Trans Voice is a Heavy Subject
Okay let’s talk weight. Not body weight but vocal weight!
What is vocal weight?
Well, let’s start with some anatomy: If you touch your throat when you swallow, you will feel something move up - this is your larynx. Inside your larynx you have a lot of cartilage and muscles including your vocal folds. Your vocal folds vibrate together to make sound, which is your voice!
The vocal folds are muscles that can be found in your larynx. They are what create your voice!
Your vocal folds can stretch out and get thinner, or they can compress and become thicker. This is very much like a rubber band. If you stretch out a rubber band, not only do you see the rubber band get thin, it also results in a lighter sound (and a higher pitch) if you strum it! If you relax the rubber band then the sound is heavier. You can also think of instrument strings - a thinner string will make a lighter sound that has higher pitch, and a thicker string would make a heavier sound that has a lower pitch. While weight and pitch often go hand in hand, you can modify weight
Try it out!
I want you to say “I am incredible” while looking up at the sky - this physically stretches out your vocal folds and creates a ‘light’ weight. Now try to say this while tucking your chin in (make a double chin!) - this physically compresses the vocal folds and creates a ‘heavy’ weight.
Did you hear a difference?
So, what affects how thick or thin our vocal folds are?
The base thickness of the vocal folds is different in every person. Testosterone exposure also increases the base thickness of your vocal folds.
You may be thinking, okay Genie, I had testosterone exposure, am I stuck for life with thick vocal folds? Do I need to receive surgery on my vocal folds to achieve a light voice? Not at all.
The most beautiful thing about our bodies is that we can actually manipulate many of the elements that create your voice.
FINALLY! How can I change my vocal weight without surgery?
For voice feminization, we want to achieve a lighter sound. Imagine that you see an adorable kitten or baby…tarantula… (whatever you think is cute), and say ‘awwwwww!’. Listen to how that ‘aw’ sounds - it is probably ‘light’ sounding, similar to how it sounds when you say ‘aw’ when you look up. To create a more ‘thick’ voice for voice masculization, imagine that you just lost a game or the cute puppy just peed on you. While thinking of that, say ‘aww!’ or ‘ugh’. Now go back and forth between the cute ‘aw’ and the annoyed, frustrated ‘aw’.
Do you hear the difference?
Alright, so we have played with ‘aw’ but how do I maintain it in speech?
Try to set your up your voice with the ‘aw’ that resonated with you and then try to maintain it while you count from 1-10. Did it work? Awesome! Now try a few phrases:
“Hello, how are you?”
“Have a good night!”
“What are we having for dinner?”
“What are you doing on the weekend?”
Hopefully this was helpful, and if you feel like you need more support you can reach out and book a session with me, I would love to help!
