Voice etiquette 101?

[Arielle Enid]

Hi all, I have already been out to the park en femme and whatnot but did not have a chance to really communicate. Are there any tips and tricks some of you ladies use to improve your voice while dressed up or does everyone just speak their normal male tones? Fortunately for me I do not have much of a collar bone, a someone small frame (since I am part Filipino from my mom's side, though oddly enough my sister has my dads bone structure ), and even my voice is fairly "unisex" (maybe even high pitched girly if I am freaking out or trying to prove a point lol) as I would like to call it (still room for improvements to compliment my illusion-ism) albeit still one of my fears/Achilles hills. I have noticed the more "pretty" I feel my voice seems to naturally change with it, maybe that is the secret? Anyways input is welcome from anyone that has good tips. Thanks in advance.

[Kiera]

hi airelle...this is something that didnt really bother me untill i started going out to clubs,they were cd friendly places by the way,i remember a guy came over to me and asked me my name...den it hit me about the voice but the weird thing is i just spoke like i normally do and we chatted for ages,now i will say my voice is not deep at all and i speak very low always have (soft irish lilt lol) actually people are always telling me to speak up lol...ok im rambling there are even you tube videos on this that maybe you cud check out or someone here more helpful than me haha...otherwise i think how you described yourself sounds grand and you will have no problem i dont think....

[Carol Ann]

Mmm I don't really know, I don't go to clubs or bars just places like Wal-Mart and dept. stores. I just lower my voice and act normal and never had a problem. Once a sales women in JCPenny's told me for a man I do make a nice looking women, wonder why

[Davita]

Airelle

My plain old voice does me just fine for fem. Women have quite a range of voices too so if you're somewhere in the middle of everyone you should be fine. Now one thing I understand is that men tend to be monotone and use a limited range even when they can have a wide range. Myself, I tend to use a lot of inflection and a fair amount of my range. Now let me give you some links for voice via my web site, http://davita-farley.webs.com/reference/body2.html I haven't checked the links lately to know if they are all still good. I hope they are and I hope they provide you the guidance you're looking for.

[Kyra]

Hi Arielle,

Airelle

Now one thing I understand is that men tend to be monotone and use a limited range even when they can have a wide range. Myself, I tend to use a lot of inflection and a fair amount of my range.

Davita makes a good point about men's voices. One thing I've learned is that women use much more inflection and tone when speaking. They almost "sing" their words.

There are many Youtube videos you can watch. Here's a link to a search i did for Transgender Voice:
http://www.youtube.com/results?search_q ... YHHq17WFn8

More importantly, is what you feel comfortable with. I personally know CDs who look beautiful and passable, yet they sound like Barry White or Sam Elliot (very deep bassy quality). I mention this because they are quite comfortable using their natural male voice and have no desire to change it.

If you want to change your voice, it's possible to do so, although it will take a bit of practice. I practiced for weeks while driving to work (alone, with no one to hear my first awkward squeaks). Listen to other women as they speak, for hints on how their voice rises and falls.
Good luck!

Hugs,
Kyra

[Anthony Simon]

This is a Vera Wylde video I quite like...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SZr7G7wTFaQ

[Arielle Enid]

@ Kiera

Good points Kiera. Thanks for the words of encouragement. I thought you had the "Irish look" about you.

women in JCPenny's told me for a man I do make a nice looking women, wonder why

I know the feeling, it feels good!

Davita makes a good point about men's voices. One thing I've learned is that women use much more inflection and tone when speaking. They almost "sing" their words.

Hmm, so it seems that tone and infliction is the key. I have always been told by most girls that I have a "nice voice" but never understood why until I was told last night it was how I executed/presented it to make me more enjoyable to talk to. Perhaps if I applied how women "sing their voice" to my current mannerisms it can help improve my voice when en femme. I will check those videos out and listen more closely to how women speak. Thanks you all are awesome.

More importantly, is what you feel comfortable with. I personally know CDs who look beautiful and passable, yet they sound like Barry White or Sam Elliot (very deep bassy quality). I mention this because they are quite comfortable using their natural male voice and have no desire to change it.

Hehe yeah, I always thought that was kinda cool. There are some beautiful CD's out there just on diet and exercise, even with a deep voice they still carry themselves well. I have heard beautiful genetic women (one of my beautiful friends from the Phillippines) with fairly deep voices too.

[Anthony Simon]

I was just watching the Christopher Morley video "Hit Gurl" part 5 - another of those "SpecialGurlFan" videos I've been talking about - and I found myself imitating his/her voice. At this stage in the series the voice is pretty good - though it had problems earlier on - and I find myself reacting as though it's a woman I'm watching.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hU6obvvybyk

The reason I mention this in this thread is that I've always struggled to find a way into making my voice sound fem - but it seems that the admiration I've got for Morley has made the idea of imitating a woman through imitating him appealing. I can't say the results were staggeringly wonderful - and I got tired quickly - but it was a beginning. I could kind of feel myself being taken over by this woman as I did it - which is the same thing that happens when I dress up. So...

[Ralitsa]

I can't really give much advice about this, since I have not ever really "passed". But is seems to me that women use a lot of words and phrases that men don't. For example, "that is sooooo cute", and "I just love this color". Since I have been trying to spend more time around women and less around men, I've been trying to adopt these. Probably the results are disasterous, but I pretend that I'm just one of the girls