BM vocals - troubleshooting advice needed

[grimmsage]

Hail mighty borthers, I'm new here, have been reading this forum for a while, and now I've got questions for people who know their metal vocals.

Ok, I thought I've figured out the way without hurting my throat much, but it still gets dry and painful after a couple of verses growled. I've noted one suggestion posted somewhere over here that there should be no vibration in my throat as I do this sort of vocals - which doesn't sound completely understandable to me... after all, there must be something happening as I produce a sound... Anyway, I did get the vibe right below the throat, somewhere below the actual vocal chords, but this only broduces that deathy brutal growl a-la Vader, not very flexible - all I can do is to sound like I've beaten the cookie monster.

Another issue I'm having with that is the low-volume quality growl - I can't get the rasp unles pumping it loud through the throat - and this leads to the aforementioned vocal fatigue.

All this brings us to the point of my question: today I tried to record some "sketch" vocals for a black metal song - that is, without any compressors etc, just with the mic, and was horrified by the result... horrified in a bad way, so it wasn't scary, frostbitten or agonisingly despairing at all. I seem to lack the flexibility to my growl - it doesn't go very-very low, but to Hell with that, the problem is, every time I try to go higher from a mid-range Shagrath grrrr!!! to a searing Laiho argh!!! the pain comes back and I quickly run out of rasp.

I've got baritone, my range is quite pathetic, like, 1.5 octaves, maybe more, since I did manage to sing Mirror Mirror once without going very high where I should've had to... And genrally, adding a rasp to my clean vocals is virtually impossible, I'm stuck with the awkward epic chanting kinda voice if I'm not doing a full-on growl. Maybe all the problems are because of these technical characteristics of my voice?

Yep. Got any ideas, anyone?

[jetblack]

Hail mighty borthers, I'm new here, have been reading this forum for a while, and now I've got questions for people who know their metal vocals.

Ok, I thought I've figured out the way without hurting my throat much, but it still gets dry and painful after a couple of verses growled. I've noted one suggestion posted somewhere over here that there should be no vibration in my throat as I do this sort of vocals - which doesn't sound completely understandable to me... after all, there must be something happening as I produce a sound... Anyway, I did get the vibe right below the throat, somewhere below the actual vocal chords, but this only broduces that deathy brutal growl a-la Vader, not very flexible - all I can do is to sound like I've beaten the cookie monster.

Another issue I'm having with that is the low-volume quality growl - I can't get the rasp unles pumping it loud through the throat - and this leads to the aforementioned vocal fatigue.

All this brings us to the point of my question: today I tried to record some "sketch" vocals for a black metal song - that is, without any compressors etc, just with the mic, and was horrified by the result... horrified in a bad way, so it wasn't scary, frostbitten or agonisingly despairing at all. I seem to lack the flexibility to my growl - it doesn't go very-very low, but to Hell with that, the problem is, every time I try to go higher from a mid-range Shagrath grrrr!!! to a searing Laiho argh!!! the pain comes back and I quickly run out of rasp.

I've got baritone, my range is quite pathetic, like, 1.5 octaves, maybe more, since I did manage to sing Mirror Mirror once without going very high where I should've had to... And genrally, adding a rasp to my clean vocals is virtually impossible, I'm stuck with the awkward epic chanting kinda voice if I'm not doing a full-on growl. Maybe all the problems are because of these technical characteristics of my voice?

Yep. Got any ideas, anyone?


well im not precisely a singer, i just sing when no one is hearing haha, and im a creature of the "weaker sex", so i dont know much about male-growl haha! so my answers may not be the best...
but anyway...yes, you have right, there is something happening when you produce a sound, your vocal cord should vibrate. Growl=more , clean vocals=less, maybe no vibrations at all.. (i think..)

if you hurting your throat when you growl, maybe you should go to a speech therapist? so you can work with your voice... i dont think its smart to ruin your vocal cords..

but as i said, im not a expert

[grimmsage]

A speech therapist?

"So what can I do for you, sir?.."
*evil whisper* "Argh, you imbicilic mortal Christian cunt, cure my unholy throat, now, or be sodomized at the spot!"
"Huh, sorry? I can't hear you, speak louder."
*more whispers* "Bow before the Infernal might of the Blasphemous Spellbinding Shadowlord of the Eternal Perdition from the Frostbitten Moonforests!"
"Oh, right. Sounds like you've got a sore throat."
"Argh!"

It's just a pity that I could end up with a ruined voice and no decent vocal recording anyway. Argh, everything sucks.
Maybe I should write a letter to Varg and ask him to do some screaming for me.

[jetblack]

A speech therapist?

"So what can I do for you, sir?.."
*evil whisper* "Argh, you imbicilic mortal Christian cunt, cure my unholy throat, now, or be sodomized at the spot!"
"Huh, sorry? I can't hear you, speak louder."
*more whispers* "Bow before the Infernal might of the Blasphemous Spellbinding Shadowlord of the Eternal Perdition from the Frostbitten Moonforests!"
"Oh, right. Sounds like you've got a sore throat."
"Argh!"

It's just a pity that I could end up with a ruined voice and no decent vocal recording anyway. Argh, everything sucks.
Maybe I should write a letter to Varg and ask him to do some screaming for me.

haha! well maybe it wont turn up to be comical;), but you can try with the speech therapist, he should know about those things, its his job!

haha, isnt he rotting in a cell somewhere in norway..or when would he be released? respect to mayhem but i would not take contact with that psychopath haha..

[crustcorestenchhead9]

so who ever said there should be no vibrations when you growl is full of it because when you speak normally theres vibrations. Iv been doing vox for about a year now. there are 2 ways that iv seen people do low growls. the right way i just to push your air out wile keeping a tone but you must keep it in the same place in your through as when you talk normally. the wrong way is really the same thing but people shift the spot they make the sound at. if your doing them the right way your voice will get stronger in time just keep practicing but if your doing it the wrong way youll prolly just f up your voice.

[grimmsage]

Aha, then I probably am on the right path. Maybe it's the lack of regular practice, I'm pretty sure... Then I'd better train more unless I wanna end up like that Therion guy.