How To Avoid The “Old Lady Quiver” In Your Voice

As we age, it’s natural for our voices to change. 

For many women in their 50s, 60s, and beyond, one of the most noticeable shifts is the development of an unintentional vocal quiver—often called the “old lady” quiver. 

This can make singing feel less controlled, notes less stable, and overall tone weaker than it once was.

But here’s the good news: this is not inevitable. 

With the right vocal exercises, breath control techniques, and consistent training, you can maintain a strong, steady, and vibrant singing voice at any age.

Why Does the Voice Start to Quiver with Age?

That natural wobble or quiver often happens due to:
✔ Loss of muscle tone – Just like any other muscle in the body, the vocal folds and supporting muscles weaken over time if not regularly exercised.
✔ Decreased breath control – The ability to regulate airflow declines, leading to instability in sustained notes.
✔ Changes in vocal fold flexibility – As the vocal folds lose elasticity, singers may struggle to maintain a smooth, even tone.
✔ Posture and alignment shifts – As we age, posture tends to shift, affecting breath support and resonance.

Luckily, all of these factors can be improved with the right approach.

How to Prevent & Reduce the Vocal Quiver

1. Strengthen Your Vocal Folds with SOVT Exercises

Semi-Occluded Vocal Tract (SOVT) exercises—like singing through a straw—are one of the best ways to improve vocal stability. 

Straw phonation reduces tension, increases airflow efficiency, and helps train your vocal folds to close more effectively, giving you a smoother, steadier tone. 

The Singing / Straw™ was designed specifically for this purpose, helping singers build strength and coordination with a tool that makes warm-ups more effective and fun.

2. Train Your Breath Support

If your breath support is weak, your voice will wobble. Strengthen your breathing with exercises like:

 ✔ Lip trills – Keep your airflow steady while gliding up and down your range.
✔ Sustained hissing – Take a deep breath and release it on a “ssss” sound for as long as possible, maintaining even pressure.
✔ Straw singing – Singing through a Singing / Straw™ naturally improves your ability to control breath flow and vocal fold engagement.

3. Improve Resonance & Reduce Tension

To keep your voice strong and full, focus on resonance exercises:
✔ Humming with forward placement – Feel the vibration in your lips and cheeks instead of your throat.
✔ Yawn-sigh exercises – Relax your throat and let your voice flow smoothly through your range.
✔ Gentle sirens through a straw – This smooths out vocal breaks and strengthens transitions between notes.

4. Adjust Your Vocal Warm-Ups

Aging voices need longer, gentler warm-ups to wake up the vocal folds without strain.

 ✔ Start low and slow—begin with gentle hums before jumping into bigger exercises.
✔ Use descending scales before moving up to higher notes.
✔ Focus on relaxation—tension is the enemy of a steady, controlled voice.

5. Maintain Daily Vocal Conditioning

Just like you wouldn’t skip exercise if you wanted to stay physically strong, you shouldn’t skip vocal workouts either. 

Even 10 minutes a day of focused vocal exercises can make a huge difference. 

The Singing / Straw makes daily vocal conditioning simple and effective, helping you maintain flexibility and strength with less tension and strain.

Your Voice Can Stay Strong & Steady at Any Age

Losing control over your voice isn’t something you have to accept—it’s something you can train against. 

By consistently using techniques like straw phonation, breath support drills, and resonance exercises, you can maintain a clear, steady, and confident singing voice for years to come.

If you’re ready to take your voice to the next level and build a stronger, more stable sound, consider joining Become A Better Singer Bootcamp, starting this Monday (February 10th, 2025)—a live, interactive training where we’ll work on all of these techniques and more.

Your voice is not done growing. 

Let’s keep it strong together.

Your not-so-basic-vocal coach,

Whitney Nichole