Voice training

Voice training is a non-surgical technique used to modify a person’s voice. A testosterone-led puberty typically leads to people developing a voice in the male range, and feminising hormones may not have any effect on a person’s voice after puberty. Thus, many transgender women and transfeminine people seek voice training to learn to use their voice in order to speak in pitches and tones consistent with a female vocal blueprint. For some, it is an essential part of their transition, as voice is a social cue that denotes one’s sex or gender. Trans men and other transmasculine people will typically develop male-range voices after being on testosterone therapy. However, trans men and transmasculine people who wish to have a more masculine voice without testosterone therapy can also consider voice training. Voice training may also be an option for trans men to practice using masculine speech cues. Many guides exist online to help people through vocal training, and you can do this by yourself through online guides and vocal training apps, as well as professional voice therapy sessions. Below, we offer some options as well as guides to get started.

Getting started online

Online guides, videos and voice training apps can help a person sound more like themselves, and there are many resources below that may be helpful. Do note that this is not an exhaustive list.

  • TransVoiceLessons: The Art of Voice Feminisation on YouTube. A comprehensive resource playlist about all parts of the human voice, and how one can make it sound more feminine.
  • VoiceTools: a mobile app that measures pitch, tone and volume. Note that pitch alone is a very poor indicator of actual gender presentation; an objective measurement of pitch, tone and volume using a machine will not be as reliable as, say, a human ear. Speak with others in a safe space if you’d like! Voice Tools on Apple App Store | Google Play Store
  • Romeo’s Voice Training Guide on Reddit—a comprehensive guide to vocal masculinisation.
  • Zoey Alexandria: How to Achieve A Natural Male Voice on YouTube—a quick introductory guide on how one can masculinise their voice.
  • A list of exercises to make your voice sound darker and lower your larynx can also be found here.

    • Professional speech therapy

    Public healthcare

    Trans people can be referred to a speech therapist for voice training under the public health system, if they are obtaining gender-affirming care from public hospitals.

    To do so, you can try asking for a referral through a polyclinic GP or from any of the public sector doctors you are seeing if your GD diagnosis is in the public health system.

    Private speech therapists

    We also know of two private speech therapy providers you can seek out:

    This voice clinic specialises in providing Gender-Affirming Voice Therapy services, including voice feminisation and voice masculinisation. The focus of voice therapy includes vocal awareness training, voice expansion and modification along the continuum of masculine-leaning to feminine-leaning voices. The clinic provides both onsite and online sessions.

    Gwyneth has more than 20 years of experience in treating voice conditions (since 2003) in both public hospitals and in her private clinic. She continues to teach and mentor speech therapists in the area of Gender-Affirming Voice Therapy and Treatment of Voice Disorders. She holds an Allied Health Professions Council (AHPC) practising certificate.

    She is a rehabilitation specialist, treating patients who have high vocal demands and complicated voice issues. She has worked with the specific vocal needs of both singers and transgender clients (with or without voice surgery). Together with her voice therapy experience and singing training, she is skilled at picking up nuances in her client’s voice and modifying it. She continues to attend workshops and conferences in this area to learn and to help her clients find their optimal voice.

    Some of her training relevant to Gender Affirming Voice Therapy includes the following:

  • Gender Affirming Voice Training (by Sandy Hirsch, Leah Helou, Christie Block, AC Goldberg)
  • Gender Affirming Voice in the Singing Space (by Nadine Manion)
  • Gender Affirming Voice Therapy and Voice Therapy for Singers and Voice Professionals (by Shelagh Davies )
  • Gender Affirming Voice Clinic, La Trobe University (Attended HMDP training with Georgia Dacakis)
  • Lessac-Madsen Resonant Voice Therapy (by Dr. Katherine Verdoulini Abbott)
    • Website: amillionthingstosay.com

    Address: 210 New Upper Changi Road, #03-729, Singapore 460210

    Contact: (65) 9298 5421 or email amillionthingstosay@gmail.com

    The Speech Practice adopts a personalised and comprehensive approach to support transgender people and their needs. Their therapists have had experience with speech therapy with trans and non-binary people in the public and private sector.

    Website: www.thespeechpractice.com

    Address: The Speech Practice, Singapore Shopping Centre, 190 Clemenceau Ave, #02-28, S239924

    Contact: (65) 9126 4322 or email enquiries@thespeechtherapist.com