Avoiding The Hurt When Screaming

[K-z-H]

aite guys thanx for the help...

also i was wondering if a dry throat helps for screaming, and if it does, any good ways of attaining that? ibe heard incense is good

 

[ACIDBATHER]

Personally, I wouldn't recommend a dry throat for any type of vocalization.Keep yourself hydrated and you'll have better endurance.

 

[ProjectedBlack]

No it won't. Not if you do it right. Use a vocal fry (Google it.) I'm a black metal vocalist, and even from the beginning, there was no hurt when I screamed. I still suggest drinking pulp orange juice before and after. Your throat will probably go dry, and yes, if you push with your throat (Not reccomended. Screaming is usually done into a mic at little more than a whisper, not even loud talking volume,) it might hurt a bit. Orange juice helps a lot.

"Screaming" at low volumes only works on recordings, you'll get drowned out in live performances, which in my experience I've had to really increase the volume to be audible over the rest of the band. Even using a high volume guitar amp turned up 2 times higher then the guitars I've needed to increase the volume when practicing with drums.

As for the sore throat, I would say you would get it no matter what after an extended period. Hell, you'll have a sore throat from talking to somebody for an hour.

 

[Draznog]

i think your using your throat don't use your dihaphram.

 

[ACIDBATHER]

But everything you do that involves BREATHING uses the diaphragm and abdominal muscles.The diaphragm is not your enemy and using it will not make you sound like fucking Harry Connick Jr...Trust me!

 

[ProjectedBlack]

But everything you do that involves BREATHING uses the diaphragm and abdominal muscles.The diaphragm is not your enemy and using it will not make you sound like fucking Harry Connick Jr...Trust me!

The diagphram is definately very important, but "growling" uses it more then Black Metal vocals, which are primarly distorted in the throat. Black Metal vocals take a lot of technique to really nail down so that you don't hurt your throat or cough uncontrollably from choking on whatever the hell you might be choking on in your throat when you mess up...

 

[K-z-H]

The diagphram is definately very important, but "growling" uses it more then Black Metal vocals, which are primarly distorted in the throat. Black Metal vocals take a lot of technique to really nail down so that you don't hurt your throat or cough uncontrollably from choking on whatever the hell you might be choking on in your throat when you mess up...

techniques such as...?

 

[ProjectedBlack]

techniques such as...?

Hard to explain, you just have to get the right sound the right way. In my experience it seems that people have an easier time nailing down Death Metal vocals then good Black Metal vocals, though being a "good" Black Metal vocalist is nowhere near as important as being a good Death Metal vocalist. Just look at Burzum.

 

[K-z-H]

yea i guess so, cuz black metal has more of a harsh edge to it

 

[ACIDBATHER]

being a "good" Black Metal vocalist is nowhere near as important as being a good Death Metal vocalist. Just look at Burzum.

I guess you could describe Black vocalization technique as using a good amount of tension and spitty gravel in the uppermost part of the larynx, Just beneath the Hyoid bone that sits on top.

 

[William Shartner]

Well, I might butt in here. I am best friends with my diaphragm. When I started growling I used my throat and maybe lasted 4 songs before my voice was shot. It just took me joining the right band to get me to growl lower and discover my guts. After learning this I found I could growl not only clearer but for a longer duration. I have a couple songs where I hold a scream for 14seconds. I am going for a good 30 second scream but so far I have only made it to 21 seconds. There is definitely something to using your guts. I haven't ever had a vocal problem in a couple years since I started growling from my diaphragm. My advice is to practice in your car on the way to work. It should almost feel like vomiting when you get it right but the only thing that comes out is sound instead of puke. Hope this helps.

 

[K-z-H]

^so how long have u been screaming from ure diaphram?

 

[ACIDBATHER]

Well, I might butt in here. I am best friends with my diaphragm. When I started growling I used my throat and maybe lasted 4 songs before my voice was shot. It just took me joining the right band to get me to growl lower and discover my guts. After learning this I found I could growl not only clearer but for a longer duration. I have a couple songs where I hold a scream for 14seconds. I am going for a good 30 second scream but so far I have only made it to 21 seconds. There is definitely something to using your guts. I haven't ever had a vocal problem in a couple years since I started growling from my diaphragm. My advice is to practice in your car on the way to work. It should almost feel like vomiting when you get it right but the only thing that comes out is sound instead of puke. Hope this helps.

It doesn't surprize me that your growls are getting longer when using your diaphragm.It takes more air pressure to use the bottom end than it does to do anything in the mid-high voice.

The high screech, head voice-falsetto shit takes more resonance, but less air-as the vocal folds grow more thin the higher you sing/scream.

 

[William Shartner]

^so how long have u been screaming from ure diaphram?

Since around Halloween in 2003. It took me a year or so to get to that point. There really is no way to "teach" someone because it all about the particular attitude you are trying to portray. The music my band puts out inspires me to write violent and challenging lyrics toward society and gives me a "back alley" attitude in my approach to performing. That is just my style. Now take, for instance, a black, demonic approach that some may choose. To me this would not require a lot of stage movement since the key to this approach is mood. An artist would probably want to focus on the higher pitched screams that would emulate a banshee or maybe someone suffering a horrible painful death. I'm just a brute, plain and simple. I move and thrash around and sometimes leave the stage during a breakdown to kick some ass and sometimes get my own ass kicked. Like I said before, its all about the attitude you choose that will determine the type of scream/growl you develop.

Best of luck to you.

 

[William Shartner]

It doesn't surprize me that your growls are getting longer when using your diaphragm.It takes more air pressure to use the bottom end than it does to do anything in the mid-high voice.

The high screech, head voice-falsetto shit takes more resonance, but less air-as the vocal folds grow more thin the higher you sing/scream.

Surprisingly, I have found more efficiency using less air to get the right pitch. When I first began growling I was so psyched up for the stage that I would exert 110% of my energy and be completely winded after the first couple of songs. I hated that feeling because I knew I would have to force my way through the rest of the set. A couple of years down the road I have learned to "relax" in a sense. You can't tell because I move around like a nutcase but as far as my wind is concerned it takes less for me now. Hell, I am still learning new stuff all the time. I just recently developed an even lower growl and now I can finally break into darker and deathier styles of music like I have always wanted from day one.
I guess the only thing I can say on how to train your throat for a nightly onslaught is to turn up your PA system and start by growling or screaming at about 50% of what you think your throat is capable of and turn up your PA until it is loud enough to resonate in your head. After practicing this and becoming more comfortable gradually turn your PA down as your voice becomes more powerful. Don't rush. Be prepared to take a couple of months or more to get it right and you just might surprise yourself after awhile and come out and blow me off the stage. Hehe.

Take care,

 

[ACIDBATHER]

If you move around alot on stage, you probably have decent breath control from the cardio you're doing.

Your posts are inspiring me to do that thing I dread the most and practice, Damn you.

 

[William Shartner]

If you move around alot on stage, you probably have decent breath control from the cardio you're doing.

Your posts are inspiring me to do that thing I dread the most and practice, Damn you.

A journey of many miles begins with the first step. And I still have yet to quit smoking so I am pretty much dead after shows. Smoking definitely makes you have to work twice as hard to achieve a certain result. Don't smoke!

 

[K-z-H]

well about the attitude, we dont exactly have our own "identity" as of now...we are still jsut a cover band, but hope to do CoB/Arch Enemy kinda stuff... if we can get thte vocals down. So its more of a melodic death metal style here. Ofcourse for a stage presence i would like to convey alot of attitude (not toward the audience ofcourse) and confidence, head-banging and the works...

 

[ACIDBATHER]

A journey of many miles begins with the first step. And I still have yet to quit smoking so I am pretty much dead after shows. Smoking definitely makes you have to work twice as hard to achieve a certain result. Don't smoke!

I am the last of a dying breed I fear-I am a (Tobacco)pipe smoker.I would want to quit smoking if I inhaled the shit though.

 

[Zygote]

D-KOM: very true! though I have no experience with a vocal trainer (but I'm shure its a good idea anyway)

never heard about that jumping-technic so far, but if it works.....

cant tell you if I really use my diaphragm, but I guess so, as I dont feel my vocal-chords hurting or anything.

your vocal-chords wont snap, but you can really damage them by screaming hard just from the throat. you'll probably also loose your voice temporarily when doing something like that.

my "standard" vocal-technic seems to be pretty much the same as what I read described by Angela Gossow (Arch Enemy) somewhen: feels a bit like gurgling in the back of your throat (that goes for the rather high-pitched screaming)

were did u read this??? hyperlink please...

i acually am just learning to growl