How to Do an Old Man Voice
An old man voice usually sits slightly higher and thinner than a younger man's, with more breath, a slower pace and a gentle wobble on held words. Age also loosens articulation, so consonants soften and pauses grow longer. Play the person, not the age: a sharp, witty grandfather sounds different from a frail one.
The sound
- pitch
- Slightly higher than a younger adult male voice, with small, occasional pitch breaks.
- pace
- Slower, with longer pauses between thoughts and the odd false start.
- resonance
- Thinner and less chest-heavy, sometimes with a touch of nasality.
- texture
- Breathy, with a light quaver on sustained vowels.
- signature
- Softened consonants, a gentle wobble on held words and pauses while he gathers his thoughts.
How to do a old man voice, step by step
- Relax the face and jaw. Let your jaw hang slightly and your lips loosen, as if your mouth is a little tired. This softens consonants naturally without you having to fake it.
- Lift the pitch a little. Older men's voices often rise slightly in pitch and lose some chest weight. Speak a couple of notes higher than usual with less chest buzz. Avoid going into full falsetto; that tips into cartoon.
- Let air into the tone. Allow some breath to leak through as you speak so the voice sounds a bit worn. A sigh before a sentence works well: 'Haaah... well, I suppose so.'
- Make the wobble with breath, not the throat. For a quaver, pulse your breath lightly from the abdomen while holding a vowel, like a slow 'ah-ah-ah' blended together. Keep the wobble small and use it on held words, not every syllable.
- Slow down and add thinking pauses. Leave space between phrases and let thoughts wander: 'Now, when I was... where was I? Ah. The boat.' Those pauses are where the character's personality shows.
- Decide who he is. A grumpy farmer, a gentle storyteller and a sharp retired judge are all old men, but they sound different. Choose his energy, warmth and wit first, then layer the age on top.
Practice lines
Read these with the voice, then record yourself and listen back. The teleprompter below scrolls through all of them.
- Sit down, sit down. Now, have I told you about the winter the lake froze solid in one night?
- I've fixed this radio four times. It's not broken. It's stubborn, like me.
- Don't rush me. I've been taking my time since before your parents were born.
- When this road was still dirt, you could hear a car coming from two miles off.
- My knees say rain is coming, and my knees have never been wrong.
- Well, now... that's a fine-looking pie. Is that for me, or are you just teasing an old man?
- I don't need the glasses. I need you to stand closer.
- Your grandmother danced better than anyone in this county. I mostly stood on her feet.
- Hand me that wrench. No, the other one. The one I'm looking at.
- Seventy-nine years, and I still can't work out why the toast lands butter-side down.
Common mistakes
- Making every word shake. A constant tremor is tiring to listen to, so save it for held vowels and emotional moments.
- Pushing into a cracking falsetto, which sounds more like a cartoon than a real person.
- Playing 'old' instead of a character. Give him a want, a mood and a sense of humor.
- Tightening the throat to create a wobble, which strains the voice and sounds forced.
Keep your voice healthy
Breathy voices dry out the vocal folds faster because more air passes over them, so keep water nearby and take short breaks. Create any wobble with light pulses of breath, never by shaking or tightening the throat. If your neck feels tight or the voice turns scratchy, return to your normal voice for a minute before continuing.
Use it in a scene
Try the voice in a dubbing scene, roll a random prompt, or warm up first with the vocal warm-up.
Frequently asked questions
Should an old man voice be higher or lower?
Usually slightly higher and thinner. As men age, their vocal folds tend to lose mass and their speaking pitch often rises a little. A booming or grumpy character can still sit low, but take some chest weight out for realism.
How do I make my voice shake like an old person's?
Hold a vowel and pulse your breath gently from your abdomen to create a small wobble. Use it on a few held words, not on every syllable.
How do I do an old man voice if I'm young?
Focus on pace, breath and personality rather than pitch tricks. Slow down, add pauses and softened consonants and let a little air into the tone. Record yourself and compare with recordings of older relatives or interviews.