Effect on Singing Voice With Age

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Does Your Singing Voice Get Better With Age?

One of the biggest concerns many aspiring singers have is whether they can learn to sing after a certain age. It is no secret that as people get older, their voices change. However, does your singing voice get better with age or does it worsen?

Think of it this way, you can actually tell on the phone whether you’re speaking to a younger or an older person, can’t you? So, how does that bode for the singers out there?

A quick answer to that is that your singing voice neither worsens nor does it get better with age; it only attracts a different type of audience. Young voices are more relatable to younger folk, while adult voices suit adult audiences better. However, that is not a rule of thumb.

In fact, many professional singing teachers such as those at 30 Day Singer believe that there is no age limit to when you can start singing. Any age is a good age, and all ages can attract all sorts of audiences.

Regardless, here are some insights into what effect age has on singing voices:

Does Your Singing Voice Get Better With Age?

Puberty

TV shows such as America’s Got Talent have ushered in a new era of young singers, and thus have brought many singers going through puberty out into the open. This has bidden well for many, but the problem is that as puberty hits, there is no certainty about how the singer’s voice will turn out to be.

So while this might not be a good time to have your debut, there is nothing wrong with starting out if you make sure to continue training your vocal cords accordingly keep your voice intact.

Most often, as puberty hits, the voice starts to wriggle and crack, but remember that with time, it will get steady. This change is more extreme for male singers than for female singers.

Menstrual Cycle

While puberty might not be as big of a problem for female singers as it is for male singers, their menstrual cycle is a beast to handle on its own. With age, women get better at handling the situation, but younger girls might sense sluggishness in their singing voices.

It feels like they are really tired or that their vocal cords are swollen. Some might also experience difficulty producing higher notes or lower notes, or that yodel effect. Some women, however, might not feel any change whatsoever.

This gets better with age.

Going Above 40 – Women

As women grow older and go beyond a certain age threshold, their vocal cords are bound to stiffen up. Without exhaustive exercises, the yodel will be almost gone and as you try to hum, you’ll see that a very low-pitched voice will be the one singing. You won’t be able to play with it as you used to.

You could say that you won’t be as elastic with it, or won’t be able to stretch it properly.

However, that is not to say that as women grow older, they won’t be able to keep their singing voice. It will take regular workouts, but there won’t be much stopping you from becoming the next Madonna.

Adulthood/Elderly

And finally, as men and women hit the 50+ mark, their lungs start giving out. You might not be able to hold those long choruses people love so much, or there might be some wobble in your voice. However, we have the legendary Scatman John who, despite his age and disability, created his own fusion of singing, known as scat singing.

It was thanks to regular exercise and a good trainer that kept his stutter and wobble at bay. Plus, his voice had that maturity that comes only with age that made his songs sound even better!

Many legends have had personal trainers for their voices, helping them keep their vocal cords in shape despite their age. We recommend trying out the teachers at 30 Day Singer. They can help you keep your vocal cords ready for a bout of singing no matter your age and answer your question first hand; does your singing voice get better with age?

 

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Red
Hi, I'm Red, the Chief Editor of Red Diamond Audio.