song. I?ve done quite a bit of singing and have no trouble switching to a higher register. The feminine sing-song comes naturally to me, and I?ve always had to make an effort to avoid it in male mode.

  5. #5
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    My approach is similar to Cynthias. I have a fairly broad vocal range and routinely speak in a slightly higher register. I have also used a popular voice femininzation ap with good results. Practice makes perfect?or at least good enough.

  6. #6
    Senior Member Fiona_44's Avatar
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    Kris,

    One thing I learned from looking into femme voice training is that it can take years of practice to get it to sound convincing. Being a mature CD I just don't have the time or patience to devote to such a long process. So what I do is this:

    1. If speaking involves only a short phrase such as "thank you", "bathroom please" or "yes I do" I use my higher femme voice which is not convincing in long conversations but is fairly passable for just a few words.

    2. If it involves a longer conversation, I use my male voice but try & remember to speak slower, a little softer and use my hands to gesture more.
    "Care about what other people think of you and you will always be their prisoner" - Lao Tzu

  7. #7
    Aspiring Member Kelli_cd's Avatar
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    I try to think about cadence and intonation - how I say phrases.
    But I sing low bass; I can't change my pitch too much.

  8. #8
    Gold Member Helen_Highwater's Avatar
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    I've written this so many times as it's a question that reoccurs regularly.

    I once met a speech therapist who was married to one of our community. She said the worst thing CD'ers can do is try to talk like a BeeGee, overly falsetto. Instead start with your natural singing voice and work your way up the scale, Do, Ray, Mi. Go no higher, in fact Ray will suit most. Raising your pitch just a small amount is all that's needed but then you need to speak softer and with more focus on inflection. Also women tend to speak in longer sentences.

    If asked the time a man will say "12-30. A woman,"Oh let me look, oh my is that the time, 12-30 already". It's as much about what you say, how you say it as the actual voice you use.
    Who dares wears Get in, get out without being noticed

  9. #9
    its important mykell's Avatar
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    i had a video from a trucker who shared her method in 2016....its gone now but i found these....

    https://www.youtube.com/results?sear...oice+exercises
    ....Mykell
    i dressed like a girl and i liked it! crossdressing...theirs an app for that

  10. #10
    Senior Member Heather76's Avatar
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    I won't concern myself with altering my voice other than to speak slower and softer. When it comes to vocal range singing, I have one deep bass monotone note I hit which is why I don't sing. I have strict orders from my wife to never sing where others can hear me; and, that includes in church where most voices are drown out by the organ.
    It's never too late to enjoy a happy childhood.
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    I'm finding the more feminine side of me...and I ❤️ this adventure.

  11. #11
    A Brave Freestyler JohnH's Avatar
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    I don't even attempt to sound like a woman. Thanks to M2F HRT over about 12 years, I look very much like a genetic woman, including a bust. I have hair below my shoulders and I wear dresses. HOWEVER, I am a bass singer bordering on basso profundo and I sing second bass in my church choir. So sounding like a woman is a lost cause, and I don't want to compromise my singing voice. So I present as a woman but have the voice of a man.
    John (Legal name)

    Preferred pronouns: he, his, him

  12. #12
    Platinum Member alwayshave's Avatar
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    Kris, I will admit this is one of the things my wife doesn't like. She has helped me with mannerisms and attempts to walk, but changing my voice is a no go. So, I don't even try.
    Please call me Jamie, I always_have crossdressed, I always will, "alwayshave".

  13. #13
    Senior Member Kris Burton's Avatar
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    I notice a number of you are bass singers. I imagine with a voice that deep it must be hard to take on a truly feminine voice. I'm a tenor, and in my younger days a tenor I at that, so getting the proper pitch is not too much of a stretch. Still, my speaking voice is more of a baritone and does not sound feminine at all, so it requires some specific adjustments. I'm trying to speak in my upper register, it almost feels like I am speaking in the upper part of my throat if you can imagine that. I have been recording myself speaking, and listening back attempting to make improvements. Many of you have written that you are trying to speak more gently and softly, but I find speaking with projection in mind helps the clarity - too soft and breathy to my ear can sound like a bad Marylin Monroe imitation. After all of that is accomlished you've got to remember to do it in all situations when en femme. I'm finding I can get it to work in short bursts, but still need more work before I will be able to carry on a conversation, which is what I would like to be able to do.

    And my wife is unaware of this. I practice in the car alone or when no one is home. I'm not ready to spring this on her yet either.
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  14. #14
    Aspiring Member GracieRose's Avatar
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    I try to shift speech from my throat up to my nasal cavities. That just moves the pitch a little higher. The harder part is adding more lilt, slowing down, and gesturing more. Occasionally it all comes together and I am amazed. If I were to shift to full time, I might be able to hold it together better.

  15. #15
    Senior Member Emily in the south's Avatar
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    Being a fairly new girl, I have not paid very much attention to this yet. But I have played around with my voice a bit when I'm alone in the car.
    Recording yourself should be very helpful, and I think Helen's tip from the therapist was great.

    Thanks for this discussion Kris. I have faith that you will succeed..

    Emily
    Last edited by Emily in the south; 11-04-2022 at 09:01 PM. Reason: addition

  16. #16
    🙊🙈🙉 Patience's Avatar
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    I worried about that early on, but then I realized that if I make a deliberate effort to sound feminine, it'll only sound like I'm making a deliberate effort to sound feminine, so I just speak normally.

    Also, in spite of my efforts to look feminine and my vanity wanting to make me believe that I do, I'm sure I'm not fooling anybody, so it's not my voice that's going to break the illusion.

    Since we're talking vocal ranges, I am a tenor, fwiw.
    When haters hate, I celebrate!

  17. #17
    formerly: aBoyNamedSue IamWren's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Kris Burton View Post
    . I'm a tenor, and in my younger days a tenor I at that, so getting the proper pitch is not too much of a stretch. I'm trying to speak in my upper register, it almost feels like I am speaking in the upper part of my throat if you can imagine that.
    I have been recording myself speaking, and listening back attempting to make improvements. Many of you have written that you are trying to speak more gently and softly, but I find speaking with projection in mind helps the clarity - too soft and breathy to my ear can sound like a bad Marylin Monroe imitation. I practice in the car alone or when no one is home. I'm not ready to spring this on her yet either.
    I've pulled out the sentences that didn't really apply to me but everything else you wrote above is what I've been doing for about four years or so and I STILL don't quite have down how I would like my voice to sound. Even after this long, I still practice in my vehicle by recording and trying to be very cognizant of all the mechanics required then listening back. Muscle memory is what I'm trying to achieve.

    But more than register/pitch, it's resonance that is more important. Men, typically have a darker, more resonant tone because much of the sound of their voice comes from their chest, where women's voices, typically resonate a little higher up in the throat and head. And so to try and accomplish that I attempt to... well, do what the videos say to do. Mouth smaller, raise soft pallet, lift adam's apple, etc.

    But as Helen mentioned one of the most important things, if not THE most important things is the way one delivers their thoughts. For instance in declarative statements (i.e. the documents are over there on my desk.) men will typically have the last word or two drop one or two steps. Where as women will keep the pitch the same or even raise the pitch at the end making a declarative statement sound almost like a question but not quite.

    Women just speak in a different way than men. It's hard to explain and am finding difficulty finding the words but a lot of times it's REALLY hard for people who have, for decades and decades been socialized as men, to change that method of speaking.
    I am not a woman nor am I a man... I am an enby. Hi, I am Wren.

  18. #18
    Shoes glorious shoes rachellegsep's Avatar
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    There is an app called voice pitch analyzer you can try to test by reading to see if your voice falls into the female range.
    In search of muliebrity

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  19. #19
    Member Shiny's Avatar
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    For me, voice problems are near the top with all the other ones such as heavy facial features, too tall, Adam's apple, large hands, obvious tall height etc.. You can "mask" a lot of problems, which is the pure genius of some on this site and on Flicker but just another problem that always kept me out of the game of trying to pass.

  20. #20
    Senior Member GretchenM's Avatar
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    I agree with Helen 99.8%. I have noticed that women's voices are just as variable in pitch as men's, but generally a little higher to a lot higher - even a bit squeaky in some. In general most everyone's voice lowers with age; so that age factor enters into the equation once again.

    I don't think pitch is as important as how one says things. Men tend to make statements while women tend to pose questions that creates a conversation rather than a lecture. But individuals blend these styles in various ways that are subtle. Many women have a tendency to end sentences with the voice going up even when it is not a question. Men tend to end a sentence by going down. This is subtle but quite apparent. It goes along with gender traits and characteristics.

    Women tend to make S's with a bit more of a hiss, but not always. How one speaks is a major reveal as to the person's mood and personality traits at that time - voice reveals feelings. Women in general tend to be a bit more animated in speech which adds some emotion while men tend to be less emotional and more "factual." But both use these differences in different situations. There is a definite difference between male and female voices, but it is a lot more complex. The Doe - Ray - Me exercise is a good way to find where on the scale you sound most natural and you can speak most comfortably.

    But always be aware that coughs and sneezes are a dead giveaway as to where your natural voice is located. Those sounds are tough to change without straining.

  21. #21
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    I do not have a deep voice but definitely male I just soften up my speaking and it feels like when i push air from my lower chest and not my throat the pitch softens. Hard to explain sorry.

  22. #22
    Senior Member Maid_Marion's Avatar
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    Modulating longer sentences made a huge difference in how I was perceived.
    Ending sentences with a higher pitch is often called high rising terminal. I often do that.
    I've gotten better at combining speech with moving my hands and body language to convey my thoughts.

    Marion

  23. #23
    Exploring NEPA now Cheryl T's Avatar
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    I simply soften my voice and raise the pitch slightly.
    It isn't what I would prefer but it is what it is. I'm reaching the point I no longer care as long as I can be me.
    I don't wear women's clothes, I wear MY clothes !

  24. #24
    Member Robyn16's Avatar
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    Have been working on my voice for a few months now, what helped me get a good start was on Youtube, search for " Rynali girl voice " He has 2 videos up for this , one is an older video and another is an updated one. Hope this helps others that want to feminize their voice.
    Your never wrong if you do the right thing

  25. #25
    Jamee
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    Lol. I was dressed at a casino. I was on an elevator with 2 older men (80's). They were very respectful and let me get off first. I thanked them and caught myself in a lower voice.
    I changed it very quickly. After I stepped out, I realized that I passed!. Lol again, their eyesight and hearing might not have been the best but I was glad I passed. I had a good time dressed on the Casino floor and was not hassled by anybody. The only disappointment was not getting hit on by anyone ( I am Bi).

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