Mic cupping, inhaling, sometimes they just pitch shift the vocals in studio.

Okay so I'm attempting to master guttural vocals, I'm doing an okay job so far but after a few songs I start getting headaches. What can I do? Am I doing something wrong or is this normal for beginners? I need to know because it's really hindering my progress.

You're probably getting headaches because you're exhaling a lot in order to do the vocals. Thus, your brain suffers from minor oxygen deprivation which is not uncommon for long, sustained screams or growls. I often feel a little light-headed after a particularly long scream. In other words, it's fairly normal.

The thing is, the best way to combat the problem is to improve your breathing technique. If you're getting lasting headaches, you're probably not breathing properly. Make sure that you're filling your lungs completely and allowing your diaphragm to expand - you can tell you're breathing correctly if your stomach expands when you inhale.

With practice, your lung capacity should improve which will also help. However, I would advise that you don't over exert yourself practicing since you really shouldn't be suffering from headaches consistently. Occasional light-headedness is probably unavoidable if you're sustaining growls for any extended periods of time but that should be about it.

Basically, whenever you start to feel light-headed, take a few deep breaths as necessary and you should be able to prevent headaches.

Thanks man.

Also, I love Vader's vocalist's voice, how can he do it? Is it some kind of guttural or just his voice tone?

Pyotr has a really unique voice, he uses his throat more I think. I'm not sure though.

I went to get my vocal chords checked out the other day, and apparently they were/are a little swollen, he didn't say anything other than to take a week off here and there, avoid greasy food etc. Never though to ask what the cause may be (I'm thinking I scream to loud/hard). Is this normal for most harsh metal vocalists?

Did it hurt? If so no.

Nah doesn't hurt at all

if your going to do extreme vocals keep your your mic as close to your mouth as possible

anyone know how to do bluesy growls you can kind of understand? like church of misery or somethin

How do you achieve the kind of falsetto voice that vocalists like the singer from Pagans Mind, Seventh Wonder, and King Crimson have? How do you train your falsetto voice?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JyfUn0FC5oo

^

A good video for people seeking vocal warm up videos.

Anyway...how do I get rid of this slime in my throat? (phelm is it called if I remember correctly) It's annoying as hell and if I try to get rid of it I probably hurt my vocal chords. I've heard drinking a lot helps. Speaking of drinks, what would you recommend and which ones should I avoid at all cost, if there's any?

Phlegm is a bit of a nuisance but you're right that trying to clear your throat is generally worse. As far as drinks go, the only drinks that I've ever seen recommended for singers are water and tea. Soda, alcohol, and coffee are all harmful to your voice, unfortunately. (The one exception is that a shot of liquor or a glass of wine before a show can help your performance by numbing your vocal cords.) Basically, it comes down to lots of water with occasional glasses of tea to alleviate boredom...

I am interested in learning how to perform black metal vocals, such as the ones done by bands like Leech, Ash Borer, Wolves in the Throne Room, etc. Could someone give me some tips on how to get started on these types of vocals?

Thanks.

I'm trying to learn shrieks and growls. Its so far not really working for me, I tried growling using the mucus at the bottom of the throat, and that sort of works sometimes. Mostly, it sounds quiet and hollow. And I can not shriek at all. I don't know anyone that really knows how to do metal vocals, and the internet can only teach you so much. But hopefully I can find some help here. Any tips?

Read through the thread, there are tons of tips and lots of helpful information already posted. It will get you started, and then if you've got some more specific questions ask again.

My current issue is going through the different vocal styles. A lot of times when I record, funny when I say this but some of my best stuff I recorded was when i wasn't putting much conscious effort and allowed for my voice to spontaneously have itself sing.
A big thing now is getting a bad rasp or a fry when I go into mixed voice. I want to be able to get mixed voice downpacked.

An inexperienced singer will strain his voice by trying too hard. What you did was what could be called a routine performance. Good quality without much conscious effort.

i've almost got helmuth of Belphegor's vocal tone. i'm not trying to imitate him, but i do love the nasty demonic spewage that erupts from within his windpipes

Does anyone know how to do those screams David Defeis is famous for? I don't mean bursting out a high note with a lot of power like, say, Rob Halford, but doing those short screetchy vocals.

cattle decap vocals are compleatly diff live

its pure screaming live

not good vocals live -_-

Does anyone know how to do vocals similar to Hat? Like the kind that was on Gorgoroth's Pentagram. Thanks in advance.

I want your opinions guys, as you seem to be rather experienced:

http://www.youtube.com/user/SolidusObelus

All of my tracks have some reverb+echo on them.

I wanna do some mellow atmospheric vocals. Clean vocals, but at the same time I don't wanna just sound like I'm talking. I mean kind of like the style of the Alcest vocalist.

Have you tried Singing Softly™? Perhaps adding some Reverb™ to it?

I'm practising this myself and I find it easier to sing louder than quieter, maybe due to air pressure being lower when singing quietly...
Anyway you need to lower your signing volume quite a bit and record it, then amplify the recording.
However to hold your nots and have as much control as the guy from Alcest has, you need to practise a lot... like, A LOT.

Is singing in chorale and learning some classical songs a good way to develop your voice for rock,metal,pop, etc any genre?

Yes and no. Yes, because you'll learn many techniques that are universal and are generally best focused on in classical voice. No, because you have to sing differently for rock, metal, and even pop; starting with classical voice training sometimes means that you have to virtually relearn to sing in order to get the sound that you want for those styles.

Too bad this thread isn't so active.

Anyway, I apparently learnt myself how to scream kinda raspy similiar to David Defeis' banshee wails (''Noble Savage'', ''Emalaith'', ect) or perhaps James Labrie on ''The Killing Hand''. It's cool, but requires focus. At times I sound pretty vicious I'd say and at times I sound like a 13 year old kid who's voice cracks up. Don't really exactly know how I pull it off though, just yell kinda loud in a high pitched and try to control it.

I should tell my teacher about it. Can't wait for her reaction.

go to wikihow to and learn proper growling techniques, or listen to Melissa Cross for a good teacher.

This, to the extreme. You'll sound goofy usuing your choral performance techniques if you're singing rock oriented stuff. Pop, too, that'd be strange as hell.

Can you guys give me feedback on my Immortal-Tragedies Blows at Horizon cover? It's my first vocal cover that I've done, wanted to know if I should keep vocals up or stick to my drums. Also, I screw up the ending part pretty bad.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mWViNSur_v4

a little bit of phlegm is actually really good for keeping your vocal chords lubricated and buffering any damage you may do to them. beer and coffee are actually not bad for your vocal chords and don't leave you any more dehydrated than you were before.


the best way I've found is to use your falsetto (as if you were trying to scream like a girl) and use so much volume and force that your voice breaks up and creates that raspy shriek. eventually, you should be able to control the raspiness and get a solid black metal voice.

I'm looking to get into doing vocals (growls) I have been doing research and attemptive practice for sometime but some aspects just escape me. Does anyone have any pointers for me?

I can do gutterals, growls and sometimes shrieks, but with a warmup.

Anyone else eat greasy food before doing them? It really helps for me lol

I really need help with my black metal vocals, I would be incredibly grateful if someone can help. As you probably know, there are many ways to do black metal vocals, different places to resonate the air, different power. Some techniques focus more on gurgling, some on "spitting", some almost sound like throat singing, and some just really scream, use a lot of air, you know what I mean?

What I've found very useful is a gurgling technique, it's not very powerful, it's about speaking volume, but it sounds very grim, and I think a lot of vocalists use this. Basically, you just gotta relax and gurgle at a very deep spot in your throat, one that you don't normally use. I accidentally discovered this actually, when I woke up in my sleep after being drunk, and I sort of exhaled, and it stopped at that deep spot, because I was so relaxed, and I got that fucking grim sound. ^^

So I often find it easy to do when I'm just dicking around, especially after I've drank coffee, had a good stretch or drank some milk. I hope someone is familiar with this, and can relate to this technique. It sounds very cool, takes little effort and is easy to do. The problem is that when I'm gonna record, I just can't do it, no matter if I warm up first, drink coffee, milk, hot water, nothing helps, I think it's because I tense up too much.. But how should I fix that? I hope someone can relate, and give some advice! Thanks in advance.

Actually i don't do it like that i may do a little cupping but squeals and that i have to have the mike away from my face otherwise the sound doesn't work out also its all about mouth movement how you shape your lips and where you project the sound through.

@IvoxAngelripper if you have skype ill talk to you in person cause i don't want to write a 3 page guide

Beer or Whiskey either one just to loosen up my vocal chords also Gutterals, Shrieks, Screams and Squeals

I do low screams, gutturals, and shouts. I don't need any help tho. Just thought I'd post in the vocalist thread because I'm a vocalist.