Screaming: A Brief Tutorial

[Toaster]

I've made a 9-part tutorial on how I do harsh vocals. When I first came to MX I was looking to learn how to scream, so I looked through this subforum and couldn't make heads or tails of anything. Now that I can scream, and I sing for a band, I thought I'd make an easy-to-understand, simple tutorial on the basics of (my interpretation of) screaming.

http://www.soundclick.com/bands/pagemusic.cfm?bandID=430371

That's the soundclick profile for it. If you want the entire thing, start from the bottom and work your way up.

I tried to make it as listener-friendly as possible (sorry for the volume variations and the hissing/popping noises, it's a computer mic). I hope some people can learn a few things from it. :)

[King_Of_Terrors]

I've made a 9-part tutorial on how I do harsh vocals. When I first came to MX I was looking to learn how to scream, so I looked through this subforum and couldn't make heads or tails of anything. Now that I can scream, and I sing for a band, I thought I'd make an easy-to-understand, simple tutorial on the basics of (my interpretation of) screaming.

http://www.soundclick.com/bands/pagemusic.cfm?bandID=430371

That's the soundclick profile for it. If you want the entire thing, start from the bottom and work your way up.

I tried to make it as listener-friendly as possible (sorry for the volume variations and the hissing/popping noises, it's a computer mic). I hope some people can learn a few things from it. :)

Sorry i took so long. This is really good, I'm going to go listen again.

[Alive]

I'm only on the second part but its definetly a good effort. Thanks a lot :)

[i am the robots]

I like this thread.

I think I said this in the rep, but oddly enough, I found it easier to tackle highs than lows when I first started.

I've always done my high inhales completely different.

For highs, it's always been suck straight down from the top of your throught and just gun it like an exhale scream, throat open kind of thing, and kind of doing a high singing voice simultaneously, but inward.

It comes out kind of like Through The Eyes Of The Dead.

Also, for pig squeels, it's been, tongue to the roof of the mouth, exhale going kinda like, "breeee-eeer."

[Jack Wilson]

this is pretty interesting. nice job. my style of screaming is different than yours though, mine is more of a metalcore scream were as yours is more of a heavy metal type. that may seem confusing but do you know what im saying? anyway have you heard of converge? what id really like to learn his how to reach his high pitch screams like in jane doe. there are times when he sounds like a ****ing falcon or something.

[Eliminator]

yeeeah yeaaaah

[Xianne]

I really like your tut, I never thought of doing that buzzard thing. Heh, gorilla having sex. I will remember that.

[fuzzyhair]

This is good. I just linked it to some guy in another part of the forum that wanted metal vocals. This is pretty much the same technique I use. My inhaled lows sound different though. They have more of a low scream sound that a grrrrr.

[Spydie]

This tutorial is helpfull. Thank you much

I can inhale good. But i have trouble with exhaliing.
I cannot do it. Someone give me tips please?

[10571z]

God i love ur accent!!!!!!!!! Im australian by the way

[Spydie]

I can do alesana scream, but it kind of hurts my throat. Is that normal until my throat gets used to it?

[DW_]

Have you guys heard of that DVD from Melissa Cross called The Zen of Screaming? I've been thinking of taking a look at it, even though learning to scream isn't really something I necessarily need to do. It would just be cool.

[Spydie]

how much is it?

Hook me up with a link?
XD

[Merkaba]

Have you guys heard of that DVD from Melissa Cross called The Zen of Screaming? I've been thinking of taking a look at it, even though learning to scream isn't really something I necessarily need to do. It would just be cool.

I would consider it almost a waste of time but some people swear by it. You learn the "dump" and a nother term for different ways to say "use the diaphragm.

[Spydie]

hmm..

What kind of mic should i buy?

[Merkaba]

hmm..

What kind of mic should i buy?

Sure SM58 :thumb:

[Toaster]

I can do alesana scream, but it kind of hurts my throat. Is that normal until my throat gets used to it?

Yes. I've been singing this way for awhile, and for me it starts to hurt when I'm screaming hard for over two hours. And strangely, it makes my voice crack a lot afterwards. :confused:

[Screamin_Demon_Auz]

I would wait until the end of January and get both The Zen of Screaming 1 which covers basic techniques, and the new one The Zen of Screaming 2 which is supposed to actually go into screaming. www.melissacross.com has it for preorder. You could, if you want to save some money, get the DVD and the Scream Extra CD which is all about screaming technique.

[Spydie]

Ty merk; i'll go with that..

Can someone explain how to just plain old scream. Like regular screaming, if that makes sense.
What do i do with my body
My throat
my mouth
my voice
and pitch?

[Merkaba]

I would wait until the end of January and get both The Zen of Screaming 1 which covers basic techniques, and the new one The Zen of Screaming 2 which is supposed to actually go into screaming. www.melissacross.com has it for preorder. You could, if you want to save some money, get the DVD and the Scream Extra CD which is all about screaming technique.

yea I thought she was coming out with something new, so I'd wait on that. With the first one, I just remember saying, "ok...is that the end of the dvd....what the fvck just happened...did I miss something?"

[DW_]

Oh sweet I didn't know there was a second DVD coming out. But yea I guess you guys are right, from what I saw of the first one it really didn't go into detail about much of anything

[Reckoning of Fire]

Thanks for that tutorial, I'm sure it was helpful but probably unhelpful for me. I've been screaming the way that I think you mentioned I'm not supposed to. Kind of like closing off your throat (at least I think that's what I'm doing). I just do it and it isn't really painful, although I am pretty awful. The thing is I can do it on demand :/

Honestly, I have no idea what the hell I am doing. I don't really get the buzzer thing, like the James Hetfield rasp. Is it the same noise that you make when you grunt, because it really feels weird in my throat so I'm a bit scared to try.

Also Merkaba's stuff is pretty helpful as well, I just have trouble applying it. I don't know too much about the actual stuff thats going inside me, like my vocal cords, false vocal cords too much, and I don't trust some of the stuff off the net. If someone could explain to me what exactly goes on inside when you do rasp or screaming that a 10 year old could understand (no I'm not 10), then that would be very helpful.

But thats for the tutorial anyway, the inhale stuff was intersting :D

[Toaster]

Why are you scared to try? Doing anything with your vocal cords for 5 minutes, besides maybe taking a knife to them, is not going to hurt you at all in the long run. For the rasp, Merkaba says to think of it like a "wrong answer buzzer", like an "aaank" sort of thing. Just wait till you're home alone one day, or go out for a drive alone and practice getting rasp. It's not a hard thing to get.

The less you know about what's actually happening the better, in my opinion. If you get into the technique too much you might start thinking about what you're doing too much and forgetting that it's only singing. You're not performing a throat operation!

I started screaming in the way you describe, where you close off your throat and make a sort of hissing. For me, at least, it took a bit of saliva back in my throat to get the scream, and I would go into fits of coughing randomly. I'm pretty sure that some singers (I hesitate to call them professionals) do use this technique though, so if you really can do it on demand then go for it. Just remember that doing it for a few seconds every few days alone in your room does not mean "on demand". :p

[Spydie]

Thank you, Toaster. helpful..

I'm still stuck on how to get a SCREAM over a sound..
I can't seem to get a Scream.

[faithinfire]

toaster, cool little tutorial. however

if your throat hurts, you are doing it WRONG and you should STOP IMMEDIATELY!! I can scream in all three of my modalities, and it is not supposed to hurt at all.

In the long run, well, short run too, if you stop when it hurts and try something different, you'll find the proper, and easier, way to scream quicker. if you waste time hurting your throat and solidifying improper technique into your muscle memory, its just going to take longer to learn, and then your throat will be shot.

if you dont really give a **** about your voice, do whatever sounds the most violent even if it hurts. smoking cigarettes also helps, and drinking liquor. also doing drugs like cocaine will help too. whatever you are willing to sacrifice.

MILK NEVER HELPS EVER EVER!! If you think its "coating" your throat and "helping" you, your wrong. look it up if you dont believe me.

[The_One]

I love your tutorial. It's hilarious. Great examples! hahahaha.

[hxcturtle369]

Hey I need help with inhaling screams, listen to my recordings and tell me what I need to do to improve my screaming.

http://www.soundclick.com/bands/pagemusic.cfm?bandID=638405

[Spydie]

is there a trick to exhaling?
Details PLEASE...

[Toaster]

toaster, cool little tutorial. however

if your throat hurts, you are doing it WRONG and you should STOP IMMEDIATELY!! I can scream in all three of my modalities, and it is not supposed to hurt at all.

In the long run, well, short run too, if you stop when it hurts and try something different, you'll find the proper, and easier, way to scream quicker. if you waste time hurting your throat and solidifying improper technique into your muscle memory, its just going to take longer to learn, and then your throat will be shot.

if you dont really give a **** about your voice, do whatever sounds the most violent even if it hurts. smoking cigarettes also helps, and drinking liquor. also doing drugs like cocaine will help too. whatever you are willing to sacrifice.

MILK NEVER HELPS EVER EVER!! If you think its "coating" your throat and "helping" you, your wrong. look it up if you dont believe me.

Seeing as I don't do it too often, probably twice a week or so for an hour, I don't think I'll experience any permenant damage from it.

I hope you were kidding about the cocaine.

Hey I need help with inhaling screams, listen to my recordings and tell me what I need to do to improve my screaming.

More air. You are tightening too much and not letting enough air come in when you inhale. I want to advise you not to spend much time practicing that, it's not useful in a band situation in my opinion.

is there a trick to exhaling?
Details PLEASE...

There is no "trick". Everyone on this site who does harsh vocals isn't conspiring to keep the technique to themselves. Go through the lessons I posted one by one, making sure you really understand what I'm saying when I do it. The first thing you don't understand from the tutorial come back and ask me to clarify it here, then go through until you find another stumbling block and ask me again. I can't just sum up everything about harsh vocals in a few sentences.

[Spydie]

There is no "trick". Everyone on this site who does harsh vocals isn't conspiring to keep the technique to themselves. Go through the lessons I posted one by one, making sure you really understand what I'm saying when I do it. The first thing you don't understand from the tutorial come back and ask me to clarify it here, then go through until you find another stumbling block and ask me again. I can't just sum up everything about harsh vocals in a few sentences.

I understand this, though i was looking for somthing along the lines of

"use the _____ [top, bottom, middle] of your voice"
and stuff like how much to open how to push out, roughly how much to push out and how to get that "screaming" sound.

however, i will go through your tutorial again. Not today, I have strep throat =[


Your help is seariously appreciatedd.
-Mike

[Screamin_Demon_Auz]

Sing a note, then add a little bit of pressure by pushing down like you are going to the bathroom and sending the air pressure to the soft pallate (the soft part of the top of your mouth). Keep experimenting with it until you get the sound you want.

[IheartToaster]

Hey, Toaster. We ****ing love you.

I'd tap your voice.

[Growls Gurgles N Screams]

I exhale scream and i get the right pitch, but the volume is way too low.
I try pushing harder then there goes the vocal cords.
Can someone tell me what im doing incorrectly??

[FRUGiHOYi]

I exhale scream and i get the right pitch, but the volume is way too low.
I try pushing harder then there goes the vocal cords.
Can someone tell me what im doing incorrectly??

You probably just need to keep doing it. I got naturally louder over time. Anyway, the microphone will make you louder.

[2muchket!]

You probably just need to keep doing it. I got naturally louder over time. Anyway, the microphone will make you louder.

Pretty much this. Practise helps a lot and over time you build up endurance to allow you to scream longer.

[Growls Gurgles N Screams]

Does puberty have a ginormous effect on exhale screaming?

Does screaming alone always sound lame?

When you inhale scream(i only do low growls now) are your lungs supposed to feel like you are hitting them with hammers?

Best exercises for air control?

How do you use your diaphragm?

Is it okay to have the caffeinated beverages and salty snacks AFTER a show?

Is cupping the mic going to make my growls sound better? semi-cupping?

How do you control your pitch, volume and air storage?

If you have your tonsils taken out, can you acquire a better scream or growl?

I can only scream in the highs and lows, how do i go about reaching into the mid-range?

:chug:

[Screamin_Demon_Auz]

I'll try my best to answer everything here...

Does puberty have a ginormous effect on exhale screaming?

Puberty produces different results for everyone. Some people have a dramatic change, others don't. With good technique though, your screaming and singing won't be any different, although the tone may be slightly lower naturally. You can always change this though by learning to control the color of your tonality through training.

Does screaming alone always sound lame?

Thats a matter of opinion. An a cappella scream with no effects (compression, distortion, reverb, delay, etc.) will sound weaker then a processed one with music behind it.

When you inhale scream(i only do low growls now) are your lungs supposed to feel like you are hitting them with hammers?

Your doing it too forcefully. Don't do inhales all the time, you can learn to produce the same sound on an exhale with practice.

Best exercises for air control?

Sustain an S like a hiss, first for 30 seconds, then for 60. Sounds easy but its tough. Don't let the sound change at all, it has to be absolutely consistent and smooth.

How do you use your diaphragm?

If your breathing, your using it. Don't pay attention to it, just let your breathing happen naturally. As long as your stomach comes out and your shoulders don't rise your fine.

Is it okay to have the caffeinated beverages and salty snacks AFTER a show?

Yes

Is cupping the mic going to make my growls sound better? semi-cupping?

It can help, you just have to experiment and see what works best for your voice.

How do you control your pitch, volume and air storage?

All 3 of those aspects of singing have to be in sync with each other. Pitch is controlled by your vocal cords stretching and adducting. Volume is controlled by breath pressure and resonance and the overtones it can create. Air storage is controlled by proper support and proper inhales, again your stomach coming out and shoulders not ever rising.

If you have your tonsils taken out, can you acquire a better scream or growl?

Im still recovering from having mine out 2 weeks ago, so I can't answer this yet from first hand experience. However, if your tonsils are infected and swollen all the time, then they are blocking off a lot of sound and getting them removed should only help. If you dont have problems with them though and are only asking for singing purposes, do NOT have a tonsillectomy.

I can only scream in the highs and lows, how do i go about reaching into the mid-range?

You need to get your midrange under control. If you cant comfortably sing a note, you can't (or at least shouldn't) scream it. Work on bridging your voice so that you can sing from low to high with no cracking. Midrange will always be harder though because of the coordination it requires.

:chug:

[beans]

make a lot of good points but i have been screaming for about 5 years and some of the things you mention i dont think would work for everyone

but then again i learned very unorthadoxly

[P13]

My friend can scream really well, even though he does this annoying thing where it sounds like there is a doppler effect on his voice. They say my growls sound like satan.

[Growls Gurgles N Screams]

Thanks a bunch, and yes, my tonsils are enlarged due to some hormone problems. So i was just curious if i would've lost any abilities. Really helpful info, how long have you been screaming Screamin_Demon_Auz?

[hismajestythepope]

When you inhale scream(i only do low growls now) are your lungs supposed to feel like you are hitting them with hammers?

Your doing it too forcefully. Don't do inhales all the time, you can learn to produce the same sound on an exhale with practice.

well if youre working on exhales that sound like inhales, the way you use your cords is way different than your standard low growl, and it still lacks some of the swishing you get with inwards

example:
http://myspace.com/paraphiliasoontochange

very beginning = inhales
second verse = exhales

similar tone on the lows, but yeah dipset

[Screamin_Demon_Auz]

I've got over 5 years experience of coaching from Mark Baxter and Jaime Vendera, two of the top screaming coaches out there. Screaming actually isn't my thing for my own style (i'm more of a soul vocalist) but I can do it and have successfully taught many others to do it with my own coaching.

Yes, there is a difference between the two, but you can get it close enough and your audience usually doesn't care how your producing the sound. Inhales aren't the safest thing to do and can really cause some serious problems with maintaining a well connected consistent range if overdone. If your a screamer first and singer second, this wont really matter a whole lot, but if your a singer who does screaming/growls as an effect you'll need to rethink the inwards, or at least use it sparingly.

[hismajestythepope]

ive been doing inwards for four years mang, i pretty much do outwards and inwards equally to one another, and well clean singingwise, i was never very good lol.

[2muchket!]

I do both singing and screaming so I don't bother with inhales really.

[hismajestythepope]

thats cuz u mad pussy son

[2muchket!]

its cos you don't have my sweet singing voice

[hismajestythepope]

um no i sing like cody bonette

[beans]

I've got over 5 years experience of coaching from Mark Baxter and Jaime Vendera, two of the top screaming coaches out there. Screaming actually isn't my thing for my own style (i'm more of a soul vocalist) but I can do it and have successfully taught many others to do it with my own coaching.

k i know you're not trying to do it

but you sound like a stuck up moron, so yeah
go fall out of a tree or something

[Screamin_Demon_Auz]

k i know you're not trying to do it

but you sound like a stuck up moron, so yeah
go fall out of a tree or something

Thanks:chug:

[hismajestythepope]

hahahaha

im just gonna say though, mr. screamin demon auz taught me mad shits

[Growls Gurgles N Screams]

Hey guys, Looking into vocal equipment since i have the extra cash to do so. where is a good place to start, i have a shure sm58 at the moment, how should i go about getting the mixer, poweramp, and such?

[fuzzyhair]

Hey guys, Looking into vocal equipment since i have the extra cash to do so. where is a good place to start, i have a shure sm58 at the moment, how should i go about getting the mixer, poweramp, and such?

Post a new thread in this forum. You'll get help much faster.