Heavy, deep, thunderous-type voices seen in some males? What causes this? Seems it's NOT about hormones as much as localized tissue + facial structure

[MetabolicTrash]

I know other voice threads have been opened, but it seems there's no clear, direct understanding on what drives voice variances.

Some say it's T, but there are guys who run on loads of exogenous testosterone from steroids/etc. and they have voices largely unchanged;

Some say it's about lack of stress, DHT, "androgenic tone" but I still have a beta-nerd type voice despite sedatives, hormones, low-stress, experimentation, etc.; meanwhile I see alcoholic, extremely stressed dudes with super low, thunderous voices that beam/echo and are that of which you'd imagine of leaders (and, interestingly, these guys I notice around me tend to be taller + have managerial positions). More proof that traits you have affect how others see/judge you, i.e., voice, looks, height, skeletal frame, etc.

Some say it's posture, but there are people with excellent posture; no sinus issues; etc. and they still have weak, breathy, nasally or just not that impressive, masculine-type voices (in males). Hormones can SLIGHTLY affect tissue in which sound is generated, but face/bones/neck/throat/etc. affect how well the sound is carried in my view.

So I'm not convinced. If it's testosterone then all guys who run cycles should sound like Barry White -- most don't have any voice changes though. If it's posture then yogis, meditation gurus, etc. should sound like Vin Diesel -- most have normal or wimpy-type voices often. Like when I talk, for example, my voice conveys no respect at all -- it's wimpy, nasally, and nothing changes it, regardless of mental state, speaking exercises, etc. It's just the voice of, say, a low-class, low-status type guy -- a guy whose voice cannot exude respect, power or masculinity like other guys I've grown up around who just sound like they're successful with booming, deep, heavy undertones in their voice naturally. You can notice this when coughing, i.e, they have SUPER low tones that sound very powerful whereas I sound like a chihuahua when I cough. Posture doesn't help -- hormones don't help -- so my guess is this is largely dependent on facial/throat structure and vocal tissue/thyroid/etc. size. that work in tandem somehow.

For example, the deep or heavy-voiced guys I see either tend to LOOK masculine, broad or at least "tough" whereas nerdy-voiced guys are often adenoid-faced/lack masculine facial structure, i.e., width, short nose/midface, big skull, etc. I guess voice really depends on factors outside of your control, as otherwise every roider, yogi, or person on benzos would sound like James Earl Jones. See it can't only be about what makes the wave/sound, but what CARRIES the sound and how the final tone is perceived.

Long midface = adenoid face = weak, wimpy voice? Have you ever seen a guy with a long midface and narrow structure with heavy voices? Other than Adam Driver I can't think of any popular cases. Most heavy-voiced men tend to have certain facial structures, which -- to me -- suggests the tone of the voice depends on vocal tissue + facial structure as a tone or resonation of vocal potential. So tons of hormones are worthless -- I'd say it's more about altering how the wave moves than the vocal tissue itself.

 

[MyUsernameHere]

I've gotten a deeper voice from catching a cold than from anything I've ever done hormonally.

Also consider that this hormonal exposure might be something that has to happen during puberty (when your voice starts to actually mutate). Much like with height, where taking aromatase inhibitors while you're still growing might increase your maximum height, but once the growth plates fuse you can take all the AI you want and it would do nothing.

 

[Matestube]

I know other voice threads have been opened, but it seems there's no clear, direct understanding on what drives voice variances.

Some say it's T, but there are guys who run on loads of exogenous testosterone from steroids/etc. and they have voices largely unchanged;

Some say it's about lack of stress, DHT, "androgenic tone" but I still have a beta-nerd type voice despite sedatives, hormones, low-stress, experimentation, etc.; meanwhile I see alcoholic, extremely stressed dudes with super low, thunderous voices that beam/echo and are that of which you'd imagine of leaders (and, interestingly, these guys I notice around me tend to be taller + have managerial positions). More proof that traits you have affect how others see/judge you, i.e., voice, looks, height, skeletal frame, etc.

Some say it's posture, but there are people with excellent posture; no sinus issues; etc. and they still have weak, breathy, nasally or just not that impressive, masculine-type voices (in males). Hormones can SLIGHTLY affect tissue in which sound is generated, but face/bones/neck/throat/etc. affect how well the sound is carried in my view.

So I'm not convinced. If it's testosterone then all guys who run cycles should sound like Barry White -- most don't have any voice changes though. If it's posture then yogis, meditation gurus, etc. should sound like Vin Diesel -- most have normal or wimpy-type voices often. Like when I talk, for example, my voice conveys no respect at all -- it's wimpy, nasally, and nothing changes it, regardless of mental state, speaking exercises, etc. It's just the voice of, say, a low-class, low-status type guy -- a guy whose voice cannot exude respect, power or masculinity like other guys I've grown up around who just sound like they're successful with booming, deep, heavy undertones in their voice naturally. You can notice this when coughing, i.e, they have SUPER low tones that sound very powerful whereas I sound like a chihuahua when I cough. Posture doesn't help -- hormones don't help -- so my guess is this is largely dependent on facial/throat structure and vocal tissue/thyroid/etc. size. that work in tandem somehow.

For example, the deep or heavy-voiced guys I see either tend to LOOK masculine, broad or at least "tough" whereas nerdy-voiced guys are often adenoid-faced/lack masculine facial structure, i.e., width, short nose/midface, big skull, etc. I guess voice really depends on factors outside of your control, as otherwise every roider, yogi, or person on benzos would sound like James Earl Jones. See it can't only be about what makes the wave/sound, but what CARRIES the sound and how the final tone is perceived.

Long midface = adenoid face = weak, wimpy voice? Have you ever seen a guy with a long midface and narrow structure with heavy voices? Other than Adam Driver I can't think of any popular cases. Most heavy-voiced men tend to have certain facial structures, which -- to me -- suggests the tone of the voice depends on vocal tissue + facial structure as a tone or resonation of vocal potential. So tons of hormones are worthless -- I'd say it's more about altering how the wave moves than the vocal tissue itself.

Long midface = not enough androgens during youth and puberty = not enough androgens to mature vocal chords.
I think it's something that is played during early years, and past 18 it's too late.
That being said, when you listen to Danny Roddy's podcasts from before 2019, his voice sounded deeper, more assured, and he didn't stutter as much.
Whatever he did between now and then make sure you do the opposite !

 

[Lord Cola]

I've seen men with very feminine faces with very deep voices, like Lurch.

 

[Riesensackteil]

My voice is deeper when I sit. Bass is insane when I lie on my stomach

 

[baccheion]

Acromegaly males tend to have deeper voice. hGH, then. My voice gets deeper with iodine protocol and/or (1 mg/kg) vitamin K2 MK-4.

 

[SaltiestSardine]

My voice is deeper when I sit. Bass is insane when I lie on my stomach

But only you can perceive that...to everybody else your voice will sound the same. It sounds more resonant because of the mid section of your body acting like an acoustic membrane which creates a feedback loop not unlike room boundary modes. Smaller the membrane, the easier it is for those soundwaves to travel back and because low frequencies can travel longer distances and are longer they either causes cancellations at that wave(when not equal to a quarter of the waves length) or they reinforce it just like putting a speaker flush against a wall that has a rear firing bass port will reinforce the low end. Put your fingers in your ears and hum and you'll get a similar experience though not for the same reasons(that's more related to damping)

The only thing people perceive in your non-recorded, non-amplified voice is mostly formants which comes from having long vocal cords.

 

[hei]

For example, the deep or heavy-voiced guys I see either tend to LOOK masculine, broad or at least "tough" whereas nerdy-voiced guys are often adenoid-faced/lack masculine facial structure, i.e., width, short nose/midface, big skull, etc. I guess voice really depends on factors outside of your control, as otherwise every roider, yogi, or person on benzos would sound like James Earl Jones. See it can't only be about what makes the wave/sound, but what CARRIES the sound and how the final tone is perceived.

Long midface = adenoid face = weak, wimpy voice? Have you ever seen a guy with a long midface and narrow structure with heavy voices? Other than Adam Driver I can't think of any popular cases. Most heavy-voiced men tend to have certain facial structures, which -- to me -- suggests the tone of the voice depends on vocal tissue + facial structure as a tone or resonation of vocal potential. So tons of hormones are worthless -- I'd say it's more about altering how the wave moves than the vocal tissue itself.

So much is determined by the structure you manage to develop by the end of puberty that failing to develop a masculine structure feels like being crippled for life in some ways. Like some kind of half-man.

 

[Ignoramus]

This guy's voice is very deep because of GERD, apparently. I guess it's just to do with the size of the windpipe.

 

[JamesGatz]

The way I see it is

your voice = your facial structure + other genetic factors (ethnicity, etc.)

Maybe androgens make your voice deeper in the moment but it doesn't make your voice boom - for your voice to boom you have to have good jaws

If a NN can tell what you look like based on only your voice there is logic to it

The larger and more forward your maxilla and mandible means basically that you have this "booming voice"

Your lower jaw is not protruding on the wind pipe and your maxilla is expanded so that there is more space for sound to come out

It also means you can sing better because you can hit higher notes without trying - ariane grande for example has better facial structure than most other singers so if you notice she can hit high notes that most of them cant


View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2_Nx8IljoFE&ab_channel=ArianaGrande

we can see that the forward growth of young Taylor and Ariane grande are good and this is reflected in their voices (Taylor has had her voice and face decline rapidly however)

If you compare their side profile to singers who are nowhere near as good at hitting high notes such as Billie Eilish

We can see why - it looks like her jaws are more so trapped in the airways when compared to the side profiles of taylor and ariane grande

Then there's ethnicity - i.e. you can usually tell if someone is Indian, Asian, Black, White, etc. based on their voice and so can a NN so there is a genetic factor that probably plays a role as well but I'm not sure what it is

​

 

[seely]

I know other voice threads have been opened, but it seems there's no clear, direct understanding on what drives voice variances.

Some say it's T, but there are guys who run on loads of exogenous testosterone from steroids/etc. and they have voices largely unchanged;

Some say it's about lack of stress, DHT, "androgenic tone" but I still have a beta-nerd type voice despite sedatives, hormones, low-stress, experimentation, etc.; meanwhile I see alcoholic, extremely stressed dudes with super low, thunderous voices that beam/echo and are that of which you'd imagine of leaders (and, interestingly, these guys I notice around me tend to be taller + have managerial positions). More proof that traits you have affect how others see/judge you, i.e., voice, looks, height, skeletal frame, etc.

Some say it's posture, but there are people with excellent posture; no sinus issues; etc. and they still have weak, breathy, nasally or just not that impressive, masculine-type voices (in males). Hormones can SLIGHTLY affect tissue in which sound is generated, but face/bones/neck/throat/etc. affect how well the sound is carried in my view.

So I'm not convinced. If it's testosterone then all guys who run cycles should sound like Barry White -- most don't have any voice changes though. If it's posture then yogis, meditation gurus, etc. should sound like Vin Diesel -- most have normal or wimpy-type voices often. Like when I talk, for example, my voice conveys no respect at all -- it's wimpy, nasally, and nothing changes it, regardless of mental state, speaking exercises, etc. It's just the voice of, say, a low-class, low-status type guy -- a guy whose voice cannot exude respect, power or masculinity like other guys I've grown up around who just sound like they're successful with booming, deep, heavy undertones in their voice naturally. You can notice this when coughing, i.e, they have SUPER low tones that sound very powerful whereas I sound like a chihuahua when I cough. Posture doesn't help -- hormones don't help -- so my guess is this is largely dependent on facial/throat structure and vocal tissue/thyroid/etc. size. that work in tandem somehow.

For example, the deep or heavy-voiced guys I see either tend to LOOK masculine, broad or at least "tough" whereas nerdy-voiced guys are often adenoid-faced/lack masculine facial structure, i.e., width, short nose/midface, big skull, etc. I guess voice really depends on factors outside of your control, as otherwise every roider, yogi, or person on benzos would sound like James Earl Jones. See it can't only be about what makes the wave/sound, but what CARRIES the sound and how the final tone is perceived.

Long midface = adenoid face = weak, wimpy voice? Have you ever seen a guy with a long midface and narrow structure with heavy voices? Other than Adam Driver I can't think of any popular cases. Most heavy-voiced men tend to have certain facial structures, which -- to me -- suggests the tone of the voice depends on vocal tissue + facial structure as a tone or resonation of vocal potential. So tons of hormones are worthless -- I'd say it's more about altering how the wave moves than the vocal tissue itself.

You detailed a lot, but you didn’t mention your weight.

But for reference, my dad had a voice that carried. Like, he literally could bark like a dog and people within 20 feet would jump. He could whistle so loud we could hear him a mile away (we measured)

My brother and I both have booming voices and laughs (which for me, a female, is a frowned upon trait). All three of us have TMJ issues, stress and migraines from grinding teeth. (That’s another topic for a different day).

My husband on the other hand had a beta type voice, poor posture, low self esteem… he began martial arts at 16 and continued into his 20s (we met at 18) and it was incredible to watch his voice deepen. It’s still deepening at 30 and he’s just now growing chest hair and beard hair. He grew up fatherless and is just now beginning to embrace the man he was designed to be.

My grandpa had a deep deep voice and he was 5’5” 130 pounds. Small frame. Smoked everyday. Confident AF. Amazing singer.

 

[MetabolicTrash]

You detailed a lot, but you didn’t mention your weight.

But for reference, my dad had a voice that carried. Like, he literally could bark like a dog and people within 20 feet would jump. He could whistle so loud we could hear him a mile away (we measured)

My brother and I both have booming voices and laughs (which for me, a female, is a frowned upon trait). All three of us have TMJ issues, stress and migraines from grinding teeth. (That’s another topic for a different day).

My husband on the other hand had a beta type voice, poor posture, low self esteem… he began martial arts at 16 and continued into his 20s (we met at 18) and it was incredible to watch his voice deepen. It’s still deepening at 30 and he’s just now growing chest hair and beard hair. He grew up fatherless and is just now beginning to embrace the man he was designed to be.

My grandpa had a deep deep voice and he was 5’5” 130 pounds. Small frame. Smoked everyday. Confident AF. Amazing singer.

My weight has fluctuated plenty over the years, but I'm like 5'10" and 178 lbs. right now.

So you're saying you think it's confidence-related? I think maybe so ... But you're thinking maybe more in terms of projection as opposed to undertones.

I mean the actual vocal power/range/"potential" rather than just how one uses their voice; expresses it; projects it outwardly.

Sure if you lack confidence/grow up fatherless/aren't sure of your masculinity a guy may not project his voice well ... But I know guys/family/etc. that also grew up fatherless, low confidence, etc. and they all still had manly/"heavy" voices even being poor, low-status, alcoholic/depressed/etc. and having no hope in life.

Maybe you just saw his voice grow more as he continued to grow (physiologically) over the years AKA at 18 he sounded beta, but throughout his 20s and beyond he kept "developing." If you mean he can "develop" more from martial arts, then do explain why I couldn't find a thunderous voice through hormones, years of weight training, etc.

I see lots of these guys with thunderous voices and they can be office-drones AKA guys who sit all day and stare at computers, or just boss others around (manager).

Confident is about projection, sure. But not sold on the idea that "potential" of the voice comes down to confidence as opposed to your inherent vocal range/what determines that. I see guys who've used abused steroids/stuff, but they still sound like Mickey Mouse vs. some guys who sit around & drink beer all day but sound like Barry White.

 

[BibleBeliever]

I find the stimulation of the lowest regions of the diaphragm the most important factor. Speaking through this and developing this region is the key to a powerful voice.
Lung strength is correlated. Weak breathing produces a weak voice. Having strong deep breathes from the nose is very helpful. Good thyroid is also related to strong deep breathes.
Strong lungs are helped by decreasing nitric oxide. Asthma is measured by high nitric oxide levels in the lungs. Salt is very important for this. Anti-histamines also help (orange juice is a very potent anti-histamine)

This also helps for when one practices warcries; i.e in a similtude to the predator movie when Arnold does a warcry. Practicing mechanisms in this fashion are very helpful too.

By these mechanisms I note it produces strong warcries, a strong deep singing voice and good for public speaking. Mongolian throat singing is very helpful to open up the lower diaphragm.

 

[toolhead]

Most of this is genetic relating to anatomy but the one thing everyone can control if they want to pursue a deeper voice is RELAXATION. By learning to relax the various parts of your vocal apparatus you allow them to vibrate at a lower level. When they are tight they vibrate at a higher level.

There is also the issue of resonant chambers in the head. The more resonance — the more volume and power. Again it comes down to getting rid of the tightness and tension but I’m not going to write a dissertation.

See “Freeing The Natural Voice” by Linklatter for more

 

[Grapelander]

Like an Alex Jones voice - an aural meat shredder. I can't listen to him for more than 2 minutes; it physically hurts.

It seems to come from the throat - like a Tibetan monk guttural chant.

 

[Mossy]

My grandpa had a deep deep voice and he was 5’5” 130 pounds. Small frame. Smoked everyday.

Smoking can deepen your voice.

P.S. Or so it seems. I recall smokers I've heard having deeper voices.

 

[akgrrrl]

Good grief people...it has LONG been known that vocal cords move stretch grow beginning in infancy towards modeling a voice that is heard in infancy pleasing to their ears. Thats why you often sound just like your Mom or Dad, an uncle or auntie, or end up with a MinnieMouse voice because you had a loving squealing 5yr old sister.

 

[lvysaur]

There is a fixed range (can't be changed) and the pliable range.

I've noticed that my "tolerance for work" (meaning trivial office style work, not physical expenditure) goes up when my voice goes up. Even at this range though, my voice is not high on paper, simply because I have a low baseline.

this "tolerance for office work" in my eyes just feels like it's a proxy for stress. Stressed people worry more about such things, and they do such things with more urgency.

I've also noticed that there are a lot of White and Black men who have high voices despite having a large body structure. I have never seen a large Asian/Indian guy with a high voice
in terms of total depthness, the deepest voices belong to Black men, as well as the highest voices. However, these voices seem more "sharply androgenic"
Meanwhile, most of the deep Asian/Indian voices I hear just have a "low cortisol" feel to them.

I've experienced both--and a curious thing is that my glans gets darker when I'm in the "sharp androgenic" mode. It's totally pink in the "low cortisol" phase.

Coffee, sleep, and low-stress make my voice deeper
I can even change my vocal register through relaxation:

my current voice:
View: https://voca.ro/1oAhnsPOEjUF

after relaxing for 30 seconds:
View: https://voca.ro/1mSwC192TTQh

 

[lvysaur]

I've also noticed that some women can have deep voices. And the "sharp androgenic" ones, which are more common, well they also tend to look a bit more androgenic and are not super appealing to me.

The "low cortisol" ones sound completely feminine, but also have a "fullness" to their voice which is extremely attractive to me, but also a little bit threatening--I feel like I have to be completely "chill" around these type of women (they're very rare). These women can give off the impression that they legitimately do not care about anything, are untriggerable, and are above petty gossip and making fun of other people, but simultaneously they're socially intelligent (aka it's not like they're autistic/aspie).

I relaxed a bit more, and my voice can now get a bit deeper than even my 2nd try:
View: https://voca.ro/1h0dSrifuFdb

 

[Runenight201]

Sunshine, light, invigorating exercise (such as walking), and being well-fed all deepen my voice, but I'd like to transition into a state where I permanently have a deep voice rather than having it fluctuate so much. Being consistent with my diet and lifestyle choices may do such a thing. Having a deep voice is awesome. I do wish there were some hormone directly responsible for a deep voice cuz I'd take that. I don't care much for muscles or anything like that anymore just give me a deep voice and I'd be good X.x