Why do guys' voices break? The first signs of voice failure

The voice is born using several systems of the body: the larynx, vocal folds (in everyday speech they are called ligaments), lungs, chest and nasopharynx. A stream of air escaping from the lungs causes the vocal folds to vibrate at a certain frequency, with the chest and nasopharynx serving as resonators. The larger and thicker the vocal folds, the lower the sound. Not always though. Caruso, for example, had vocal folds twice as large as another bass profundo, and Caruso sang in a tenor.

In boys, like in girls, the larynx is small, the folds are small, and only their edges vibrate under the action of a stream of air. Experts call this the falsetto mechanism of sound creation. The larynx is like a whistle. Nature designed it this way so that a child, whose sound-producing systems are still small, can still be heard. And in fact, the squeals of children are so clearly audible that if you walk into school during a break, for example, you can simply go deaf.

But at the age of 13-14, under the influence of various hormones, mainly sex hormones, boys’ vocal folds begin to grow, lengthen and thicken. These folds are a hormone-dependent structure. It is not for nothing that eunuchs have a high-pitched, childlike voice - they themselves have the build of fully grown men, and the vocal folds do not reach adult sizes, because the body does not produce sex hormones.

For the same reason, older people’s voices become higher – because there are less and less sex hormones in the body. And in women, in old age, on the contrary, the voice sounds in lower tones; again, there are not enough hormones, only female ones, which change the folds so that the sound is high and ringing.

An adult can speak and sing in falsetto even with a normally developed vocal apparatus. True, without habit it is not very convenient. But it’s fashionable, it’s not for nothing that some radio hosts say so and Presnyakov Jr. sings. For an adult, such a mechanism of sound formation is still more natural, when the entire fold vibrates, the vocal wave travels both horizontally and vertically. Therefore, an adult voice turns out to be deeper, more beautiful, and varied in color. In ordinary speech, we use 2-3 tones above and below our fundamental tone. And the singer takes two octaves.

Fear of the new

For a teenager, switching from falsetto to a full-fledged sound formation process is difficult. But the problem here is more likely not physiological, but psychological: the boy is accustomed to the sound of his childhood voice, but a new voice - a baritone or bass - scares him. When talking, he uses either the old mechanism of sound generation or the new one.

Since children grow unevenly, one guy may still be small, but his bass voice is already breaking through with all his might, while the other has grown a mile tall, and his larynx is still small, his voice is still childish. It’s these boys who are ahead of their peers or behind them who have the hardest time; they are the most embarrassed about their voices. But for most people, voice loss is a normal physiological process: the voice becomes lower and rougher - well, okay. Most quickly discover a new mechanism for producing sounds. In rare cases, any teenager needs the help of a phonopedist - a voice specialist who usually works with singers. Perhaps only a few of those who grow up surrounded by women alone. These boys have no one to even imitate, no one to take an example from. But for them, one lesson is usually enough, during which a doctor or phonopedist will show you exercises for establishing and strengthening a normal male voice.

Three features

There are three features of teenage mutation that are useful for parents to know.

● When breaking your voice, there is no need to load the vocal folds. But the boys, unfortunately, do not take care of them, they strain them at every step: either while playing football they shout like crazy, or they sing songs at the top of their lungs with a guitar... Due to overstrain, nodules can appear on the folds, doctors treat them like this They are called screamers' knots. These nodules change the vibration of the folds and the voice becomes hoarse. Some nodules then resolve on their own if the loads drop, but sometimes you have to remove them - do microsurgical operations.

● Colds can prolong the mutation. A red throat in a teenager is not always a sign of a respiratory infection. When the larynx grows, blood circulation increases in it, the tissues become redder, and it seems that the child has laryngitis. They begin to treat the boy for a cold, give him medicine, take him to doctors... But it’s just a normal physiological process.

If the mutation has been prolonged, that is, the boy has already stopped growing upward, and his voice has not become low like a man, the teenager must be shown to a phoniatrist. The longer a guy speaks in falsetto, the more difficult it will be for him to switch to adult tones.

● We are not destined to know what kind of “adult” voice a beautifully singing little boy will have. In childhood, there is a high, clear voice, but a mutation has occurred, and the voice turns out to be the most banal - in color, timbre, and strength. A well-known example is Robertino Loretti. And nothing can be done: what is given is given.

A curious case. Once, an officer, and not of the lowest rank, turned to phoniatrists - doctors who study the peculiarities of the functioning of the vocal apparatus. He’s a fully grown man, but his voice is like that of a boy. It turns out to be frivolous. Doctors helped him and taught him to speak in a baritone voice.

Otorhinolaryngologist and phoniatrist, MD, tells: Gennady Ivanchenko.

Whistles and flutes

In boys, like in girls, the larynx is small, the folds are small, and only their edges vibrate under the action of a stream of air. Experts call this the falsetto mechanism of sound creation. The larynx is like a whistle. Nature designed it this way so that a child, whose sound-producing systems are still small, can still be heard. And in fact, the squeals of children are so clearly audible that if you walk into school during a break, for example, you can simply go deaf.

Folds are a hormone-dependent structure

But at the age of 13-14, under the influence of various hormones, mainly sex hormones, boys’ vocal folds begin to grow, lengthen and thicken. These folds are a hormone-dependent structure. It is not for nothing that eunuchs have a high-pitched, childlike voice - they themselves have the build of fully grown men, and the vocal folds do not reach adult sizes, because the body does not produce sex hormones.

For the same reason, older people’s voices become higher - because there are less and less sex hormones in the body. And in women, in old age, on the contrary, the voice sounds in lower tones; again, there are not enough hormones, only female ones, which change the folds so that the sound is high and ringing.

An adult can speak and sing in falsetto even with a normally developed vocal apparatus. True, without habit it is not very convenient. But it’s fashionable, it’s not for nothing that some radio hosts say so and Presnyakov Jr. sings. For an adult, such a mechanism of sound formation is still more natural, when the entire fold vibrates, the vocal wave travels both horizontally and vertically. Therefore, an adult voice turns out to be deeper, more beautiful, and varied in color. In ordinary speech, we use 2-3 tones above and below our fundamental tone. And the singer takes two octaves.

Fear of the new

For a teenager, switching from falsetto to a full-fledged sound formation process is difficult. But the problem here is more likely not a problem, but a psychological one: the boy is accustomed to the sound of his childhood voice, but a new voice - a baritone or bass - scares him. When talking, he uses either the old mechanism of sound generation or the new one.

Three features

There are three features of teenage mutation that are useful for parents to know.

● When breaking your voice, there is no need to load the vocal folds. But the boys, unfortunately, do not take care of them, they strain them at every step: either while playing football they scream like crazy, or they sing songs at the top of their lungs with a guitar... Due to overstrain, nodules can appear on the folds, doctors call them that - screamer knots. These nodules change the vibration of the folds and the voice becomes hoarse. Some nodules then resolve on their own if the loads drop, but sometimes you have to remove them - microsurgical operations.

● Colds can prolong the mutation. A red throat in a teenager is not always a sign of a respiratory infection. When the larynx grows, blood circulation increases in it, the tissues become redder, and it seems that the child has laryngitis. They begin to treat the boy for a cold, give him medicine, take him to doctors... But it’s just a normal physiological process.

● We are not destined to know what kind of “adult” voice a beautifully singing little boy will have. In childhood, there is a high, clear voice, but a mutation has occurred, and the voice turns out to be the most banal - both in color, and in timbre, and in strength. A well-known example is Robertino Loretti. And nothing can be done: what is given is given.

Interesting

A curious case. Once, an officer, and not of the lowest rank, turned to phoniatrists - doctors who study the peculiarities of the functioning of the vocal apparatus. Quite an adult, and his voice is like that of a boy. It turns out to be frivolous. Doctors helped him and taught him to speak in a baritone voice.

Signs of voice breaking

As noted above, on average, the formed female larynx is 1/3 smaller than the male larynx, i.e. one and a half to two times. During puberty, the growth of all its signs in both sexes is activated.

In males, the following grow at maximum speed: the thyrohyoid membrane, conical ligament, vocal cords, and the wall of the larynx in height from the side of its cavity and from the outside.

In females, the following grow at the highest rate: the thyroid, cricoid and arytenoid cartilages.

Unevenness in the growth rate of individual characteristics of the same organ or part of it leads to temporary age-related changes in its external shape.

Along with changes in individual parts of the larynx, it also changes in its structure.

Boys are in transition begins later than in girls, although both of them experience similar problems: bones grow faster than muscles, this causes frequent pain; disorder of the autonomic nervous system. One of the main problems is acne (small rashes on the skin and pimples on the face), the cause of complexes and dissatisfaction with one’s own appearance, which simply disappears over time.

To a teenage boy I want to show a strong-willed character that he is capable of decisive, courageous actions. But the child does not fully understand how to act and often simply becomes stubborn and does anything to defy his elders. At this age, it seems that the main thing is to go against public opinion and break generally accepted rules. Peers usually support such “daredevils” and even admire them; this is very valuable for a teenager. The boy cannot set his priorities correctly and adolescence is a truly serious test for him.

Mutation.

This stage is characterized by swelling of the larynx, as well as excessive or insufficient mucus production. These factors cause inflammation, thereby the surface of the ligaments acquires a characteristic color. Overexertion can lead to wheezing, and subsequently to “non-closure of the vocal folds.” Therefore, during this period it is worth paying close attention to vocal hygiene, including the prevention of colds and viral diseases. There is instability of the voice, distortion of sound, as well as characteristic hoarseness. When singing, tension in the vocal apparatus is observed, especially when jumping over wide intervals. Therefore, in your classes you should lean towards singing exercises, rather than compositions.

Personal hygiene rules are changing...

Don’t forget to teach your son the basics of personal hygiene, because uncleanliness can lead to balanoposthitis and other dubious pleasures. Daily toilet, frequent change of underwear is a mandatory item in the personal care program not only for girls, but also for boys. Don’t forget that a boy’s sex glands are more active and, naturally, an unpleasant odor appears. The boy himself may not notice this, but his classmates and friends (and, of course, girls) will definitely notice. Don’t forget to pay attention to this and – again – “long live scented soap” and neutral deodorants.

The thing is that the vocal folds in girls grow more slowly than in boys, and by the beginning of puberty they are even much shorter in girls. Girls' voices also break, but not as clearly and not as quickly as in boys. This process cannot be called a mutation because such a loss of voice is not associated with hormonal changes in the girl’s body.

Voice mutation in adolescents is a phenomenon that is caused by changes in the body's hormonal levels. Boys are mostly susceptible to voice failure. Voice mutation occurs during puberty. Testosterone begins to enter the teenager's blood. This male sex hormone provokes an expansion of the glottis. The voice begins to acquire a lower frequency and the hoarseness characteristic of men.

A physiological feature of the structure of the human vocal apparatus in childhood is the same structure of the vocal cords in boys and girls. It is almost impossible to distinguish a child's gender by his voice. However, already at the age of 10, boys begin to speak in a lower voice. This is due to faster growth of the glottis and cords. At 10-12 years old, the voices of a boy and a girl differ by only 1.5 mm. This is exactly how long the glottis of a ten-year-old boy is. And yet, we clearly notice the difference in the tonality of the sound.

These changes are not associated with hormonal influences. Physiological characteristics come into play here. It was according to this principle that in past centuries, at the age of 10-12 years, boys were selected for a singing career in church choirs. To exclude the phenomenon of voice mutation, he underwent surgery to remove the gonads. Because in the future, the entire process of breaking the voice occurs precisely under the influence of sex hormones.

Voice mutation in boys is physiology

Age-related voice mutation in a teenage boy is a normal physiological phenomenon. It usually begins during puberty. At the same time, boys begin to experience their first pollination, pubic and axillary hair growth. Simultaneously with the breaking of the voice, facial hair begins to grow in characteristic places.

Voice loss can occur from 11-12 years of age until a boy reaches 18 years of age. If you suffer from late voice mutation, you should pay attention to the adolescent’s male health. Perhaps there are some deviations. Most often, voice mutation takes no more than 2 months. During this time, the voice acquires a characteristic tonality. Subsequently, the timbre of the voice remains the same throughout life. Only laryngeal injuries, burns and abuse of bad habits can change it.

The mechanism of sexual mutation of the voice in boys is a gradual thickening of the vocal cords and a further expansion of the glottis. This process is influenced not only by testosterone, but also by the hormone gonadotropin, which accelerates the growth of body hair and provokes the appearance of secondary male sexual characteristics.

Voice mutation in girls is a pathology

If voice mutation in boys during adolescence is inevitable and evidence of proper growth and development, then in girls this phenomenon refers to pathological deviations. Voice mutation in girls is a fairly rare occurrence. It usually indicates an increased level of testosterone in the blood. May be accompanied by such phenomena as:

appearance of facial hair;
male body type;
accelerated growth of limbs;
delay in the development of secondary female sexual characteristics.

Correction of this condition is carried out under the supervision of endocrinologists. The causes may be viral diseases, changes in diet and daily routine, stressful situations, and improper...

Why does voice loss occur in children?

It should be understood that voice failure in children is an inevitable phenomenon associated with growth and development. It is so inherent in nature that in childhood, at a time when the offspring needs care and protection from their parents, children have thin, piercing voices. High-pitched sounds travel long distances and are more clearly perceived by the human ear.

As the body grows, the length of the glottis and ligaments changes. There is a slight loss of voice in girls. A lower pitch appears. But this phenomenon cannot be called a mutation of the voice. Withdrawal is not associated with hormonal changes.

How and why voice breakdown (mutation) occurs in boys, read our article.

Just yesterday your son spoke in a normal, boyish voice, and today you heard the first breakdown. He has started to develop, so a lot of things are changing in him, including his voice breaking (voice mutation). Along with obvious external changes, the boy's voice takes on a completely different sound. For some time, it will even be difficult for him to control his cords, so due to his voice breaking, he will make a variety of strange sounds.

Changes in the larynx during voice mutation in boys

It is the larynx that is responsible for the production of sound. As puberty progresses, the larynx enlarges and becomes thicker. This happens in both boys and girls, but for a boy, of course, the changes due to voice mutation are more noticeable. Girls' voices can literally go down a key or two, and it's barely noticeable, but a boy's voice becomes much lower and deeper.

Why do boys' voices sound so strange during mutation?

The larynx, located in the throat, plays an important role in creating sound. The two main muscles, the vocal cords, are stretched like rubber bands across the larynx.

When a person speaks, air from the lungs causes the vocal cords to vibrate, which produces sound. The pitch of the voice depends on how tightly the ligaments close as air flows through them. If you've ever tugged on a small, thin rubber band, you've probably heard a high-pitched, drawn-out squeak as you pull it. A thicker rubber band produces a deeper, lower, lingering sound. The same thing happens with the vocal cords.

Before a boy reaches adolescence, his larynx is very small, and his vocal cords are thin and small. That's why a boy's voice is higher than a grown man's. But with maturation, the larynx enlarges, and the ligaments become longer and stronger, and accordingly the boy’s voice becomes deeper.

In addition, the facial bones also grow: the size of the sinuses, nose and back of the throat becomes larger. More space gives the voice more opportunity to resonate.

Creaking and wheezing are part of the normal development of the body during this period. Even when the boy gets used to the changes, it will be difficult for him to control his own voice for some time after the voice mutation. So, along with accepting general changes in appearance, you will need to get used to your new sound.

Speaking of external changes. When the larynx begins to enlarge, it tilts inside the neck at a slightly different angle than before and partially begins to protrude. This is the same Adam's apple or Adam's apple. In girls, the larynx also enlarges, but not as much as in boys.

When does voice loss occur in boys?

Everyone develops at their own pace, so boys experience voice loss at different ages. This usually occurs between ages 11 and 14.5, often after a big growth spurt. For some, the mutation (break) of the voice lasts a long time and gradually, while for others it happens very quickly.

If your son is bothered, annoyed, or confused by the strange sound of his voice, explain to him that this is temporary and everyone goes through it. In a couple of months he will already have a low, deep and powerful adult voice of a man, and not the voice of a boy!