# Learning how to scream



## MF_Kitten (Apr 21, 2008)

and i mean the metal kind of screaming here...

what part of my voice do i need to focus on?

for example, is there a specific sound that i kan make, and then "amplify" by doing it harder, to make a scream?

because i´m guessing just going "AAAAAAAH!" isn´t going to do much 

i was taking a dump earlier, and i was exploring different parts of my voice, and i think i kinda found what part of my voice does the magic, but i´m not sure, and now i´ve forgotten wtf i did 

and i do know that quite often, screaming is quite low in volume. my buddy is the singer in my band, and i´ve always played in bands with him. he´s great at singing, and he does a great scream. the thing i´ve noticed quite often, is that it sounds really loooow in volume, which surprised me at first, but now i´m trying to find what part of my voice i need to use.

i have the diaphragm technique down though, i know that part


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## XEN (Apr 21, 2008)

MF_Kitten said:


> i was taking a dump earlier, and...



Now that is how to start a sentence!!!

If you're talking about a KSE style scream it is more from the throat which is why it can be low in volume, but with practice you can really add some power to it. 
I'm sure someone could describe the technique better, but I would say that you should not think the same way you do when you actually 'sing' a note. It is far more guttural and forced, specifically by compressing your throat and "exhaling with sound". Does that make any sense?


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## MrJack (Apr 21, 2008)

Just a suggestion that popped up pretty quickly, but if you haven't already done this, could you ask your friend who sings in the band to help/tutor you? If he can do something you want to be able to then he's probably the person to ask for help to achieve it.



urklvt said:


> Now that is how to start a sentence!!!


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## kristallin (Apr 21, 2008)

I don't know how accurate this is, but it may help:
How to Properly Stress Your Vocal Chords With Screaming - wikiHow

Also check out her DVDs, she's in NYC and teaches as well. 
Melissa Cross Studio :: Vocal Instruction For A New Breed


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## MF_Kitten (Apr 21, 2008)

thanks for the wikihow thing 

and i´m going to ask him for tips, for sure


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## S-O (Apr 21, 2008)

Pop in your favorite vocalist and try to copy the sound. You probably won't get exactly the same, but the effort will show you how it's down.

I learned from Death, I like his sound. CoB, Morbid Angel, Scar Symmetry, Arsis, early in flames, 

Hmm, just find every cool melodic/progressive death metal and try to sing along.

Also, mine is not quiet at all. I really need to belt out to get the tone I like, I probably should be able to do it at lower volumes, but meh  who screams quietly?

Also, try to be able to pitch the screams, not just monotone.


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## MF_Kitten (Apr 21, 2008)

the screams i did earlier were a little louder than speaking volume, like speaking in a slightly crowded room... it had lots of nice sizzle though, so it sounded louder 

also, hit my buddy up on msn... his words:
"first tips! drink alot of whisky! second! star smoking! third, scream ur guts out when u hurt ur self"

no, he´s not entirely serious, but those are some factors of his own grim-ass voice


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## S-O (Apr 21, 2008)

Also: You are going to sound pretty shitty for the first month. After about 3 months shit starts to come together. 6 months and you should be screaming your soul out.


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## halsinden (Apr 21, 2008)

i've possibly posted a little too much recently about this, and it's worth me reiterating again that i'm by no means an authority, merely an opinion but one that's been gained through some relative amount of experience. i'm no more correct than the next person, but if it helps - i studied the subject fairly extensively with my vocal tutors at drama school and now with ed staunton of voxbox studios.

ultimately, i'm just a singer posting in a guitarist's forum.

one thing i will just ask is that, by all means, arrive at your own conclusion as to how best to 'scream', but do me a favour - please don't use the idea of employing any kind of external substance like whiskey or chemicals specifically in order to reach a point that you can sound extreme. you will, seriously, only cause long term damage. i've been performing extreme vocals now for over 12 years and been checked recently for nodules or damage - i'm clear.

i'd hate to suggest that your singer using low volume screaming is _wrong_, but i hope you won't mind me saying my part. compare these two videos:


[YOUTUBEVID]fkrCMI2fXTo[/YOUTUBEVID]

michael bolton 'singing' nessun dorma. the moment at 2:50, arguably the most famous of the aria, present bolton giving the note in the most amateur fashion ever seen. standing _that close_ to a mic, he's using the same (external. ie throat) mucles employed in doing an impression of bert from sesame street. in his case, a cop out.



[YOUTUBEVID]2RdJmqLrsbo[/YOUTUBEVID]

placido domingo singing nessun dorma. the moment at 2:50, and the notes following, are a singer using comfortable force through a relatively low larynx position, generating a note that contains not only the pitch desired, but many of the surrounding notes. it's full, it's powerful, it's also perfectly safe.


to bring it home a bit, imagine playing the riff to enter sandman using a piece toilet roll as a plectrum and using only your last 2 fingers. it's still the same notes, but nowhere near the same sound.

low volume metal vocals have their place, such as occasional use of the inhalation point for lower work (the "bree" or pig squeal) or for higher moments of wipe-out vox via the whistle note (dani filth / mariah carey). if used continually, the actualy _extremity_ of the vocal is lost, for instance like listening to most modern screamcore bands - one note, one feeling, one result.

may i suggest that, instead of just shouting loudly and seeing what comes or worse, you give a quick try to the method i've used to teach people. clear your throat with your mouth close as normal. a "hhhHHMM-HMMmmm". do it again, get used to the sensation...

now do it with your mouth open. "HUNH-huh". at the 'NH' of it, extend that note. it'll feel like your throat robbling (weird word, but you'll see what i mean if you're doing it right).

after a while, if you can identify that sensation (which is a low/mid extreme metal growl), push it higher in the register. in other words, go from "NH" to "AA" but with the same throat sensation, you'll notice the feeling travels more towards the nose, which is actually where it's supposed to be. that's your scream.

i can go on more, but it's contained further in other threads and/or you'd rather not use my angle on things which is absolutely fair enough. it's not as simple i've put and will take much getting used to.

i don't agree with the idea of you sounding bad for the first month, frankly you can do this and sound good fairly early, but it's a matter of technique.

i hope i may have helped in some way. i'm more than happy to elaborate further as needs be.

H


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## ArchAngel1024 (Apr 21, 2008)

Thanks for the links! I've been interested in this too.


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## MF_Kitten (Apr 22, 2008)

cool, thanks!

and the way my buddy does it, is that it kinda sounds like the guy in Lamb of God. the same texture and grittyness, but it´s not as loud as you´d think. he can hold a scream for a looooong time. listen to the song on our myspace: MySpace.com - Thyron - Kopervik/Haugesund, NO - Thrash - www.myspace.com/thyronband

he can scream like that for hours on end without any soreness of the throat, and absolutely no raspyness in the voice afterwards, as if nothing ever happened


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## halsinden (Apr 22, 2008)

MF_Kitten said:


> cool, thanks!
> 
> and the way my buddy does it, is that it kinda sounds like the guy in Lamb of God. the same texture and grittyness, but it´s not as loud as you´d think. he can hold a scream for a looooong time. listen to the song on our myspace: MySpace.com - Thyron - Kopervik/Haugesund, NO - Thrash - www.myspace.com/thyronband
> 
> he can scream like that for hours on end without any soreness of the throat, and absolutely no raspyness in the voice afterwards, as if nothing ever happened



yeah, i'm aware of the technique and occasionally use it myself. it's what i'm talking about the michael bolton / low volume element. in my opinion, it's great for a temporary effect or to reach an extreme length of note, but as a sound for use throughout an entire song it can present a weakened feel in the delivery.

H


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## MF_Kitten (Apr 22, 2008)

yeah, that´s true, but it´s closer to the sound that i want though 

i´m going to start exploring my voice more... gunna start eating more fiber


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## sixty (Dec 11, 2008)

It has little or nothing to do with the throat. When you do it, you must do it from the bowels of your lungs! Er, if your lungs had bowels that's where it would come from


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## halsinden (Dec 11, 2008)

sixty said:


> It has little or nothing to do with the throat. When you do it, you must do it from the bowels of your lungs! Er, if your lungs had bowels that's where it would come from



that's actually completely untrue. your 'throat' area (if you're taking the neck into account here) contains the larynx which is exactly where the sound comes from. the lungs contain nothing in them that would be able to generate notes.

H


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## All_¥our_Bass (Dec 11, 2008)

sixty said:


> It has little or nothing to do with the throat. When you do it, you must do it from the bowels of your lungs! Er, if your lungs had bowels that's where it would come from


 


Here's some moar helpz for you.


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## Unknown Doodl3.2 (Dec 11, 2008)

actually, if you want it to sound powerful at all it's gotta "feel" like its coming right down from the bottom of your stomach  there's many different ways to do it. But I find it sounds best and I have more control over pronounciation when Ido it that way


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