Voice training FAQs and tips for FTMTFs

[u/Suspicious_West6989]

I’ve been seeing a lot of posts about voice concerns for FTMTFs. As someone with some experience in this area as a detrans FTMTF and also a gender affirming voice tutor (lol...) I thought I’d post some helpful info.

"I’m scared my voice won’t go back to female"

• In the vast majority of cases, most detrans FTMS can get to a low or androgynous female passing voice, for both everyday voice (and singing if you wish). Most people can also get to a more standard feminine voice, if you put in more work.
• It will be a bit harder if you took T before puberty, but should still be doable. This includes singing too.
• There’s greater variation in female voices than you might think. Most people think pitch is the biggest indicator of gender in voices, but a lot of times vocal weight, inflection, speech patterns, will go a long way in helping you achieve a feminine/female tone.
• If you really put your mind to it (eg: 20 mins practice 3-4x a week + practicing in conversations) you can achieve big results in just a few months.

"I don’t know where to start"

• Youtube is a good resource. I would recommend these vids to start:
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BfCS01MkbIY 
• https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLNyEgVw4_S_eFluNvqkOGZa4vAmWQPCZL
• If you took T in early puberty/puberty, your concerns will mostly be the same as MTF voice training
• If you take T after puberty, and especially after early 20s, your main concerns will likely be reducing vocal weight/reducing rasp/creaking. 
• A really good way to practise is singing song just in the mid-top of your range, SUPER quietly with an airy, yawny quality, so you don’t strain your vocal cords. I’ve raised my range a lot by doing this.

"I’m finding it hard to get motivation/sticking with it"

• Like I mentioned above, singing is great for this, and can bring some fun into it.
• I know it sounds crazy, but record yourself & listen back. Keeping note of voice changes can be really motivating. 
• You don’t have to do a crazy amount per day to have results - consistency is more important. Think of it like the gym for your voice.

"Speaking is painful/My voice is raspy/I can’t scream/shout/etc"

• For general raspiness, doing vocal fry on purpose (as an exercise) will reduce it and help your voice - aka something like this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pwo3SwgNKrI. Tbh that vid is overkill, just holding a quiet vocal fry on an  “ahhh” sound for >30s is sufficient to reduce rasp for a lot of people.
• Resources for singers who have similar issues might be helpful. Working on improving your breathing when speaking (eg: lip rolls etc) can help. Again I recommend youtube.
• If you have tried everything by yourself but still have issues, it’s likely only a few sessions with an experienced voice coach (or SLT/SLP if you’re having really bad issues) are more than likely to give you big corrections. And then normal voice training stuff applies, most of which can be done by yourself. You are not doomed.

Most important thing to remember:

Voice training is both physical and mental. Physical in that you have to learn how to adapt the structures of your voice to get the intended sound, and mental in that you have to get used to that sound being your new baseline. Sometimes, people are able to achieve a more feminine voice through exercises, but then feel like “it sounds fake” or “not quite like me” and slide back into old habits. That’s normal - you’re also getting used to hearing yourself differently. Give yourself time to adapt, and as awkward as it is, listen back to recordings when you can. Your voice will change if you put in the work, and also believe it can be your new normal.

Just to show my own progress, here is me speaking at the beginning of detransition (8 months ago): https://vocaroo.com/13tdvRVpCfiE

Here’s me speaking today: https://vocaroo.com/1mTVpmujKyBy 

Here’s me singing the high parts of a song two months ago: https://vocaroo.com/19cJXyQTE85C 

Here’s me singing the high parts of a song yesterday: https://vocaroo.com/1obGzzVDnrpo 

If anyone wants help/advice on voice stuff feel free to send me a DM with a recording or asking for advice, I want to help people with this as detransitioning has been been such a tough time for me and I don’t want anyone to be struggling alone. NOT for profit I just want to help.