Your voice is an important part of your image as a trans woman or crossdresser. Even if you rarely go out in public as a woman, there will be times when you’ll need to speak to someone.
You want to be the whole pretty package, right? Having a voice that’s congruent with your image is a big part of that.
In this post, I’ll share 5 common voice feminization mistakes that can hold you back from achieving a natural, “passable” female voice.
1. Speaking Too Deeply
No surprise here, but the deeper your voice, the more masculine it will sound.
How do you know if your voice is too deep? Your best option is to use a frequency tuner to measure the pitch of your voice. Here are the typical frequency ranges for masculine and feminine voices:
- Male voices typically range from 100-150 Hz
- Female voices typically range from 175-250 Hz
The good news is that you can easily measure the pitch of your voice by using a frequency tuner app on your phone. Here are a couple free apps for both iOS and Android:
2. Speaking In Falsetto
Trying to mask a deep voice by speaking in an unnaturally high voice – otherwise known as falsetto – isn’t good, either. Speaking this way doesn’t make you sound like a woman, it makes you sound like Minnie Mouse.
While you do want to raise the pitch of your voice, you never want to go too high. Again, a frequency tuner is invaluable for helping you find your correct range.
3. Whispering
If you are self conscious about your voice, you may try to compensate by speaking more softly.
However, lowering the volume of your voice doesn’t make you sound more feminine, it just makes it impossible to hear you.
4. Upswinging Your Sentences
Women naturally have more “melodic intonation” to their voices. In other words, they are more animated when they speak.
Some crossdressers and transgender women make the mistake of trying to imitate this by “upswinging” their voices at the end of every sentence.
Upswinging your voice tends to make each sentence sound like a question. The result is that you sound like a stereotypical Valley Girl, which is probably not the type of woman you want to emulate.
5. Pinching Your Voice
One of the reasons that men have deeper, richer voices than women is because they have a larger “throat space.”
If you try to compensate for your deeper voice by constricting your throat, the result will sound pinched. Think Pee Wee Herman or Kermit the Frog. Again, this is something you will want to avoid.
Avoiding these mistakes is the first step towards achieving a passable feminine voice
It’s easy to go wrong in your attempts to feminize your voice. The good news is that you CAN achieve a passable feminine voice with the right tools and strategy.
That’s why I’m so excited to share my new course, Vocal Feminization for Beginners: 30 Day Transformation!
Taught by opera singer and vocal coach Lera Sonzogni, this easy-to-follow program will teach you the basics of achieving a feminine voice in just 30 days.
Learn more about Vocal Feminization for Beginners here!
Love,
Lucille
P.S. Before you go, be sure to take my voice feminization poll below. I’d love to know how important this issue is for you, along with your thoughts on the topic!
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Hi Lucille honey goodness girlfriend’s I guess I’m just an old-fashioned girl growing up in the 60s to start thru the 80s till now I’ll be 58 next month online dating isn’t dating at all and it doesn’t look like I’ll ever meet anyone else after the loss of my late wife on my income or lack of lol I met one lady but when I opened up to her about myself it was over she acted like it was ok but I haven’t heard from her since nothing new about that experience as I’m sure most of you know all too well life goes on her loss as far as I’m concerned my late wife told me I was solid gold I guess I’m a little tarnished these days maybe one of these year-old meet another who appreciates what she’s found but till then I have to wait anyway I Love You Girlfriend’s Love M.J.
I downloaded the datunerlite app but it seems to be just a guitar tuner more than anything in not very savvy on this stuff did I get the wrong one Love M.J.
Hey MJ
I do not know if you got the wrong app or not. However, my suggestion would be to delete the app and install it again. Just be sure to select the DaTunerLite app, as there are other apps that are for just instrument tuning. DaTunerLite is not just a guitar tuner. The lite version can be set to several instruments. When you have it is running, press and hold on the screen and the long press option menu should appear. Select “Choose Instrument” which brings up a Pick an instrument menu. Select “None” which should be first on the menu.
It works just find for me, I have not had any problems with it. Good Luck with it.
Robyn
Hi Robyn honey I just found another frequency analyzer and use it instead I still have some work to do on keeping my voice at that frequency but I find it fairly natural unless my throat is dry or I get angry lol which I try to keep to a minimum you look very nice I’m struggling a lot with my situation mainly financial as far as transitioning anyway thank you for responding I don’t get many it feels good to communicate with someone like myself here I need more friend’s Love M.J.
I find this a difficult one as it requires so much concentration. One thing I do is to keep my mouth lubricated as i find that this helps as does talking slower than I would when not Christine. My partner says I generally do OK but slip back when tired or talking too much. For those who have never tried (and for those of us who keep trying), being anything like a passable woman is far from easy but for me it’s well worth all the effort.
How nice to see an elegant woman out shopping.
I seem to have accomplished a reasonably passing voice and I go out in public frequently. What I have noticed about my voice is that by holding my thumb and index finger [either hand] on my voice box and speaking in the normal male mode I can feel the vibrations in that area as the vocal cords move. Then I attempt to raise the pitch slightly to the point where the vocal cords do not resonate and the result is a softer & more subdued sound. Another area to watch is gesticulating with your hands while speaking especially if you are trying to emphasize a point.
Above all feel at ease when speaking to others-never appear as if you are trying to hide anything. That sends up red flags like nothing else. Have fun! Vikki
I had gone to a university with my transgender group for voice training and was told I had the perfect voice. When I talk it is in a slow steady voice, and even speaking on telephone I have sounded like a young lady. My doctor’s have even said not knowing me they though I was a woman as I have acted and talked just like other ladies. I am always going out and have never had anyone look at me twice. I will say a funny in that I have been hit on in an elevator twice and once while waiting for the doctor. I always think I am a woman there for I am her.
Sorry Elizabeth but you look like an old grandmother as for your feminine voice good going try to dress less older than you appear I to fool people sometimes when I speak as woman I am few of them never think to look at me wear my hair long now wigs yet for me don’t take offensive to me just trying give advice from one sister to another zena
I love it when I talk over the phone and think I’m a lady I love it
Well, 2 things are stopping me here. Money is one and I have a “Windows” phone and getting apps is almost impossible. I tryo to work on my voice daily and somewhat feeling a little better as time goes on but at some point the “male” comes out Eeeeewwww.
Ive tried everything to fix my voice. I just try to keep my voice out of my chest. If they dont like that screw um.
I’m in luck, sort of. i don’t have an adam’s apple and that’s been of some help in this matter. What I’ve done a lot is play female vocalists like Shania Twain on my car CD player and work to match the inflection, tenor, and tones. It seems to work reasonably well in that I never get misgendered when I’m out there as Michelle. also to practice with a voice recorder is a great help. Listen to women. Study how they talk and gesture as well. If you are really serious, you’ll pick it up and might also make the mistake of sounding like that when you don’t want to, like when you are a guy. LOL! Believe me, it can happen.
Michelle
I do the same with Carly Simon or Cher singing with them helps so all good thing
I know, right Jessica!? I actually video myself while working on my voice. I did do a you tube video not long ago and had one reply that never question my femininity as far as my voice or me. I suggest to keep listening to yourself to see what ya’ need to work on. Just my 2 cents worth, lol Be blessed girl.
Theresa
Is this the M.J.Young show?
Hi Robyn thank you sweetie I guess it’s a show lol Love M.J.