Tools to Help You Master Pitch [Building Blocks of Vocal Feminization Part 3/5]

Pitch might be the first thing that comes to mind when you think of vocal feminization. 

That’s probably because people who were assigned male at birth tend to have lower voices than AFAB people as a result of a testosterone puberty. 

So if pitch is a result of our physicality, can you really change the pitch of your voice? 

The answer is yes! 

Although pitch is affected by the size of our vocal cords, we tend to habituate our voices to our environment. 

By strengthening your vocal muscle, and building a new habitual speaking range, you can change your pitch!

Below, I talk about what pitch is and how it affects gender perception. I’ll also talk about how to find your current pitch range, how to choose a pitch to shoot for, and share some pitch exercises.

What is pitch?

Pitch is how high or low the frequency of a tone is. Our voices originate from our vocal folds, located inside of the larynx.

When air passes through them, the vocal folds vibrate, resulting in a buzzing sound. That buzz travels through our vocal tract, which colors the sound and results in the voice that we hear. 

Pitch is measured in a unit of frequency called hertz (hz). Musical note names are another way to measure pitch. 

The musical alphabet is A-G, and then it repeats. A-G (8 white notes) is called an octave.

Vocal Pitch and Gender Perception

AMAB folks who go through a testosterone puberty will have larger, thicker vocal folds than AFAB people. 

These longer muscles result in lower pitches. Just like how the low notes on the piano are long, thick strings, and the high notes are short, thin strings.

So while there are physical differences in the size of the vocal folds for AMAB and AFAB people, we are also conditioned by our environment to speak at certain pitch levels. 

You might have noticed yourself pushing your voice lower, or speaking with more gravel in your voice around certain groups of people. Or speaking one way on the phone with a stranger and another with friends.

Through pitch practice, it’s possible to find your true voice and comfortable pitch range. 

Pitch Ranges for Vocal Feminization

There is quite a bit of overlap with pitches that are perceived as masculine, gender neutral, and feminine.

For vocal feminization, a good rule of thumb is to shoot for about 165 hz or an E3. That doesn’t mean that you should never go below this pitch. When your pitch moves up and down to show emphasis or emotion in your speech, that’s called inflection or intonation. 

Inflection is another important part of vocal feminization, so if your pitch moves a little lower than the E3 mark, that’s okay! We just want to float around that new pitch range. 

How to Find Your Habitual Speaking Range

In order to figure out how much to change your pitch, it’s good to know where you most comfortably speak now. 

Voice Tools is a great way to get that information easily and for free. 

• Download and open the Voice Tools app.

• Click “Analyze” at the bottom of the page.

• Tap the microphone button. 

• Read the text aloud.

• Tap the square in the red bar when you’re finished. 

• Email the results to yourself. 

Voice Tools will give you your average, median, high, and low pitches. 

Take note of the average pitch. This will be your starting point. 

If your habitual speaking range is 130 hz (C3), you can start with a target of 145 hz, or a D3. If that feels comfortable, try moving up another 10-15 hz (or another note name). 

You want to make sure that you’re choosing a pitch range that is slightly out of your comfort zone, but not making you tense or causing strain.

How to Practice Pitch for Vocal Feminization

Once you’ve found your target pitch range, you can practice humming and speaking at that note. 

• Start by humming your target pitch. Check with Voice Tools to make sure you’re on the right note. (Don’t stress if you’re not EXACTLY on the number of hz, we just want to be in the ballpark!)

• Monotone on your pitch, say, “mmm-1, mmm-2, mmm-3, mmm-4, mmm-5, mmm-6, mmm-7, mmm-8, mmm-9, mmm-10”.

• Now try “mmm-12345, mmm-6789 10”.

• Practice phrases and short sentences by humming your note first, and saying the sentence in a monotone way, kind of like a robot!  

This is going to help you memorize your new pitch range and create a habit!

Things to Note…

When you are working on changing pitch, it can be easy to start to strain your voice. If your voice is feeling excessively tired after practice sessions, check in with the following:

• Warm up each day

• Hydrate - 64 oz of water a day

• Support with your belly breath

• Gradually increase your pitch 

• Try tension release exercises: jaw massage, tongue stretch, neck stretch