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Dynamic range and the gender perception of the voice

dynamic range nonbinary voice voice feminization voice masculinization Dec 05, 2022
 

 Hello, trans voice friends! Today, I want to talk about the concept of dynamic range.

Dynamic range is a little hard to describe, but it's related to the characteristic of inflection. It depends on how much pitch variability there is when we inflect during speech. This can be a gendered characteristic, although it is not for every language or every culture. I'm only speaking from my perspective.

When we think about a feminine dynamic range, we usually consider that to be wider. So, you can think like Disney Princess, "I just can't wait until I can find my prince." There's a lot of high, low, up, and down. However, a masculine dynamic range would be more narrow. So, that would be something like Neo from the Matrix, "I know kung fu."

Now, if we took the dynamic range of those two examples and swapped them, you'd be able to instantly hear how they affect the gendered presentation of those sentences. Hear how that sounds in the video above.

So, if you've never tried experimenting with your dynamic range, try that one today!

 

Hi, I'm Renée! (they/them)

I'm a queer, nonbinary, and disabled singer, songwriter and gender-affirming voice teacher. 

I've been a voice teacher for over twelve years, I have four full-length albums out, and I have degrees in physics, jazz, and songwriting.

I love creating, I love figuring things out, but most of all, I love helping people.

Learn more about me

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