Do Harsh Death Metal Vocals

What better way to document the most extreme aspects--the horrors, the chaos, the darkest corners--of the human experience, than with guttural growl? Harsh vocals are fitting for harsh subject matters, but they're not so fitting for your vocal cords. But by learning the proper technique, staying healthy, warming up, and pushing through your abdomen, death can be something your voice communicates, not something your voice experiences.

Steps

Preparation

  1. Learn how to sing properly. Start with something that has vibrato, like classic rock or progressive. The most important technique for performing death metal vocals is to be able to control your breathing, establishing a balance between the force used by your diaphragm and vocal cords. Using only the vocal cords will put undue pressure on them and is sure to damage them. Proper technique is established by using the diaphragm to push air out of your lungs. Practice normal singing for a month first. This will really strengthen drive and make it easier on you when you start doing death growls.
  2. Take a slow approach when beginning your practices. Start out by doing normal melodic singing for at least ten minutes a day until you get a good feel for your vocal range. Then you'll want to start doing some alto vocals. (if you are a soprano, then abandon this technique, it requires intense deep vocals which is the opposite of soprano.)
  3. Drink lukewarm water or tea an hour before performing, as well as in between songs. This relaxes your vocal chords. Avoid cold water, as it shocks the voice, and causes the vocal chords to "tense up." Also avoid hot water, as it can scald your tongue and throat.
  4. Warm up your voice before recording or performing death metal. "Warming up" can mean anything from singing mid-tone melodies to delivering your vocal patterns in a clean chest tone. Even humming for five minutes would be more beneficial to you than not warming up your voice at all.
    • Try doing some deeper monotone vocals to get your vocals warmed up, then throw in a, e, i, o, n, u rapid fire in an alto voice while jumping up and down. This will warm up your throat by quickly moving it in different positions while also getting your chords ready for a deep growl exercise. Also, the jumping helps work your respiratory system which will allow you to work your lungs and diaphragm harder and longer.

Performing the harsh vocals

  1. Fill up your lungs with air, then push out some of the air, tightening your throat and moving your tonsils as you do this. Do this all in one motion, but don't push too hard. Aim the sound higher in your throat to make a "dying old man"-like sound. It should sound something like a black metal raspy voice. From there lower the pitch in your throat the same way you would with your normal voice. At first, it won’t sound like much-- it takes some time to get used to.
  2. Visualize a column of air rising from your diaphragm, through your chest, and up through your facial mask (the space behind the nose, under the eyes, above the upper teeth). Keep your larynx down also. This technique will not only help your death metal vocals be strong and present, but is also the correct technique for melodic singing. The only difference between them is that regular voice comes from your vocal chords while death metal vocals come from your false vocal chords. (Instead of vibrating your vocal chords, focus your growling sound under your vocal chords, around your collarbone.)
  3. Push through your abdomen. All of your vocal strength comes from the diaphragm. It also helps if your back is in a fixed position. Don't slouch or leave your spine limp. Inhale and belt out a deep roar by loosening your vocal chords. Your throat has to be relaxed in order for your growl to rumble with intensity.
  4. Create the "angry sigh" sound. Say "ugh" forcefully as if you were annoyed and you will feel a low, slight vibration in the back of your throat. This is the essential sound for false chord vocals; take that vibration and practice drawing it out longer while adding more force to it with your diaphragm. You will find that it does not hurt as long as you are drinking plenty of water and not overdoing it. With practice, it will sound brutal!
    • If it is your first time growling you'll want to place your thumb and forefinger on the uppermost part of the front of your throat at the back of your jaw. Now open your throat wide, and you'll feel your tongue curl upwards. Now push out an almost "agh" sound from the back of your throat. If you feel your throat vibrating at your fingertips you are doing it right. Your growls will not sound as clean and deep or brutal as your favorite metal artists at first, but with practice you'll soon get there.
    • If the exercise begins to hurt your vocal chords in any way, then stop what you're doing! Growling, though harsh, is not supposed to damage or cause your vocals any physical discomfort. It should be a solid clean feeling; if your throat is sore, don't be alarmed, your throat will have to adjust to the way you're moving it so simply keep practicing and eventually it will go away. Growling should be performed by pushing air through your throat while distorting your vocals. Do not use your lungs to push out the air! You should fill up your lungs as much as possible and push out your diaphragm, then use your diaphragm to slowly push out the air.
  5. Practice growling like a dog. Take a deep breath and go from your diaphragm. Force the sound out from the bottom of your belly, really imitating the barking sound. Then extend the barking sound and try it with several words. Breathing like a dog, as stupid as it sounds, can help you open your throat and get a guttural sound to your grunts. Don't do it loudly at the beginning--increase your volume as you get better at it.
    • A good way to practice your grunts is to say the letters a, e, i, o, n, u. As you get better at your grunts, try doing this faster.
    • Do not practice this exercise for more than fifteen minutes a day unless you are practicing a song for your band or recording your music, as this is an unnecessary strain on your voice. A good solid practice of about ten to fifteen minutes a day will build up your conditioning and the power of your voice, anymore than this is simply overkill.
  6. Pick a lyric you want to perform. Try to choose songs from bands like Slayer, Metallica, Alice Cooper, AC/DC or other bands who do not use the death grunts, as it will be easier to rehearse your grunts. Try singing it normally, then slowly add more "fire" to it, until you can feel your diaphragm really pushing and you're getting that deep sound you're looking for. If you don't succeed in the deep guttural vocals try a raspier approach. Anyone can achieve this, men as well as women.[1]
    • Good slow practice songs with normal vocals: “Black Sabbath” by Black Sabbath, “Dead Skin Mask” by Slayer, "Hard Rock Hallelujah" by Lordi.
    • Good slow practice songs with death metal vocals: “Death Walking Terror”- Cannibal Corpse, "Festering in the Crypt" by Cannibal Corpse, “I Cum Blood” by Cannibal Corpse, "The Jealous Sun" by Novembers Doom, "Sarcophagus" by Nile
    • Good fast practice songs with normal vocals: “Aggressive Perfector” by Slayer, “Dittohead” by Slayer, “Jesus Saves” by Slayer, “Necrophobic” by Slayer
    • Good fast practice songs with death metal vocals: “Disposal of the Body” by Cannibal Corpse, “Homage for Satan” by Decide, “Post Mortal Ejaculation” by Cannibal Corpse, “The Exorcist” by Possessed, "The Optimist" by Skinless, "4:20" by Six Feet Under, "Stabwound" by Necrophagist, "Egypt, the Red Earth" by Necronomicon, "Buried By The Dead" by Bloodbath, "Sick Salvation" by Bloodbath, "Prometherion" by Behemoth, "Scrolls of the Megilloth" by Mortification, "Demon of the Fall" by Opeth, "What Can Be Safely Written" by Nile.
  7. Drink a healthy beverage, such as water, after you're done performing death metal vocals.
    • Avoid milk as it increases any existing phlegm or mucus, which will coat your throat, stunting your progress.



Tips

  • Be sure to have variation in your vocals. Monotone growling will sound boring after awhile, no matter how impressive your vocals are.
  • Don't be let down if you don't sound anything like your favorite vocalist(s) - try to develop your own tone and style. Chances are, you'll be starting off growling with some of your favorite artists. Try to add your own little touches as you growl along to fit you.
  • Harsh vocals will grow in volume as you gain skill with them and use them correctly.
  • If you've just finished a long and brutal session of growling and your voice feels fatigued, honey will work miracles.
  • You may want to avoid "cupping" the microphone with your hands. Many vocalists intentionally use this technique to increase volume during amplification and to make their tone sound lower than it actually is, but this technique is also widely frowned upon by the death metal community as being a false enhancement technique. It will also muffle your enunciation and most likely make it more difficult to achieve the level of vocal/tonal clarity you may desire.
  • Learn to control rasp and phlegm. Rasp is air coming up; phlegm is mucus in your mouth and throat.
  • To create a more "brutal" sound, you can experiment with saliva in your mouth. It can be trapped between your tongue and throat. It's that "gurgling" you hear in many songs. An open throat is the key. The notes sung and air must come up with ease. One can use their tongue to deflect air being forced up and change tone. This can be done by curling the tongue either upward or downward and produces a deeper tone. The lips are the second method of changing tone. You should never change tone by tightening your throat.
  • If you lose your voice, and it stays that way for more than 30 minutes to an hour, contact a doctor or medical help professional because you may have paralyzed your vocal chords, and that can be permanent. Try getting someone else to phone them, or try to get help online.
  • Try singing popular non-death metal songs in death grunts. If you can't do this, then you're not ready for singing actual death metal songs.
  • Don't smoke, and if you insist on drinking, drink in moderation. Smoking may deepen your voice, but it will also reduce your breath support. Delivering death vocals requires a great deal of energy, and drugs of any sort will only emasculate your staying power.
  • Do not drink milk up to thirty minutes before you growl.
  • The sound should be originating from the back part of your throat. Place two fingers on your throat at the highest point of the front side of your neck, right beneath the head. If you feel vibrations there, you're doing it right. If you feel it coming from the bottom of your throat, you are damaging your vocal chords and need to fix that.
  • If you're already good at screaming, picking up death metal vocals should be a piece of cake.
  • You shouldn't constantly sing this, since it will hurt your vocal chords. When your throat hurts or starts to sound scratchy, take a small break.
  • You can achieve an exhale "pig squeal" or "bree" by curling the tip of the tongue just above where your front teeth meet while keeping your tongue wide and essentially growling a long E sound (as in the E in bee.)
  • If ever you somehow mess up your voice and can't growl the way described, a good method is to just yell as loud as you can while tightening your chest; this gives you a loud medium pitched growl.

Warnings

  • Prepare for some raised eyebrows and harsh criticism when showing friends or family your unique style of singing. Some people don't consider death metal singing real singing at all.
  • On the rare occasion, beginners may try to be very forceful to the point where their vocal cords start to bleed. If there is any blood involved, stop immediately and do not use your voice until healed. If it is serious enough, medical attention may be needed and you might permanently ruin your voice, completely ruining any hope of ever doing harsh vocals.
  • Don't be surprised if you don't sound like your favorite harsh vocalist—everyone has a different singing voice, even when growling.
  • If you have a throat infection, a cold or the flu with coughing, give your vocals a rest for a week or two.
  • A beginner's attempt at forcing harsh vocals with improper technique will cause serious damage to your vocal cords. If there's any pain or discomfort, you are using improper technique. If there's any hoarseness, loss of voice, or slight discomfort after performing, consider refining your technique.
  • The smooth muscles of your throat should not ever hurt while performing death metal or black metal vocals. However, when you first start out the exterior muscles of the throat will become sore from holding your throat in a new position.
  • Inhales are not a reliable technique for death metal. They often sound too high pitched and are more or less a way of cheating. Although they may not hurt your voice, you may lose the tune of the scream during the inhales.
  • All singing of this type can degrade your voice permanently, resulting in loss of range as well as other serious disorders such as vocal nodules and polyps (growths on the vocal cords). Correct technique can minimize this damage. Protect your voice just as your band's guitarist would with his guitar (the expensive/custom one, not the one he designed to burst into flames). Remember, a guitarist can always buy a new guitar, but you only get one chance with your voice.

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Sources and Citations

  1. ↑ Example: Angela Gossow, vocalist for Arch enemy.
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