While fundamental pitch shifts and inflection patterns play a crucial role in altering vocal gender perception, true vocal transformation lies in mastering resonance. Resonance, the way sound waves interact with the unique spaces and structures of your vocal tract, profoundly shapes the overall tone and quality of your voice. These advanced techniques will empower you to reshape your resonance, tailoring it to align with your authentic gender expression, whether you’re on a journey towards an MTF voice or an FTM voice.
1. Overtone Exploration: Unlocking Hidden Resonance
The Science of Overtones: Your voice, even when speaking, isn’t just a single pitch. It carries a complex blend of frequencies. The fundamental pitch is what we primarily hear, but hidden within are overtones (or harmonics) — higher-pitched frequencies that give your voice unique character and impact how it’s perceived.
Benefits for Trans Voice Training: While we don’t use overtone singing techniques directly in everyday speech, the process of exploring overtones offers significant benefits for both MTF and FTM voice modification:
Heightened Awareness: Isolating overtones forces you to listen intently to subtle changes in resonance, a crucial skill for refining your MTF or FTM voice. You’ll become highly attuned to shifts in brightness, fullness, and warmth within your voice.
Vocal Tract Flexibility: Exploring overtones requires micro-adjustments in the shape of your oral cavity, pharynx (top of the throat), and even nasal passages. This translates to greater control and awareness of these spaces for achieving your desired MTF or FTM resonance in regular speech.
Identifying Resonant “Sweet Spots”: Your voice has naturally resonant frequencies; overtone exploration helps you find them. For MTF voices, this often means finding brighter, more focused tones. For FTM voices, it helps you locate deeper, warmer resonances. Tutorial: Isolating Overtones for MTF and FTM Speaking
The Starter Hum (Modified): Instead of humming, speak the word “hold” on a comfortable note. Focus on the feeling of vibration in your lips and face. This is your baseline. If you are unsure of how to achieve this take a look at my article Vocal Makeover: Transform Your Voice With Resonance for a more detailed explanation.
The Tiny Shift: Maintain the “hold” and subtly widen the back of your throat as if starting to yawn. For MTF voice training, keep the widening subtle. For FTM voice training, explore a wider range. Do you hear subtle changes in the brightness or depth of your sound?
Jaw Drop: While saying “hold,” slowly open your jaw slightly, then close it. Pay close attention to how the resonant quality of the word changes with different jaw positions.
Vowel Play: Vowels are the unvoiced sounds in speech where the air flows freely through your vocal tract. The shape of your oral cavity (mouth), tongue position, and jaw placement significantly influence vowel sounds and their resonance. By consciously manipulating these elements, you can subtly alter the perceived quality of your voice.
MTF Voice Training:
Focus Vowels: For MTF voice training, vowels like “ee,” “i,” and “ay” tend to resonate in the brighter, higher part of your vocal tract. As you practice the “Tiny Shift” and “Jaw Slide” exercises while sustaining the word “hold” and transitioning through these vowels, pay close attention to:
Lip Position: Aim for a somewhat narrower, more focused lip shape compared to the relaxed position used when speaking a consonant.
Tongue Placement: Gently raise the front of your tongue towards the roof of your mouth, but avoid tensing it. This shortens the vocal tract and encourages brighter resonance.
Listen for: Increased brightness and clarity in your voice. This doesn’t necessarily mean speaking higher in pitch, but rather achieving a lighter, more youthful quality.
FTM Voice Training:
Focus Vowels: For FTM voice training, vowels like “oo,” “oh,” and “aw” resonate in the lower, warmer parts of your vocal tract. As you practice the “Tiny Shift” and “Jaw Slide” exercises while sustaining the word “hold” and transitioning through these vowels, focus on:
Lip Position: Relax your lips and allow them to take a more open, rounded shape.
Tongue Placement: Lower the back of your tongue slightly towards the floor of your mouth, creating a larger resonant space.
Listen for: Increased depth and warmth in your voice. This doesn’t necessarily mean speaking lower in pitch, but rather achieving a richer, more mature quality.
Tips for Effective Vowel Play:
Start Slow: Begin by making exaggerated vowel sounds, focusing on the physical sensations in your mouth and throat. Gradually refine the movements until they become more subtle.
Record Yourself: Record your voice as you perform Vowel Play. Listen back and analyze the changes in resonance between different vowel sounds. This provides valuable feedback for both MTF and FTM voice training.
Experiment and Integrate: As you gain confidence, experiment with transitioning smoothly between different vowel sounds within words and sentences, applying your newfound control to everyday speech in your MTF or FTM voice.
Remember: The goal isn’t to speak with amplified overtones, but to develop the awareness and control they teach you. Use this knowledge to find more authentic and expressive resonance when speaking in your desired MTF or FTM voice.
2. Selective Formant Manipulation: Sculpting Your Sound for MTF and FTM Resonance
The Science of Formants: Formants are frequency bands that resonate strongest within your vocal tract. Think of them as acoustic hot spots. Vocalists manipulate their size and position of their tongue, the soft palate position, and jaw opening to subtly amplify or dampen specific formants, influencing the overall quality of their voice. Benefits for Trans Voice Training:
MTF Resonance vs. FTM Resonance: Lowering the first two formants adds warmth and depth, often associated with a masculine voice (FTM voice training goal). Raising them can brighten and focus the sound, which contributes to a more feminine perception (MTF voice training goal). By understanding formants, you can use them to shape your voice for your desired outcome.
Beyond Pitch: Formant manipulation alters vocal quality independent of pitch, allowing for a wider range of expressive options within your MTF or FTM voice training. Tutorial: Formant Exploration for MTF and FTM Voice Training
Exaggerate Vowels: Say “oo” (like “moon”) and exaggerate the rounded lip position. Now say “ee” (like “me”), spreading your lips wide. These extremes manipulate formants. For MTF voice training, focus on emphasizing the “ee” sound to explore brighter formants. For FTM voice training, pay close attention to the depth and warmth created by the “oo” sound.
Subtle Slides: Say “oo”, but now slightly open your jaw as you slide towards “ah” (like “father”). Reverse the process. Listen for the tonal shifts as your tongue and jaw position change. For MTF resonance, focus on a smaller change. For FTM resonance, explore a wider opening for added depth.
3. Mimicry: Embodying Resonant Masters for Trans Voice Training
The Science of Mimicry: Our brains are wired for mirroring. Observing and mimicking skilled vocalists can help retrain our own neuromuscular pathways. This concept is incredibly powerful for trans voice training, helping both MTF and FTM individuals develop new resonances. Benefits for Trans Voice Training:
Resonance Roadmap for MTF and FTM Voices: Mimicry aids in identifying the physical actions that produce desired resonance, even if you don’t initially understand the mechanics. This gives you a starting point for exploration.
Expanding Possibilities: Imitating voices outside your typical gender perception broadens your concept of what’s possible, encouraging you to comfortably push boundaries in your MTF or FTM resonance work. Tutorial: Mindful Mimicry for FTM and MTF Voices
Choose Your Targets: Find singers or speakers whose voice resonates with your goals for your ideal MTF or FTM voice (similar gender identity helps).
Active Listening: Play a short clip and focus solely on their resonance. What quality stands out? Bright, dark, airy, full, etc.? In other words, what are their vibes? Analyze these qualities and whether they align with your MTF or FTM resonance goals, if they don’t I recommend searching for another voice model. For example, I am obsessed with the voice of Liv Tyler, I could listen to her voice all day long but just because I love her voice didn’t necessarily mean her voice suited my personal voice goals.
The Echo: Replay the clip, this time attempting to mimic short phrases. Pay attention to your mouth and throat shapes. Remember, for MTF resonance, focus less on pitch and more on replicating the brighter, more focused quality. For FTM resonance, aim to capture warmth, depth, and a sense of fullness in the voice.
Analyze: Did you come close to their resonance? What felt different in your body? This comparative analysis is a great learning tool in your trans voice training journey.
The Path to Your Authentic Voice
Mastering the advanced techniques outlined in this guide unlocks a deeper level of control and expression for your MTF or FTM voice. Overtone exploration trains your awareness like never before. Formant manipulation allows you to finesse the quality of your voice. Mindful mimicry provides a map to resonate with the voice you hear in your mind. Each step strengthens your understanding of the incredible instrument that is your voice.
Ready to elevate your voice? Master advanced resonance techniques for a truly authentic and expressive feminine/ masculine voice. Book a session using the link below and embark on your personalized voice training journey today!