How do singers produce that raspy scratchy sound when they sing?

[gregorybj]

I have been listening to a lot of hard rock lately and I am curious to know how bands singers like Godsmack, Seether,...Nickelback...get that scratchy and raspy sound in their vocals? Do they scream on the take and then compress it or do they whisper and crank it up? I have no idea.

Do you?

 

[mojocaster.com]

I don't know either, but I wish they would stop

A lot of whiskey first thing in the morning, maybe? You know Chris Rea-style

 

[56_Special]

You don't have to sing that loud to get that sound. What you do is basically make your vocal track very small. Imagine that you're trying to touch the back of the roof of your mouth with your tongue. Make a sound like you're being strangled. You should hear pure distortion. Then add a note to it. Experiment.

 

[xcycle]

I have been listening to a lot of hard rock lately and I am curious to know how bands singers like Godsmack, Seether,...Nickelback...get that scratchy and raspy sound in their vocals? Do they scream on the take and then compress it or do they whisper and crank it up? I have no idea.

Do you?

Google "vocal fry" thats what nickelback is doing

Eric

 

[MikeNiteRail]

A lot of that sound is forced and from the back of the throat. I've seen studio clips where female singers have screamed to the point of becoming hoarse and then started singing.

If it isn't what you do naturally, it isn't worth doing, IMO.

 

[homerayvaughan]

Phlegm

 

[Blue Tile Fever]

Gargle with razorblades

 

[PedalFreak]

Hard, hard living. 5 packs of smokes a day (at least) and a bottle of Jack D. That'll get you in the territory

 

[dets1]

Hard, hard living. 5 packs of smokes a day (at least) and a bottle of Jack D. That'll get you in the territory

filterless smokes at that- camels or lucky strikes maybe.

 

[Moe45673]

I'm nowhere near a pro singer, not a lesson in my life. However, the years of playing guitar, playing in bands, and the singing that comes with it have gotten me to the point where I can have fun at times without embarrassing myself. Hell, I even learned to harmonize just through photosynthesis. I'm good enough to sing backing in a band but not like Richie Sambora does, where he's extremely prominent. I can sing for my girlfriend, but not for a band

Anyhow, due to the lack of training, my voice will rasp when I sing the higher notes. It's because I'm killing my throat I don't mean to do it, I just do.

 

[BattleAngel]

http://www.melissacross.com/home.php

Read the list of her clients and you shall have your answer. She has a DVD called "The Zen of Screaming." There are clips of her teaching Conan O'Brien how to "scream."

Here's the secret: There is no "screaming" involved. To sound like Disturbed or what have you, you actually sing reaaaaaaallly quiet. It's all about the amplification - does a practice amp with beehive-buzz distortion sound "brutal"? Heelllll no. But play the same part through a giant stack and it will. The same rule applies with modern metal singing - they are basically doing a close-mic'd impression of real screaming and just amplifying the hell out of it.

That said, I have simply *no* idea how death metal singers do that cookie monster ****. I'm an experienced singer and I have never been able to even come close to that sound... which I'm not exactly sad about

 

[panoramic]

smoke marlboro reds and drink whiskey

 

[mosesblues]

When I try that throat thing it sounds more like Krusty the Clown from the Simpsons...

 

[explorer76]

SansAmp.

Seriously.

 

[funkycam]

Hell, I even learned to harmonize just through photosynthesis.

I think you mean osmosis. Unless you have leaves that is.

 

[Jahn]

Cookies. Lots and lots of cookies.

 

[Moe45673]

I think you mean osmosis. Unless you have leaves that is.

Yeah, that's the word. At work so multitasking on this forum. Good times.

 

[siore]

You don't have to sing that loud to get that sound. What you do is basically make your vocal track very small. Imagine that you're trying to touch the back of the roof of your mouth with your tongue. Make a sound like you're being strangled. You should hear pure distortion. Then add a note to it. Experiment.

http://www.melissacross.com/home.php

Read the list of her clients and you shall have your answer. She has a DVD called "The Zen of Screaming." There are clips of her teaching Conan O'Brien how to "scream."

Here's the secret: There is no "screaming" involved. To sound like Disturbed or what have you, you actually sing reaaaaaaallly quiet. It's all about the amplification - does a practice amp with beehive-buzz distortion sound "brutal"? Heelllll no. But play the same part through a giant stack and it will. The same rule applies with modern metal singing - they are basically doing a close-mic'd impression of real screaming and just amplifying the hell out of it.

That said, I have simply *no* idea how death metal singers do that cookie monster ****. I'm an experienced singer and I have never been able to even come close to that sound... which I'm not exactly sad about

But singing it LOUD adds a different distortion that is more pleasing to the ears. I find a combination of pre-rasp and post-rasp to work best. You turn up the singing, then add pre-rasp grit to taste.

 

[Julia343]

You still need air support. That's important. It's where you make the sound. Doing a little bit of fry every now and then is fine, but you have to work your way up to it. It requires muscle control. It's similiar muscle control to learning how to sing through the register break. Get good at that first. Then you can add the fry and other techniques. but it takes time. It's not something that comes naturally in most people.

You're learning how to play another instrument, except this time you are the instrument.

Advice: get a coach.

 

[gregorybj]

Google "vocal fry" thats what nickelback is doing

Eric

will do. Thanks!