I have Vocal Questions!! Something Weird is Happening!!!!!

[PiXyStiX]

I am a singer, I sing opera (well not so much anymore) and I am a screamer in a metal band, and have been doing growls for a about 2 years. I used to not have problems with it hurting or anything until recently, I've started getting an odd clenching, tightness knot thing in my stomach. And I'm wondering if that has ever happened to anyone else. I feel like maybe I've forgotten how to breath properly.

Has this happened to anybody else? Or am I just weird? Tips would be of most useful!

 

[horndog]

Go back through your warm up regimen from scratch . maybe it's time to learn a few new exercises . just like lifting weights , you can plateau through repetition . at least it's not in your throat . don't let it get in your head .

if your drinking or whatnot , dunno if that helps or hinders . sounds lame but , rest up and make sure you change up your excercises every few months .

 

[fps]

near the surface? my singer got a hernia, and apart from the smoking and boozing, the gutbusting singing was a key factor.

 

[PiXyStiX]

Seriously?! And ya it is near the surface.

Like, I can push on a bump I'll get sometimes and its almost like a gas pain, then I have to stop. I can only go for so long now, but last practice I did ok, I tried to be more aware of my breathing and how I was standing and I didn't really get it. So I think that helped alot actually.

 

[radiohead]

maybe quit smoking will help.

 

[PiXyStiX]

maybe quit smoking will help.

I don't smoke or drink

 

[dethdude9]

Push more from your diaphragm and stomach area for doing growls. If you can balance out the right amounts of pressure in the throat, as well as the abdominal areas, it should help your breathing.

I don't growl much, but I know from other vocalists that this helps. just my 2 cents.

 

[PiXyStiX]

Ya, I'm diffidently trying harder to not think about it so much anymore and just do how I normally would and not eat a big dinner. lol But they do say that sopranos shouldn't do death growls, but it seems like the only thing that works well..But maybe I just suck and don't know it. lol

 

[cytotropic]

If you are a soprano I agree that doing death growls could damage your clean singing voice (and definitely in the upper ranges). Whenever something starts to hurt it is best to back off, give yourself a week long break, and then go back into it doing exercises only focusing on your technique.

I'm not sure why your stomach on the top is starting to hurt but it may help to focus on your support from not only your front but also your back.

 

[drink beer]

Push more from your diaphragm and stomach area for doing growls. If you can balance out the right amounts of pressure in the throat, as well as the abdominal areas, it should help your breathing.

I don't growl much, but I know from other vocalists that this helps. just my 2 cents.

Definitely try to bring it up from the diaphragm... I would try to find some more exercises to warm up with as well, and do them as often as you can (just don't overdue it, of course).

BTW... At a first glance of the name of this forum "I have vocal questions!! Something weird is Happening!!!!" I wanted to just be a smart ass and say "it's called puberty" but then I read the post and decided not to be an ass hole.

Hope everything gets better!

 

[PiXyStiX]

Ha thanks.. Considering I'm not a little boy anymore.