Screaming

[Guest pop-notmyface]

i was wondering, is it possible to learn to scream properly? i mean, most people would find senseless screaming pretty unatractive, but there are some musicians who seem to do that pretty well, ie. Daryl Palumbo or that Converge vocalist. i mean, can you actually get better at screaming through practise without getting arrested?

[Monk Rocker]

You can do a course on it at music college.

[Frosty Jack]

Originally posted by Monk Rocker:

You can do a course on it at music college.

True. They stick you in a listening room with the collected works of Andrew Lloyd Webber for two hours, and you've got it...

[ghost]

Originally posted by Frosty Jack:

True. They stick you in a listening room with the butchered recordings of second year "students" for two hours, and you've got it...

That's rather harsh....

[psydoll]

Originally posted by pop-notmyface:

i was wondering, is it possible to learn to scream properly? i mean, most people would find senseless screaming pretty unatractive, but there are some musicians who seem to do that pretty well, ie. Daryl Palumbo or that Converge vocalist. i mean, can you actually get better at screaming through practise without getting arrested?

Go to somewhere like Moshulu where the music's hella loud and request something appropriate and then scream along - great practice and the polis will take little or no notice. Do it on the dancefloor if you're feeling bashful

It might help if you're angry as well - get a friend to persistently prod you in the side and then run away throughout the night

[Frosty Jack]

Originally posted by ghost:

That's rather harsh....

It certainly is not. Do NOT get me started on the oxygen thief that is Lloyd Wanker...

*breathes*

time for a wee medicinal one, I think...

*pop*

you going to Lone Pigeon tonight by any chance, ghostie?

[Jimmygoodein]

i stole this from a message on MX forums, so dont give me any credit. If you want to view the post go to: http://www.musicianforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=108543

#0 shut your door, or make sure nobodys home, this is pretty important because you can't be shy about this at all, if you do it half assed its gonna sound like ****... also your parents or whoever your living with is gonna think your a fackin psycho. No worries at my house though, they already think im crazy.

#1 take a deep breathe and open your mouth, wide motherfacker... nobodys gonna here you if your shy and have your mouth half closed. Practise your breathing every night put a book on your chest and lift it up with your stomach as you breathe in. Eventually try to see if you can breathe in and breathe out only once a minute.

#2 stand up straight and put your shoulders back so your vocal cords are open--i cannot stress this enough, i realise that many singers on stage do not do this but that is because they are so well trained they think they dun have to well they're wrong, in the studio when they do it, I'm almost 100% sure they aren't crouching or jumping around. Since you are just starting make sure you do this so you don't **** up your voice.

#3 raise your cheekbones up so it looks like your kinda makin a stupid grinning face. I'm not really sure what this does, but it works, every vocal teacher I've had has told me to do this. If you want to do as little damage to your vocal cords as possible do this.

#4 Practise with a microphone, nobody can sound like they do without a microphone... its the distortion you get through the PA that makes the scream sound good. Plus when you practise with a microphone you get a feel for how loud you actualy have to scream. When you have a mic you'll find you really don't have to scream so loud... thus the reason why a singer can go do shows 7 days a week and not **** up his voice.

#5 (this is where some of you maybe leaving us) Ok, do know the difference between full voice and falsetto? You know how you can sing 2 ways, one with your full voice (gut) and one a little girly voice thats comming just through your throat... it doesn't have any power really but it can go really high. When you scream, you want to use this voice if you don't want to wreck yourself. For years i tried to scream with my diaphram and i kept hurting my throat and for some stupid reason i thought eventually it would get used to it... it doesn't. Please do not try to do this unless you are doing low pitched screams.

Anyways, into the mic, with your falsetto voice (i cannot stress enough that you use your falsetto voice and not your full) , and I know this sounds stupid but try to imagine that your singing out of the temple of your head... and push as hard as you can a scream. It doesn't have to be loud even, you are using a microphone, it just has to be pushed really hard from your throat.

#6 don't get discouraged if you don't get it right away... it takes time. I would sugguest if you haven't already take some vocal lessons... it helps a lot strengthening your falsetto. If you don't have a strong falsetto you'll never be able to scream.

And lastly, pick songs that have easier screams at first. Listen to the breathing of the screams, and try to breathe when they do. Do not try to do something insane like Deftones - Elite LOL I've been screamin like 2 years now and i still can barely get through the whole song without goin red in the face from lack of air. Go for quality over loudness, your scream doesn't have to be loud, you can turn the mic up, as long as it sounds hardcore. The loudness of your scream will come with time. I strongly recommend easy 1 sylable screams first I like my own summer.

When he's doin "cooooooomeeee" "shooooveeee" "the suuuuuuunnnn" "asssiidee"

Note: Kurt Cobain "screaming" isn't screaming, its aggresive pitched singing and isn't something you can reallyteach, If you can't hit those notes you can't hit them. Its like asking someone to teach you to have a higher voice. Its true with a lot of practise you can increase your vocal range, but in most cases you are pretty much stuck with what you got. If you have a crummy deep voice like scott stapp of creed lol don't expect to be doing and cobain screams any time soon.

[Monk Rocker]

Originally posted by Jimmygoodein:

i stole this from a message on MX forums, so dont give me any credit. If you want to view the post go to: http://www.musicianforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=108543

#0 shut your door, or make sure nobodys home, this is pretty important because you can't be shy about this at all, if you do it half assed its gonna sound like ****... also your parents or whoever your living with is gonna think your a fackin psycho. No worries at my house though, they already think im crazy.

#1 take a deep breathe and open your mouth, wide motherfacker... nobodys gonna here you if your shy and have your mouth half closed. Practise your breathing every night put a book on your chest and lift it up with your stomach as you breathe in. Eventually try to see if you can breathe in and breathe out only once a minute.

#2 stand up straight and put your shoulders back so your vocal cords are open--i cannot stress this enough, i realise that many singers on stage do not do this but that is because they are so well trained they think they dun have to well they're wrong, in the studio when they do it, I'm almost 100% sure they aren't crouching or jumping around. Since you are just starting make sure you do this so you don't **** up your voice.

#3 raise your cheekbones up so it looks like your kinda makin a stupid grinning face. I'm not really sure what this does, but it works, every vocal teacher I've had has told me to do this. If you want to do as little damage to your vocal cords as possible do this.

#4 Practise with a microphone, nobody can sound like they do without a microphone... its the distortion you get through the PA that makes the scream sound good. Plus when you practise with a microphone you get a feel for how loud you actualy have to scream. When you have a mic you'll find you really don't have to scream so loud... thus the reason why a singer can go do shows 7 days a week and not **** up his voice.

#5 (this is where some of you maybe leaving us) Ok, do know the difference between full voice and falsetto? You know how you can sing 2 ways, one with your full voice (gut) and one a little girly voice thats comming just through your throat... it doesn't have any power really but it can go really high. When you scream, you want to use this voice if you don't want to wreck yourself. For years i tried to scream with my diaphram and i kept hurting my throat and for some stupid reason i thought eventually it would get used to it... it doesn't. Please do not try to do this unless you are doing low pitched screams.

Anyways, into the mic, with your falsetto voice (i cannot stress enough that you use your falsetto voice and not your full) , and I know this sounds stupid but try to imagine that your singing out of the temple of your head... and push as hard as you can a scream. It doesn't have to be loud even, you are using a microphone, it just has to be pushed really hard from your throat.

#6 don't get discouraged if you don't get it right away... it takes time. I would sugguest if you haven't already take some vocal lessons... it helps a lot strengthening your falsetto. If you don't have a strong falsetto you'll never be able to scream.

And lastly, pick songs that have easier screams at first. Listen to the breathing of the screams, and try to breathe when they do. Do not try to do something insane like Deftones - Elite LOL I've been screamin like 2 years now and i still can barely get through the whole song without goin red in the face from lack of air. Go for quality over loudness, your scream doesn't have to be loud, you can turn the mic up, as long as it sounds hardcore. The loudness of your scream will come with time. I strongly recommend easy 1 sylable screams first I like my own summer.

When he's doin "cooooooomeeee" "shooooveeee" "the suuuuuuunnnn" "asssiidee"

Note: Kurt Cobain "screaming" isn't screaming, its aggresive pitched singing and isn't something you can reallyteach, If you can't hit those notes you can't hit them. Its like asking someone to teach you to have a higher voice. Its true with a lot of practise you can increase your vocal range, but in most cases you are pretty much stuck with what you got. If you have a crummy deep voice like scott stapp of creed lol don't expect to be doing and cobain screams any time soon.

What a pile of shite

[Fast Caz]

Lessons in screaming,you are fucking kidding.

it comes from the heart you either have it or you don't.

[Hog]

Screaming! PM me pop, I will send you the sample scream at the end of Ocean Machine by Devin Townsend. Thats screaming!!

Nah, you have to scream from your stomach, yes your stomach!!!!! it takes a lot of practice. If you taste blood.....like I do during Spike practices then your doing it wrong! but I dont give a fuck, you only live once!

Actually, to hear one amazing scream listen too this!devin scream! at 3 minutes 51 secs... fuck converge lol

[ghost]

Originally posted by Frosty Jack:

you going to Lone Pigeon tonight by any chance, ghostie?

Urm. *forgot* - was it good?

[Aileen]

see i was wondering this at drakes last week cos there was muchos emo screaming - if thats what ya call it - i reckon after a while you would utterly bugger your voice if you dont do it properly- its like the way if you dont sing properly, like Hog said, from your diaphragm area, then eventually your voice goes all shit and croaky cos all you're doing is shouting musically *cough* Robbie Williams *cough* see the Knebworth gigs he did, by the end of the show he was sounding utter baws cos he doesnt sing properly! its all to do with breathing and stuff...apparently

[Guest]

Practise at it, it becomes easier. Just basically practise holding notes and stuff like that, pretty ordinary vocal traing and it'll become easier. Tis that simple... or it is for me at least.

[Guest stuartmaxwell]

its a great way of covering up you lack of singing ability, a useful tool indeed

my throat doesnt really get that bad anymore, after evenings/weekends screaming my vocal range seems to grow

strange

[Guest Mr Blastcap]

i would recommend smoking fags ( something classy like drum or silk cut ultra lites) and rolling on the floor, also cover the mic with your hand just to piss off the sound "engineer" as well- as a bonus you get nasty feedback. trust me i'm an amateur.

[Guest stuartmaxwell]

from the school of roddy woomble

before he turned into a big poofter, how i hold onto my memories of idlewilds ferocious live shows with the screaming, the rolling, the bum notes, the big muff etc etc

bunch of fucking grandads

[Aileen]

i've lost my voice.......it sucks.......

[Guest Ibid]

Screaming like this, although cool, is called in technical terms, frying your vocal. When done without regard to the correct technique it will lead to nodules on your vocal chords.

[Guest pop-notmyface]

mmmh, thanks everyone for the advice, seems another black hole in my encyclopedia of knowledge has been filled

[soundian]

Originally posted by Monk Rocker:

What a pile of shite

[Jimmy Lucifer]

I don't know if there's any technique to it. Just do it lots. Pushing from your diaphragm helps I find but I believe that's the case in most singing techniques. I think the sign of your voice becoming good at screaming is when it doesn't hurt at all anymore, it just feels smooth on your throat. Then again, the could be because my vocals cords are fucked or something. Best not to think about really.

Form a righteous hardcore band where all the songs last a minute but there's lots of lyrics to sing. That would probably do the job.

[The_Tank]

I don't have a technique, i just scream and hope for the best, and it always works.

[framheim]

Originally posted by stuartmaxwell:

from the school of roddy woomble

before he turned into a big poofter, how i hold onto my memories of idlewilds ferocious live shows with the screaming, the rolling, the bum notes, the big muff etc etc

bunch of fucking grandads

idlewild are still ace, they're just ace in a different way now. i.e they have great songs rather than just being a fearsome band to watch.

they were awesome in the captain era though. still never seen em play a bad gig.

[Guest stuartmaxwell]

the last 3/4 i have seen have been terrible, especially the one in edinburgh corn exchange when the star (urgh!) spangles and the walkmen (ace) supported

i do like some of the new stuff, dont get me wrong, in remote part is a beautiful song, and some of the remote part era bsides are ace-no generation, i was made to think it, these are just years etc etc