Is she screaming 'correctly'?

[Morgan C]

So, our band has a singer but we need some screams for a few bits in a few songs, so I've tried to get my sister to start screaming. FYI this is not the best song to choose (a Nightwish song) but its the only one I had where I could have her without the original vocals.

I have no idea about screaming, and I just want to make sure she's doing it properly and not gonna mess up her vocal chords. Any tips are welcomed too.

The file goes: processed in mix -> unprocessed in mix -> processed solo'd -> unprocessed solo'd.

http://www.soundclick.com/bands/page_songInfo.cfm?bandID=823851&songID=7165127

edit: apologies if this is the wrong forum/sub-forum, not sure where to post this.

 

[iamandy]

hrmm, doesn't sound like she is, sounds like shes using alot of throat and could end up damaging her voice.. she best check out afew techniques or get Art of zen dvd, it will basically teach her everything she needs to know without hurting herself!

 

[Torniojaws]

If she's screaming "YES! YES!", it's done correctly. However, if she screasm "please stop... please, STOP!" then it's not done corre..... erhmm

Zen of Screaming, that is.

 

[noarin]

what is this Zen of screaming/Art of Zen dvd? can you tell me something about it?

 

[Torniojaws]

http://www.zenofscreaming.com/

 

[Morgan C]

If she's screaming "YES! YES!", it's done correctly. However, if she screasm "please stop... please, STOP!" then it's not done corre..... erhmm

Zen of Screaming, that is.

Would be good if she wasn't my sister... ;p

 

[spioraid]

hrmm, doesn't sound like she is, sounds like shes using alot of throat and could end up damaging her voice.. she best check out afew techniques or get Art of zen dvd, it will basically teach her everything she needs to know without hurting herself!

+1.

Why are you choosing to scream on a Nightwish song though?

 

[pifos_2]

If she's screaming "YES! YES!", it's done correctly. However, if she screasm "please stop... please, STOP!" then it's not done corre..... erhmm

Zen of Screaming, that is.

you perv its his sister aahahah

 

[Line666]

Best just to get her to do it for a session, then find out at the end if either:

A) It is hurting her throat.

or B) She has lost her voice.

If neither of those criteria are met then the scream is correct as it isnt doing any damage. A bad scream will either hurt the throat or lose the voice.

If you notice in the session that she looks uncomfortable or is losing her voice, just stop immediately, the female vocal chords are nowhere near as thick as the male so can take a lot less abuse in general, back when I was using bad technique I could get away with it because I'm of the bass vocal type - ie thickest chords, but I know friends who were tenors and upwards who would use bad technique and loose their voices for weeks.

IMHO, the Zen Of Screaming by Mellissa Cross is just one big con, she goes on and on about the vocal fry style of screaming, let me just say there is absolutely no screamer out there that will use the outward vocal fry, it is too quiet, doesnt have any prescence and isnt even as good as inward vocals in the same style which are pretty terrible anyway, the breathing excercises might be helpful though but dont expect either of her dvd's to teach how to achieve a perfect scream.

In terms of vocal resources I'd say that the folks at Complete Vocal Technique have it covered more accurately and professionally than Mellissa Cross, you can check out their stuff here:

http://www.completevocalinstitute.com/

Their manual is expensive but it is very thorough and worth it for anyone aspiring to achieve multiple vocal styles or mastery of a particular style in general. They also have a catalogue of examples and a good rundown on how particular sounds can be achieved. Its definately more complex and in depth.

And Edit: Definately listening to the scream it doesnt sound too bad, theres good distortion in that and maybe just needs a little more control of the breathing, ie pushing air more consistantly from the diaphragm.

 

[schnarf2]

It's all about where she feels the sensation. She should feel the grit exclusively on her soft palette (if you trace your tongue back across the roof of your mouth, the place in back where it's soft). If the grit "drops" and she feels it in her throat, then that will hurt.