Myth:
All you have to do to get the right resonance/timbre/voice quality is make your voice breathy or not-breathy. Fact: Gender perception as it relates to resonance has more nuance than breathy or not-breathy, although those are easily recognizable and maneuverable traits. Resonance can be light or dark, forward or deep, heady or chesty, and it can help you produce a rich, colorful sound. It will help you maintain your new voice patterns in a healthy, sustainable way; using the feelings of resonance will help keep you within your desired voice patterns. Useful info: Resonance is the amplification and coloring of the voice as it moves from the vocal folds through the vocal tract (your throat, mouth, and nose). When your vocal folds vibrate, the raw sound is not much more than a buzz. Imagine the sound of someone blowing into a trumpet mouthpiece. It isn’t very trumpet-like without the body of the instrument. The shape, length, and material of the piping colors the raw buzz into a recognizable sound that we hear as a trumpet. Similarly, when we change the shape, length, and suppleness of our vocal tract, the resulting sound changes as well. Your vocal tract consists of the pharynx (throat), tongue, soft and hard palate, lips, and nose. Because your vocal tract is inside your own head and you can’t see it, you will rely on the feelings of resonance to know how you are using your vocal tract to color the sound. When you are using your new voice patterns out in the world, you will likely not be able to give yourself a pitch (unless of course you have perfect pitch memory), but you can rely on the sensations or buzz of resonance to keep you on track. Feminine voices tend toward bright, forward resonance with short vocal tracts, and the buzz can usually be felt in the face or head. Masculine voices tend toward deep resonances with long vocal tracts, and the buzz is usually in the throat or chest. Slow and Steady:
Feminine voice: When you find the spot where the vibrations move out of your chest or throat and into your face or head, try to discover that pitch range. Remember not to push so far up that you go into falsetto or Minnie Mouse voice. Masculine voice: When you find the spot where the vibrations move out of your face or head and down into your chest, try to discover that pitch range. Remember to check in for any tension; don’t push your voice all the way to its bottom limit, but rather let it relax and allow more chest vibration. Return to One Weird Trick: Pitch and repeat your pitch exercises with this new sensation of resonance. Humming is a great way to feel the buzz of resonance, so use this to your advantage! Fast Track:
Tl;dr The sensations of resonance help you to sustain your new voice patterns healthily and reliably. Feminine voice resonance buzzes in the face or head; masculine voice resonance buzzes in the throat or chest. Use a hum to find and maintain the feeling of buzzing. One Weird Trick: Character voices are a great way to discover different types of resonance. Speak the phrase “Hello, how are you today?” in these different voices, and notice how it feels in your head/face/throat/chest, and what parts of your vocal tract change to make these silly sounds:
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AuthorHi! My name is Liz, and I'm a voice teacher and vocologist from Chicago. I have worked with many transgender and gender nonconforming clients, helping them develop speaking and singing voice patterns that align with their affirmed gender. I'm passionate about providing voice care for the t/gnc communities and in addition to seeing private clients, I love volunteering and doing outreach programs for LGBTQ medical and community centers and support groups. ArchivesCategories |