• Home
    • Bio
    • Photos
  • Services
    • Gender affirming voice care
    • Transfeminine speakers
    • Transmasculine speakers
    • Non-binary speakers
    • Voice samples
    • Links
    • Blog
    • Neurological disorders
    • Professional voice
    • Stuttering
    • Swallowing disorders
    • Voice disorders
    • Links
    • Accent modification
    • Confident speaking
    • Public speaking
    • Links
  • Testimonials
  • Forms
  • Contact
Menu

New York Speech & Voice Lab

150 Broadway, Suite 1708
New York, NY, 10038
347-677-3619
Christie Block, MA, MS, CCC-SLP

Christie Block, MA, MS, CCC-SLP

New York Speech & Voice Lab

  • Home
  • About
    • Bio
    • Photos
  • Services
  • Transgender
    • Gender affirming voice care
    • Transfeminine speakers
    • Transmasculine speakers
    • Non-binary speakers
    • Voice samples
    • Links
    • Blog
  • Therapy
    • Neurological disorders
    • Professional voice
    • Stuttering
    • Swallowing disorders
    • Voice disorders
    • Links
  • Training
    • Accent modification
    • Confident speaking
    • Public speaking
    • Links
  • Testimonials
  • Forms
  • Contact

Getting feedback on your voice

August 29, 2018 Christie Block
Photo by UygarGeographic/iStock / Getty Images
Photo by UygarGeographic/iStock / Getty Images

Knowing exactly how your voice sounds is critical for modifying it in ways that work for you. But let's face it, it can be hard to know how you sound outside your own head. And it can be scary and uncomfortable to hear yourself or embarrassing to get feedback. Also, your brain's sensory awareness is used to your usual way of producing voice, making new ways seem strange or foreign, even when the new ways sound good to others. So, you may be pleasantly surprised that you sound better than you think you do! This is actually often the case when I work with a client.

So how can you get feedback on your voice to see where you are and how far you need to go? Besides getting professional help from a transgender voice specialist - indeed I believe that providing useful feedback is one of my main duties - here are some ways to get feedback as you work on your voice independently:

-- Record yourself and play it back. Yeah yeah, I know nobody likes to hear their recorded voice! However, recording your voice again and again while practicing can be a very powerful tool for discovering how you sound as you try out different techniques. Also, periodic recordings can document how your voice is gradually changing over time. You can record into your phone or use a simple recording program on your computer.

-- Monitor your voice in real time with digital software. If you are working on your pitch, there are programs that allow you to SEE your pitch with respect to a target pitch as you talk (for more information about target pitches, see the FEMININE VOICE and MASCULINE VOICE pages on this website). A computer software program (PC or Mac) that I currently recommend for this is called VoicePrint from Estill Voice International. Two phone apps for this that I currently like are Vocal Pitch Monitor (Android or iPhone) and Voice Analyst (iPhone). (Note: I have no financial ties to the companies that make these products!) In addition, instead of real-time monitoring, other apps out there report your overall pitch after you record, which can also be useful.

-- Practice with a voice buddy. Ask someone to listen to you and give you feedback while you practice, whether you are reading a list of sentences, singing a few lyrics of a song, reading from a book, or simply having a conversation with that person. This strategy is particularly great if your buddy is also working on their voice. 

-- Ask someone's opinion after interacting with them. You may have someone you trust to give you feedback after having a conversation with them or leaving them a phone message.

You likely have considered or even tried some of these strategies, so let this post serve merely as encouragement to just go for it or keep going for it! Try to get beyond any embarrassment you may have, since feedback can help you improve your skills and boost your confidence to use your voice with others. That includes your ability to modify your voice overall, day to day, as well as troubleshoot in the moment if you are having a hard voice day or are in a challenging speaking situation. Ultimately, you should be your own best judge so you can shift your voice as needed as life unfolds.

In Tips Tags Feminine voice, Masculine voice
← New office locationUpcoming free voice workshops in August →
Transgender voice blog
Name *

Thanks for subscribing to the transgender voice blog! Stay tuned for upcoming posts.

  • Events
    • Apr 9, 2025 Free voice workshop in May (new date!) Apr 9, 2025
    • May 27, 2022 Free assertiveness workshop at online conference May 27, 2022
    • Jun 1, 2021 Free online voice workshops at the Philly conference Jun 1, 2021
    • Jun 5, 2020 Live Zoom discussion about voice Jun 5, 2020
    • Jul 3, 2019 Free voice workshops in July Jul 3, 2019
    • Jan 30, 2019 New office location Jan 30, 2019
    • Jul 11, 2018 Upcoming free voice workshops in August Jul 11, 2018
    • Aug 3, 2017 Free voice workshops in September Aug 3, 2017
  • Press
    • May 22, 2019 "What does a woman sound like? Vocal training helps trans women find their voices" • New York Speech & Voice Lab in the press May 22, 2019
    • Apr 17, 2019 "Does it bring you joy?" • New York Speech & Voice Lab in the press • Voice tips across the spectrum Apr 17, 2019
    • Sep 8, 2017 "Vocal therapy helps some transgender people find their voice" • New York Speech & Voice Lab in the press Sep 8, 2017
    • Aug 17, 2016 "How voice therapists are helping trans people sound like their true selves" • New York Speech & Voice Lab in the press Aug 17, 2016
    • Feb 18, 2016 "Helping trans people find their voices" • New York Speech & Voice Lab in the press Feb 18, 2016
    • Aug 2, 2015 Caitlin Jenner and feminine voice training • New York Speech & Voice Lab in the press Aug 2, 2015
    • Oct 19, 2014 "Can changing how you sound help you find your voice?" • New York Speech & Voice Lab in the press Oct 19, 2014
  • Tips
    • Nov 25, 2023 Aligning your inner voice with your outer voice Nov 25, 2023
    • Jul 23, 2023 Start and end well Jul 23, 2023
    • Nov 30, 2022 Say NO to "no pain, no gain" Nov 30, 2022
    • Oct 28, 2021 Tracking your voice in different contexts Oct 28, 2021
    • Jan 3, 2021 Strained or tired voice? Sing through a straw! Jan 3, 2021
    • Apr 14, 2020 Voice tips when stuck at home Apr 14, 2020
    • Feb 8, 2020 Is changing your pitch enough? What testosterone can and can't do for your voice Feb 8, 2020
    • Apr 17, 2019 "Does it bring you joy?" • New York Speech & Voice Lab in the press • Voice tips across the spectrum Apr 17, 2019
    • Aug 29, 2018 Getting feedback on your voice Aug 29, 2018
    • Jun 25, 2015 Embrace your best possible self Jun 25, 2015
    • Jan 20, 2015 The road to authenticity Jan 20, 2015
    • Jul 3, 2014 Phone voice Jul 3, 2014
    • Apr 11, 2014 Laughing in a more feminine or masculine way Apr 11, 2014
    • Feb 20, 2014 The magic of lip trills Feb 20, 2014
    • Dec 21, 2013 A daily vocal warm-up Dec 21, 2013

150 Broadway, Suite 1708, New York, NY 10038

347-677-3619 | cblock@speechvoicelab.com