Why our voices change with age - BBC Future

DMfan

We often discuss tech and functions here in the Forum, but what about our voices?

Thought this online article might be of interest!

Regards,
DMfan🇸🇪

https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20230703-why-our-voices-change-with-age

richardyot

My voice is definitely getting a little raspier with age, but not in a good way. It's quite hard to avoid a slightly brittle quality now when I sing.

Leonard Cohen's voice just seemed to get better and better as he got older, but sadly I think I'm going to opposite way

Sandstorm

@DMfan said:
We often discuss tech and functions here in the Forum, but what about our voices?

Thought this online article might be of interest!

Regards,
DMfan🇸🇪

https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20230703-why-our-voices-change-with-age

Enjoyed reading that article. I smoked in my 20s and my vocal range was limited to G5 where I struggled to hold this note. I now haven't smoked for over 30 years and on a good day I can go from C2-C5. Interestingly in the morning the range is roughly A1-A4.

Also Some words are easier to sing higher than others.

richardyot

@Sandstorm said:
Enjoyed reading that article. I smoked in my 20s and my vocal range was limited to G5 where I struggled to hold this note. I now haven't smoked for over 30 years and on a good day I can go from C2-C5. Interestingly in the morning the range is roughly A1-A4.

Yes if I need to sing in the lower part of my range it's always better in the morning, I think that's an old trick

I envy your vocal range, mine is about half that.

DMfan

@Sandstorm said:

@DMfan said:
We often discuss tech and functions here in the Forum, but what about our voices?

Thought this online article might be of interest!

Regards,
DMfan🇸🇪

https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20230703-why-our-voices-change-with-age

Enjoyed reading that article. I smoked in my 20s and my vocal range was limited to G5 where I struggled to hold this note. I now haven't smoked for over 30 years and on a good day I can go from C2-C5. Interestingly in the morning the range is roughly A1-A4.

Also Some words are easier to sing higher than others.

Happy for you!

I sound like crap any time of the day! I am lucky I have my synths and autopitch!

🤣

/DMfan🇸🇪

Gavinski

Just checked, I can go from about a midi note 51 to 81, though could do higher if I sing falsetto of course. My upper range is definitely neither as high or pure in tone as it was 10 years ago, but I imagine if I did vocal exercises every day I could maybe restore it. Regular gargling with water or oil, or both mixed, is really good if phlegm or reflux issues are causing any deterioration in your voice. Obviously avoiding smoking is a huge one.

Sandstorm

@richardyot said:

@Sandstorm said:
Enjoyed reading that article. I smoked in my 20s and my vocal range was limited to G5 where I struggled to hold this note. I now haven't smoked for over 30 years and on a good day I can go from C2-C5. Interestingly in the morning the range is roughly A1-A4.

Yes if I need to sing in the lower part of my range it's always better in the morning, I think that's an old trick

I envy your vocal range, mine is about half that.

Thanks, I must say I prefer my voice in the lower ranges. I can still hold the higher notes but there is definitely a change in timbre which doesn't sound as pleasing to me.
one of my top 3 vocalists is Jim Morrison whose vocal range wasn't that wide but the power and tonality of his voice and the emotion he put into his singing far out ways his range.

Sandstorm

@DMfan said:

@Sandstorm said:

@DMfan said:
We often discuss tech and functions here in the Forum, but what about our voices?

Thought this online article might be of interest!

Regards,
DMfan🇸🇪

https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20230703-why-our-voices-change-with-age

Enjoyed reading that article. I smoked in my 20s and my vocal range was limited to G5 where I struggled to hold this note. I now haven't smoked for over 30 years and on a good day I can go from C2-C5. Interestingly in the morning the range is roughly A1-A4.

Also Some words are easier to sing higher than others.

Happy for you!

I sound like crap any time of the day! I am lucky I have my synths and autopitch!

🤣

/DMfan🇸🇪

You haven't heard me sing!

Sandstorm

@Gavinski said:
Just checked, I can go from about a midi note 51 to 81, though could do higher if I sing falsetto of course. My upper range is definitely neither as high or pure in tone as it was 10 years ago, but I imagine if I did vocal exercises every day I could maybe restore it. Regular gargling with water or oil, or both mixed, is really good if phlegm or reflux issues are causing any deterioration in your voice. Obviously avoiding smoking is a huge one.

Yes drinking plenty of water is a great way keep the vocal cords in good nick. how does midi note 51 to 81 equate to piano keys?

richardyot

@Sandstorm said:
one of my top 3 vocalists is Jim Morrison whose vocal range wasn't that wide but the power and tonality of his voice and the emotion he put into his singing far out ways his range.

Jim Morrison is definitely one of the best rock voices of all time, and like you say it's not about the range but rather something else, maybe the timbre or the quality. Kurt Cobain would also fit in that mould for me.

Then you have someone like Roy Orbison: 3 octaves and he sounded amazing all the way through.

Marvin Gaye is probably my favourite male singer, I'm not sure what his range was but in terms of expressiveness he was incredible.

Gavinski

I'd have to check that later, the reason I put it as midi keys is that sometimes it seems different apps have different ideas about naming of octaves

@Sandstorm said:

@Gavinski said:
Just checked, I can go from about a midi note 51 to 81, though could do higher if I sing falsetto of course. My upper range is definitely neither as high or pure in tone as it was 10 years ago, but I imagine if I did vocal exercises every day I could maybe restore it. Regular gargling with water or oil, or both mixed, is really good if phlegm or reflux issues are causing any deterioration in your voice. Obviously avoiding smoking is a huge one.

Yes drinking plenty of water is a great way keep the vocal cords in good nick. how does midi note 51 to 81 equate to piano keys?

But yeah, Jim Morrison... Wow, the timbre, the attitude. In terms of exquisite tone and technique I really love Curtis Mayfield. Marvin Gaye was great too. Female examples: Blue period Joni Mitchell, Julia Holter Lucette Stranded On the Island.

Oil and honey mixed has documented healing properties, including on non-healing diabetic wounds, so a mixture of that is also a great thing to gargle with. Good long gargles for a few minutes at a time or longer, several times a day

JeffChasteen

@richardyot said:

@Sandstorm said:
Enjoyed reading that article. I smoked in my 20s and my vocal range was limited to G5 where I struggled to hold this note. I now haven't smoked for over 30 years and on a good day I can go from C2-C5. Interestingly in the morning the range is roughly A1-A4.

Yes if I need to sing in the lower part of my range it's always better in the morning, I think that's an old trick

I envy your vocal range, mine is about half that.

That was always Alex Chilton’s preference.
Whatever “first thing in the morning” constituted for him, of course.

michael_m

Definitely changes with age. There are songs I used to be able to sing that I no longer have the range for, and I have pretty much lost my ability to sing falsetto.

Sandstorm

@richardyot said:

@Sandstorm said:
one of my top 3 vocalists is Jim Morrison whose vocal range wasn't that wide but the power and tonality of his voice and the emotion he put into his singing far out ways his range.

Jim Morrison is definitely one of the best rock voices of all time, and like you say it's not about the range but rather something else, maybe the timbre or the quality. Kurt Cobain would also fit in that mould for me.

Then you have someone like Roy Orbison: 3 octaves and he sounded amazing all the way through.

Marvin Gaye is probably my favourite male singer, I'm not sure what his range was but in terms of expressiveness he was incredible.

Marvin Gaye was a great singer songwriter. Had a wonderful rasp to his voice when digging in and hit the higher notes. Just remembered Glen Camplbell is right up there to and what a phenomenal guitarist. You know Eddie Van Halen asked him for guitar lessons!