Usually, people who wish to feminize their voice give too much importance to the treble and not so much to the bass. Indeed, the very essence of femininity has its origin in the melody, in the elasticity, in the expressiveness, in the changing, adaptive, expressive dynamics of the speech, in the way of speaking, in the speech and in the voice.
When training a voice to feminize it or harmonize it, we bring into play different parameters: rhythm, articulation, melody… Generally, when we want to classify the femininity of a voice, we refer to the fundamental frequency and the Hercynian classification. We talk about notes, treble, head voice… but what dynamics should we really follow to achieve a feminine and natural voice? The answer lies in the melody.
A voice cannot be monotonous and at the same time feminine. Spoken femininity depends to a large extent on the swings between the low notes and the high notes, on the frequency path that takes us from a chest voice to a head voice, it depends on the vocal extension that we are going to perfect in order to produce, acoustically speaking, an effect of vocal dynamism called “melody”.
In the Astudillo method, melody plays an important role and is combined with other parameters such as fluency, articulation, rhythm, facial expressivity, emotional voice… It is essential to work and develop the patient’s vocal extension without neglecting the bass. In fact, we work this voice extension in order to lengthen it, raising the lowest note to a low middle note, and we develop the head voice in order to push the chest voice upwards. Only in this way will we achieve an elastic, dynamic, changing and feminine voice.
The automation
One of the most significant phases of my method is by far the phase of automation. Indeed, there is no mystery, to automate a voice, you have to train it daily, at all times, to be conscious, to constantly think about it, until the miracle happens, and that is when we realize that we no longer need to think about it and that is when the voice becomes naturalized, the new vocal gesture is automated, anchored, and becomes totally spontaneous.
As in the feminization training of voice harmonization, the melody is very important, the first way worked is the muscular way. It is essential to modify the dynamics of the larynx, through a persevering and daily laryngeal gymnastics which, after all, will transform the muscular and functional dynamics of the larynx, developing an enriching muscular synergy for vocal extension.
Why do some people fail to automate their voice by trying to feminize it on their own?
After 16 years working on feminization, dedicating my life, my nights and my days, being my passion, my daily challenge, I think that anyone who wants to produce a change in his voice in order to achieve a feminine voice, should seek the expertise of a voice professional.
Moreover, I think that a person who tries to feminize his voice on his own, will not succeed at all, or in any case, will not be able to automate the new gesture. Why? Because automation is the most complex phase of voice feminization training. This is why the Astudillo method proposes at this stage a psychological and emotional accompaniment, which is essential to achieve the objectives.
Automating a new gesture means being aware of the new laryngeal, vocal, behavioral, gestural, etc. dynamics. Training makes it possible to set goals, to see the light at the end of the tunnel, to have stages, to go through phases, which will allow us to reach an essential, vital purpose.
We are human beings, we are satisfied to be supported, we need to be supported, we need to be guided, and sometimes, more than a need, it is a will, it is a pleasure, it is the reason why I believe that my voice training works so well. I accompany all my patients in this process. Sometimes we get discouraged, sometimes we want to throw in the towel, but when you know that you are supported, that you have someone to encourage you, to give you a hand, that does not let you fall, that is when the magic of success happens.
I am often asked why I don’t give exercises on my blog, on my website, in my videos. I think I always explain clearly what are the elements to work on in voice harmonization feminization training. But to provide exercises would be, from my point of view, to limit this magic, to reduce it, or even to cancel it.
We work on melody, articulation, facial expressiveness, but in the end, the Astudillo method is a human method that, in addition to being based on anatomical, muscular, logopedic factors or elements, is a method that is felt, that is enjoyed, that is shared? The main thing is not the exercise, the main thing is us: you and me.
In conclusion, melody is an indispensable element in the work of feminization and harmonization of the voice. This work must be incorporated in a dynamic where other vocal parameters will be worked, exercised. It is important to work the treble but also the bass. It is crucial to conceive the feminine laryngeal gymnastics, the weight of the treble, the importance of the bass in this equation, but above all it is fundamental to accommodate the work of the voice to the person, to her daily life, to her personality, her identity, to her desires, to her ideal.