Getting your scream on...

[cryssiekitty]

Anyone have any good tips on screaming? I want to learn how to do it (and do it without damaging my pipes).

[HurricaneBob]

We could sneak in on you in the shower?
J/K

I'm sure you will get some good advice from our vocal members....

[RobTheDrummer]

I'll show you how to scream.

Anyways, you can always use your diaphragm, no pun intended. Also, you could do the "under the voice" growl into the mic. It's like a controlled scream. Some of the vocalists could give you better advice than I.

[Primates]

Check out Melissa Cross. She made a DVD called "The Zen of Screaming". She's worked with Randy from Lamb of God. Corey Taylor and a shitload of others.

www.zenofscreaming.com
www.melissacross.com

[BDR]

A good, nondamaging scream relies heavily on the quality of your sound tech. A good effects mix on your mic (but not an overbearing mix), coupled with the proper amount of amplification will get you where you need to be without causing damage or undue stress to your "cords." And Rob's right: Don't scream with your throat — pull it up from your socks.

It's something that practice makes perfect. Hard to explain. You jus' gotta work on it and find that "place." This is one of a million good reasons why bands should work with the same sound guy as much as possible. Our guy, Chris Knapik, knows us and knows what I need to pull off screams without killing myself. We do "heavy" stuff throughout our shows so it does us no good for me to blow a gasket in the middle of the first set.

r:>)

[DirtySanchez]

I can't really give you anything that hasn't been said.
Put as little stress on your throat as possible and practice alot.
When I first started I'd lose my voice for a week from straining my throat.
Now sometimes I'll play two shows in one day, and since I don't really strain my throat I'm fine.

Check into that shit primates put up on his post.
I would not recommend anyone learn the way I did.

[ToonaRockGuy]

The Melissa Cross DVD is excellent, I've seen it, even though I'm not into that style of vocalization. But if it's good enough for Angela Gossow (Arch Enemy), it'll work for you.

Here's a link to the DVD:

http://www.amazon.com/Zen-Screaming-Voc ... B000AVZVTY

Also, she's done "The Zen Of Screaming 2":

http://www.amazon.com/Zen-Screaming-2-M ... B000SO7OMK

[skipisode]

Get a good nights rest, and rest (i.e. don't talk) your voice throughout the day/night when you don't need to speak, etc. Overstraining is never good for your voice.
Also, practice...practice...practice.

[bassgirl]

Cryssie, I guess I forgot to mention that we're going ask you to do some Arch Enemy at the next practice. You're cool with that, right? j/k

[Bloodsong]

don't smoke or drink in excess of you'll sound like Lemmy with one lung after about one verse. water, water, water!!!

[songsmith]

Focus. Get those belly muscles working, and set your mind on singing from your gut... your ribs really shouldn't move much, just your belly (Your diaphragm is at the base of your ribs, the ribs are the framework they rest on, so the ribs need to stay solid), I try to focus my energy right behind my bellybutton.
Don't stick your lower jaw out on high notes, and DON'T SET YOUR LOWER JAW. We all do that instinctively, push that chin out and tighten it up when the singing gets hard... but you're tightening up the exact muscles that control your vocal chords. You never do that when you talk, and most people can talk all day long without problems.
As for screaming, I found it's not about the volume of the scream, it doesn't need to be loud. It needs to be abrasive and to stand apart from normal vocals. Keep it to a more comfortable level, and rely on mic technique to carry it... the PA's there to do all the heavy lifting, and if it can't do it, you shouldn't either. When soundchecking the vocal, stay slightly back, an inch or two from the mic, during performance, get right up on it, lip actually touching, but don't sing right onto the mic element, turn your head slightly off-axis so that the air from your lungs isn't blasting right onto the element. That sounds like ass. You should hear your voice, not that sound the school principal makes when he blows on the mic to see if it's on.
Lots of liquids, starting hours before the show. Don't scream during warmup. Sleep every minute you can. Do something aerobic the day of the show, run, walk, tae-bo, whatever, get your lungs opened up. If you smoke, stop, if you drink, cut down. (Actually, drinking alcohol before and during a show hurts your voice, and no matter what you think you can do with a buzz on, I'm always sober when I see bands... nobody gets better as they get drunker. You just think you do... 'cause you're drunk. It's called the Karaoke Effect.) If you have another show tomorrow night, save some voice for it, it takes more than 24 hours to heal.
These things have helped me over the years, YMMV. Good luck, and enjoy it all.------------->JMS

[BDR]

Long links eff up another thread. I hate scrolling left to right. People should consider doing a "click here" link when posting long-assed URLs.

r:>)

[Ron]

Long links eff up another thread. I hate scrolling left to right. People should consider doing a "click here" link when posting long-assed URLs.

r:>)

Fixed. You'll have to excuse Kevin... He's a bit "touched".
Besides, most of those links were his last session information from Amazon... Muahahahaha. Anybody wanna buy a book?

Now back to your regularly scheduled programming.

[ToonaRockGuy]

I'm lost. Oh well, what else is new?

[BDR]

Fixed.

Thanx much. Sorry ... pet peeve.

r:>)

[cryssiekitty]

You all at the top are soooooo funny. haha.

But thanks, everyone! I actually did check out those links...ordered 'Zen'...and dl'd a tutorial I found online. I ended up almost losing my voice this week from the strain, so this helps.

And 'basschick'...lol! That chick sounds like a guy...what I imagine Satan sounds like, to be specific...but she's totally badass.

[Primates]

I want her to have my baby's...

[YankeeRose]

I want her to have my baby's...

...same last name???

[Primates]

...same last name???

Why not?