Could vocal range be connected to cycle?

Yes your vocal chords are affected by hormones- but they’re affected by progesterone and testosterone as well. There was a study where men could ‘hear’ where a woman was on her cycle by the tone of her voice. While ovulating the voice went higher, once past ovulation the voice lowered a bit. If you are a singer then the difference would be quite noticable to you.

@gemiwing: Progesterone and testosterone are hormones. Also, estrogen peaks right around ovulation, so it makes a lot of sense that this would be when a singer’s voice would be highest…interesting study.

Here’s another study (or who knows, maybe the same one) finding basically the same thing:

At premenstruation and the onset of menstruation, the magnitude of frequency perturbation was not notably different from the average behavior of individual subjects. The time of ovulation was associated with a notable change in the magnitude of frequency perturbation for most subjects. It was suggested that ovarian hormone fluctuations alter neurotransmitter levels, which results in changes in the motor and sensory processes involved in laryngeal control.
from the Journal of Voice.

One other thought…do you take hormonal contraception, or would you consider doing so to smooth out your hormone levels?

Yes I know progesterone and testosterone are hormones. It was poorly worded. looking around for coffee pot

@nikipedia Yes, I am on the pill.

Good question! I asked a similar question (over here in the siblings——->) but it never crossed my mind to link it to my menstrual cycle. And I even saw a study like @gemiwing mentioned. I think it was an online video.

Anyway, I concluded from some answers I received that it could have to do with tension and stress. If you’re tense then your muscles contract. Since your voice is controlled by muscles, tension from menstruation can probably affect that too.

@ubersiren Good call! Will definitely check out your question.

Oh, by the way, I didn’t mean to discount the hormonal changes. I’m sure that’s the majority of the effect. I just meant that muscle tension may help out.

I never knew about this…as a singer..I’m rather shocked..I shall be exploring this phenomenon now..thanks for GQ

@lynneblundell Let me know if you have any new information or observations!

Also, I’ve had a little cold this week. The first day I was sick I could sing incredibly low (I hit an A, like the low A below the A most women hit). By the next day I lost the extra low notes, but I was still sick…weird.

a below, a below middle c?

Nope, one below that one!! I was shooting for a D. Then kept going.

WOW!! xx

@sliceswiththings dang, that is impressive. I’m a male baritone, and on a usual day I can only hit the g or f below that!

@Foolaholic Thanks:) I wish I could say it was a regular thing, but it was only the one day. Usually my lowest note is an F.