Zen of Screaming

[Futant55]

I noticed today there are forums for everything, but vocalist. This is a good video for people in metal bands that want to scream, but don't want to fuck up their throat. I have a friend that uses it and there is a huge list of current metal bands that swear by it. http://www.melissacross.com/indexIntro.html

[DogpitStudios]

Just about every metal screamer I know has seen this at least 3 times. Its a good thing even for rock singers. It basically teaches you about how your throat works when you sing (put air through it). I watched it once. It was boring as hell and I turned it off in two minutes. That's my only complaint.

Ben

[DT Chris]

I learned how to sing properly through an opera teacher, then went on to sing rock, and never had any problems, using her techniques. The technique kept me from ruining my voice. At the end of the set, my throat would feel pleasant. Band members and others were pleasantly surprised that I could still speak after some of my performances, even perhaps joining a jam afterward and continuing to sing. The thing that would ruin my voice would be all the smoke in some of the places we played. Now smoking is eliminated in them so they're much better.

I've never really screamed ( and what I mean by screamed is "shrieked") in a song per se. Maybe long wails or notes, but that's about it. I'm very skeptical about people saying you can 'scream without damage'. Almost every singer I know that was a screamer, eventually trashed their voice. I don't think you can expect to grunt and scream one minute in Death Metal, then think you're going to sing a crystal clear Boston tune the next. With all the 'screamer' training in the word, I highly doubt it. A vocalist picks his path, and goes down it.

In cover bands, I've never liked to sing ACDC. First off, everyone in the crowd expects you to sound like him when you sing the song. The singer has a way of really crunching his jaw and singing high that makes me feel uncomfortable and would perhaps cause damage. Thinking in the long run at the time that I wanted to keep my voice, I steered away from songs like that. Led Zeppelin songs? No problem - let's rock it.

Note: Don't confuse screaming with stuff that Robert Plant, David Coverdale and Sebastian Bach (Skid Row) do. That's more my style. This lady is coaching for heavy metal, punk and death bands, who actually shriek or grunt.

[aster555]

The zen of screaming is crap, it doesnt teach you how to scream

[DogpitStudios]

Originally Posted by aster555

The zen of screaming is crap, it doesnt teach you how to scream

Care to explain?

Ben

[brandondrury]

Don't confuse screaming with stuff that Robert Plant, David Coverdale and Sebastian Bach (Skid Row) do. That's more my style.

I'm big on the last 2 guys. I've never heard David Coverdale "scream" in the death metal sense. However, would you consider Sebastican Bach to be "screaming" when he says "Fingers to the bone" in 18 And A Life. It's not exactly Pantera, but it is definitely pushing it, in my opinion. What about that high note in Quicksand Jesus? It's got some grit to it.

(I'm just trying to get a feel for definition of "screaming"). I realize that line has really been pushed in the past 10-15 years of metal.

When I was down at the Michael Wagener workshop (he produced the first 2 Skid Row records), we did a cover of 18 and A Life. I never really realized just how over the top the vocals were in times on that single.

[aster555]

Originally Posted by DogpitStudios

Care to explain?

Ben

I mean that although it is very good instruction on how to maintain your voice it doesnt actually teach you how to scream

Admittedly i was harsh in saying it is crap, i apologise

[brandondrury]

it doesnt actually teach you how to scream

I haven't watched this video yet. However, aren't be born with the ability to scream? No one seams to need to teach babies how to scream.

Brandon

[DT Chris]

Originally Posted by brandondrury

I'm big on the last 2 guys. I've never heard David Coverdale "scream" in the death metal sense. However, would you consider Sebastican Bach to be "screaming" when he says "Fingers to the bone" in 18 And A Life. It's not exactly Pantera, but it is definitely pushing it, in my opinion. What about that high note in Quicksand Jesus? It's got some grit to it.

The point I was trying to make that what one person calls screaming can differ from someone else.

I don't call what Seb Bach does on 18&Life (at 2:30) or on Quicksand (at about 2:21 and 4:20) as 'screaming'. He's singing with great control, since he's still technically hitting a musical note. I think the 'gravel' is what his voice sounds like at that register (to some damage, normal wear and tear).

I used to sing along with these two songs to see if I could hit the notes. I could after some vocal training (be harder now at 35). I'm sure after doing that over years would start to 'texture' the voice. But there is no way that I had to 'scream' those notes at the time - I could sing them. I have a cassette tape somewhere with a recording of a song I wrote and performed with a guitarist that was close to these styles, I'll try to dig it up.

You can never underestimate the power of inspiration, a good studio one is comfortable with, or a good vibe that seems to be happening, that allows moments of super-human performance. I've sung notes and passages that even blew me away - other times there is no way I could reproduce it.

Pantera, and other very heavy metal vocalists are not doing the same thing in my opinion - that's more barking stuff. There's also no way a Pantera-like singer is going to go from that stuff to singing Skid Row or Boston.

This lady is more about teaching people how to grunt/bark/roar utilizing the mic's power instead, and 'making a face to sound meaner/louder"(as she said on Conan O'Brian Show).

[aster555]

Originally Posted by brandondrury

I haven't watched this video yet. However, aren't be born with the ability to scream? No one seams to need to teach babies how to scream.

Brandon

Babies hardly scream like Randy Blythe or Oli Sykes