In some people, changes from aging cause the vocal fold muscles to weaken or lose muscle mass (atrophy). This can keep the vocal folds from closing all the way, making it harder to speak. This increased effort to talk causes the voice to tire more quickly.
Like the rest of your body, your vocal cords slowly change and age over the course of your life. As you get older, the fibres in your vocal folds become stiffer and thinner and your larynx cartilage becomes harder. This limits the voice and is why elderly people's voices can sound “wobbly” or “breathier”.
Even with good health habits, however, vocal cords stiffen with age. "As the vocal membranes are used more,they become fibrous and stiff with a diminished amplitude of vibration," said Dr. Steven Zeitels, Professor of Laryngeal Surgery at Harvard Medical School.
As we get older, our voices can become hoarse and weak. But this doesn't have to be an inevitable part of aging. Here are a few simple suggestions to help keep your voice healthy and strong for years to come.
Overuse can damage the vocal cords, and if you often find you have lost your voice by the end of the day or after an hour of singing, your vocal cords may be experiencing tissue damage.
In some people, changes from aging cause the vocal fold muscles to weaken or lose muscle mass (atrophy). This can keep the vocal folds from closing all the way, making it harder to speak.
Between the ages of 18 and 21, your voice stabilizes because the vocal folds and larynx have reached their full growth. While there can be some changes into your 30s, most people's voices are finished with physical changes due to hormones by the age of 21 or so.
Singers' voices mature anywhere from their 20s to the early 40s, and, in general, voices that are deeper and heavier in tone take longer to develop fully. Coloraturas, or sopranos with light voices, typically reach their peaks earliest, in the mid-20s.
Singing improves blood circulation with an oxygenated blood stream allowing more oxygen to reach the brain. This improves mental alertness, concentration, and memory.
Humming into straws, singing your favorite songs, reading out loud — these and other exercises can help keep your voice youthful. But you have to practice them correctly to benefit. To do that, seek out a vocal coach, a singing instructor or a vocologist, a speech language pathologist with additional training in voice.
Just as it sounds, vocal fatigue results when you've overused your voice without proper recovery time. The vocal folds are muscles and just like any other muscle or muscle group, they get tired, sore, and don't work as well after a strenuous workout.
Everyone's timing is different, so some boys' voices might start to change earlier and some might start a little later. A boy's voice typically begins to change between ages 11 and 14½, usually just after the major growth spurt. Some boys' voices might change gradually, whereas others' might change quickly.
It is never too late to better yourself or learn something new. Learning to sing is a great way to do that. For a long time, the idea that I couldn't learn as an adult kept me from trying things.
Many singers tighten their throat muscles to sing higher notes. If you do this, you will become hoarse and get a scratchy throat and your vocal cords will become inflamed. If you are tightening your throat too much, your vocal chords will be straining to push sound through a constricted airway in your tightened throat.
So there you have it - the answer is: No, not too late to sing and YES - you can still improve your voice when you are older. Just like Champness and some of my other older students.
The short answer is no, it's never too late to learn to sing. But we know everyone has their own doubts and may feel like their situation is different.
Now that you know there really is no age too old to start singing, you can confidently move forward in your efforts. Practice daily and work hard and you (yes, even you!) can learn to sing, no matter your age.
Common vocal cord disorders include laryngitis, vocal polyps, vocal nodules, and vocal cord paralysis. Most disorders are caused by abuse or overuse of the voice, or by medical conditions such as asthma or GERD (gastroesophageal reflux disease). They can also be caused by a respiratory infection or a virus.
There are many factors that can go into losing your voice. It can be as simple as having some acid reflux, or a mild sore throat that is causing you pain and now allowing you to sing. The vocal cords might have been strained, or maybe you have bronchitis or laryngitis.
What are the best drinks for your singing voice? The best drinks for your singing voice are water (especially room-temperature water, perhaps with a squeeze or two of lemon) and tea, but be careful about consuming too much caffeine, which can dehydrate you. You can find wonderful herbal teas designed for singers.
You need to allow time for your vocal folds to heal before returning to full voice use. If you are a singer or do use your voice a lot, you may need four to six weeks of careful voice use for a full recovery, he says.
Some foods and beverages to avoid prior to singing are mucous producing foods such as dairy, stimulants such as caffeine and spicy foods, soft drinks, refined sugars, chocolate, iced drinks and alcohol (including wine and beer).