Stage 1 of 7 in the course

Resonance

The space your voice travels through

Your vocal folds make a buzz. On its own it isn't much, just a rough, flat noise. The space above them shapes that buzz into your voice.

Vocal folds: make the buzz.
Voice box: can rise or settle.
Tongue: shapes the mouth.
Lips: the way out.

A smaller space sounds brighter. A larger one sounds darker.

That's resonance. It isn't pitch: you can say the same note bright or dark. And it does more than pitch to decide whether a voice is heard as female, which is why we start here.

What to expect

Most people can shift their resonance a little on the first go. The meow exercise usually gets it. Keeping it for a whole sentence takes a few weeks, and keeping it while you're thinking about something else takes months. That's how it goes for nearly everyone.

What changes it

Brighter with

Tongue forward and up

Do this: Say a long “eee”. Feel your tongue rise and move forward. Keep it there as you say “easy” and “evening”.
You'll know it's working when: The words sound brighter, closer to your teeth than your throat.

In the app: Holding it through a word (R6), 2 min

Brighter with

Let your voice box rise

Do this: Whisper “woof” as a big dog, then as a small dog. On the small dog your voice box lifts. Then add your voice, on one note.
You'll know it's working when: The small dog sounds smaller and brighter, on the same note.

Keep it gentle. Stop if your throat feels tight.

In the app: Big dog, little dog (R2), 2 min

Brighter with

Spread your lips a little

Do this: On one comfortable note, say “woo”, then “wee”. Same note, same volume. Then try talking with a slight smile.
You'll know it's working when: “Wee” sounds clearly brighter than “woo”.

In the app: Wee and woo (R4), 1.5 min

Putting it together: smaller space, brighter voice

Tongue forward and up
Voice box lifted
Lips a little spread

With practice these move together. You'll find them by sound and feel, not by thinking about each one.

Good to know

You already do this

Think about how you talk to a baby, or a dog, or to someone across a loud pub, or when you're doing an impression. Your resonance moves every time, and you've never had to think about your throat to do it.

So training is mostly about finding something you can already do, doing it on purpose, and then learning to keep it there.

This is practice, not medical care. Keep it comfortable: if your throat feels tight, sore or tired, stop for today. Read Looking after your voice, and see a speech and language therapist if hoarseness lasts more than a few days.