[Old] Complete guide to Death Metal Vocals (Part 4-6)

[flukevocalcovers]

Fans of the death growls should check my channel out, my latest cover is up.

[theSTUDZ1]

holy crap i had no idea there was a vagina in my throat..

[sixpounder94]

the thumbnail is very misleading...

[Blixish]

@sixpounder94 It's a picture of the inside of a voicebox...

[sixpounder94]

@Blixish i know, i was just saying alot of people could think its the wrong thing lol

[yousernamedkdk]

dont cup the mic thats just not real low vocals

[Blixish]

@yousernamedkdk Agreed. As it says all over the video - this is an old, outdated video. Click the links for more information.

[Blixish]

I have no idea what your idea of a vagina is, but the thumbnail is the inside of a throat. :)

[spetznazleadtheway]

thumbs up if the  thumbnail made you jizz

[1nfuzion]

Thumbnail picture is fucking nasty

[1PSYTEX1]

dude, you gote speak slower, i dont understand what your saying! XD

[Blixish]

@1PSYTEX1 Sorry man. This is a really old version. :P Check out the "[FAQ] Distortion" video for more insight instead. ^^

[Oivatco2424]

Thumbs Up if u clicked on this video because the picture it showed looked like a fucked up Vagina

[Netbat63]

one thing for u, WHAT THE FUCK!!!???

[Zapzapkid]

fail... 

[Blixish]

@Zapzapkid What do you mean?

[Zapzapkid]

@Blixish lol sorry. i guess i should say that this video needs some excitement to it. like i didnt like it cause it was like a high school education video. i'm sorry if you were offended. you did give a good tutorial though and i give you credit for that

[Blixish]

@Zapzapkid Oh. Well, thank you for the great criticism. :) I will make a new tutorial soon (complete with everything I know about vocals, and video ofc) so stay tuned for that!

[CorruptBeliefsDivine]

hand-cup=epic failing nono!

[Blixish]

@CorruptBeliefsDivine Cupping the mic is useless, because it only messes up the levels and mixing. ^^ It makes the sound guys job harder if it's live, and in studio it ruins the recordings. :p

[CorruptBeliefsDivine]

@Blixish well then why'd you talk about it in a positive way? Or am I delusional? LOL

[Blixish]

@CorruptBeliefsDivine Woah, did I? It's been a while since I did this video, I'm sorry if I did do that. oO I never cup the mic myself, and I really shouldn't promote it. xD

[CorruptBeliefsDivine]

@Blixish aha it's alright.

[pbol05]

hehe big chocolate

[mistady1234]

by the picture you would think it would be called learning the parts of a vagina

[Blixish]

@mistady1234 Haha xD

[pordoka8aristhras]

ive got a problem(hope you or someone can help)

some months ago i decided to try and do some death growls.i was doing them using my throat and not using my diaphragm at all.anyway i got a cold and stopped doing them for some days.after watching some tutorials i tried again but this time using my diaphragm.it sounds really crap.is it possivle that i seriously damaged my chords cuz i was doing them wrong at 1st?

the strange this is that i wasnt even doing then every day and not more than 5 mins...

[Blixish]

@pordoka8aristhras There is no 'doing growls with the diaphragm' or 'doing growls with the throat'. The diaphragm is not the source of the sound, but the source of the power! ^^

You have to use both the throat and the diaphragm. How to use the throat correctly is explained in my video "[FAQ] Distortion", and how to use the diaphragm correctly is explained by the "accented S-sound" exercise from this video. Hope this helps. :)

[pordoka8aristhras]

@Blixish thx but i have 1 more question... is it possible that i damaged my vocal cords? i was just doing them just for 5-10 minutes maximum and not every day...

[Blixish]

@pordoka8aristhras It's physically possible, but not probable. I'm 99% certain your throat is in great health. :)

[pordoka8aristhras]

@Blixish damn thx m8... i was really afraid that i destroyed my vocals chords... thx ill watch your videos and ill subscribe

[Blixish]

@pordoka8aristhras Don't worry about it man, just keep practicing. ;) Thanks. ^^

[imarealgamer]

I am seriously beginning to think I'll never be able to do it without it hurting.

[Blixish]

@imarealgamer Try using the infant scream approach. ^^ That usually helps reduce hurting.

[imarealgamer]

@Blixish

Hey, that actually helped out quite a lot. (^_^) Now I can sound appropriately demonic.

[Dismal626]

lol i thought the thumbnail was a vagina

[Blixish]

@Dismal626 Hahaha, I thought the same thing when I first saw this picture. :P

[MINIMI95020]

@Dismal626 its maybe because you dont know how a vagina looks like

[Blixish]

@MINIMI95020 That was a horrible troll attempt...

[TyTheArtistOfLife]

@Blixish and that was an awesome anti-troll comment XP

[Blixish]

@TyTheArtistOfLife Haha, thanks. xD

[commonpleases]

thanks for this tutorial man! i'm going to try this out

[Blixish]

@commonpleases No problem man. :) You should see my video "[FAQ] Distortion" as well, as it might help clarify the technique. ^^

[NostaligicBlackFrost]

and just...oomf! lol

[lurxtlifeson]

high register is called "falsetto"

[Blixish]

@lurxtlifeson Indeed.

[HIGHSCORESAM]

@lurxtlifeson doesnt apply to screaming

[lurxtlifeson]

@HIGHSCORESAM are you talking about "falsetto"? if so, I never said it did. He said in the begining of the vid that he didn't know the english word for the high vocal register, the clean singing kind. I was just saying incase he still wanted to know... no harm in reiterating something he may know by now if I don't know if he knows it...

[HIGHSCORESAM]

@lurxtlifeson i didnt say tht u (Blixish) said it. im just sayin

[lurxtlifeson]

@HIGHSCORESAM so... why'd your comment say "@lurxtlifeson"?

[lurxtlifeson]

@HIGHSCORESAM plus, I think it does apply

[Blixish]

@HIGHSCORESAM Falsetto does apply to screaming. ^^

[snails40]

The second Photo is From "Argon"

Singer from Disfiguring the Godess.

And that guy does not use his hands to make a squeel voice.

That shouldnt even be necessairy

You should try to get a vibration in your voice.

Like the grudge voice.

And power it up.

Just like Doctor Claw...

Greetz

[Blixish]

@snails40 'The grudge voice', also known as vocal fry, is not nearly a powerful enough technique to be linked with mr. Argon. (Cameron, Big Chocolate etc)

Just sayin'. ^^

[cochi256]

cool vids dude, but what kind of pain do I have to feel?

[Blixish]

@cochi256 Uhh, none? You're not supposed to feel pain, that's kinda the point. ^^ If you DO feel pain, take breaks and don't overdo it. :P

[cochi256]

@Blixish yeap so it doesn't really matter what kind of pain I have to feel? xD cause sometimes I feel like a soar throat and well I thought it was normal to feel pain when you're starting to do growls

[Blixish]

@cochi256 You shouldn't be feeling pain at all when growling. :P Most ppl seem to have the same problem though, and my only tip is to rehearse, rehearse, rehearse. Take breaks when it hurts, and start up again when you're comfortable. Slowly tweak your technique until if feels good, as well as sounds good. ^^

[cochi256]

@Blixish oook thanks for the help dude... but how much time it took you 'til you could growl properly?

[Blixish]

@cochi256 I tried and tried for years, and there was noone who could help me, I just couldn't understand the technique. Then one day, probably two years ago, I just 'cracked the code' so to speak. I instantly understood it while walking to work. ^^

[cochi256]

@Blixish hahaha ok so hope I get the technique soon too xD thanks for your videos, and btw I saw your a capella song and it was great. I'd love to play that kind of folk music too but I don't know any folk bands xD

[Blixish]

@cochi256 Thanks dude! :D You don't need a band, just do it yourself. ;)

[cochi256]

@Blixish yeah but it's kinda hard to do everything by myself but I'm trying xD anyways thanks for the help

[Blixish]

@cochi256 No problem. ;)

[RebellionMorningstar]

IMO this beats pretty much of the other growling tutorials in youtube, goes straight to my favorites : D

[Blixish]

@RebellionMorningstar Thanks dude. ;) Stay tuned, I'm working on an updated tutorial (with video). :D

[potassium99mg]

i have a question. ive heard alot of this flasetto's or false vocals thing? is that what your explaining here. cause when i do my death growls i lower my voice box and use my diaphram to force air out. it never hurts but after i play a couple songs or so i get this tightness in my throat where the adams apple is. i of course drink water and after a bit it kinda feels tickilish likes its vibrating. is that good? i have a couple song on my profile that i did. see if they sound right to you. thanks

[SuperBohunter]

try using more of your diaphram and dont strain your throat. drink lotsss of water and if your throat hurts, stop. itll fuck up your throat man

[matcardosol]

I'm learning to do exhales, I'm almost there, but every time I practice my throat hurts, then I stop. you know if, when I "really learn", will hurt whenever I sing?

[Blixish]

@matcardosol It shouldn't hurt at all. Check out the video response to this video (FAQ: Distortion), that might help you avoid the hurting.

[matcardosol]

I'm learning to do exhales, I'm almost there, but every time I practice my throat hurts, then I stop. you know if, when I really learn, will hurts whenever I sing?

[Prestvegur]

Dude, du var flink...

[SalsaTheDog]

Du låter svensk, kan det stämma? :P

[Blixish]

Norsk, nært nok ^^

[XxxBaniAzzxxX]

nope........

[XxxBaniAzzxxX]

hey guyzz im just 14 years old and i want to learn how to sing like my fav. heavy metal bands but unfortunately i cannot do it coz my throat hurts when i do it can someone help me plzz

-sorry 4 my bad english-

[Behemias]

Is your squealing inhaled or exhaled?

[Blixish]

All my vocals are exhaled.

[Behemias]

Can inhaled squealing damage my throat?

[Blixish]

To be honest, I'm not sure about that. What I am sure of however, is that inhaled vocals puts a lot of strain on the muscles controlling your lungs, and that in the long run, they will take damage from it.

[XBUGMANX]

umm it can do a lot worse than damaging your throat... when you inhale your diaphragm doesn't know what to do, so it shakes constantly. IF you do it too hard too much you can collapse your lungs and die a breathless death. No joke, there has been cases of people dying cuz they inhaled way too much on stage.

[potassium99mg]

plus you can pop your lungs!

[j60Tomo]

who?

[hunter25x]

saw the vids today think thy're great haha but being a metal head is it wrong to want to growl to scare pregnant mothers haha just kidding but like what do you mean by tightening you throat im a little confused on that

[Blixish]

Dont shut your throat (like you would right before a cough) and force the air through. The airflow is not to be obstructed. :)

[hunter25x]

@Blixish thanks man really helps

[DavidJWalton]

you are a decent teacher!! not bad at all! 5*

[Pure5Productz]

haha big chocolate best death metal vocalist ever ;][

[Blixish]

At least one of the most brutal ^^

[skittlesandcupcakes9]

Ok, so I can kindof scream... But it's REALLLYYYYYYY quiet... what can I do to make is louder??

[Blixish]

Scream like a little girl. That's loud. ^^ And it's the same basis as metal screaming.

[RG420Ibanez]

Yo, Blixish is it much important to drink much water cuz i dont do to often although i can still get enough distortion in my growls

[Blixish]

Nah, it just helps with lubrication. You don't have to dring big amounts, but you should take small sips if your throat feels dry or itchy. When you ca growl without it itching, you basically don't need the water. I still like to drink water while performing though. :)

[bagera93]

ithink the water makes the voice losen up ´more

[Blixish]

Mostly, it helps for avoiding dehydrated chords (which would be experienced as itching.)

But whatever suits your fruit. ^^ Wait a minute... Didn't sound right...

[Iamscat1]

im 14, i decided to try to pick it up, whenever i try to death growl, i cant really project the sound, it sounds like a kinda loud whisper O.o got any tips?

[Blixish]

@Iamscat1 Yes: Stop being scared! You have to scream like you're trying to yell across a huge field, not whisper to someone sitting next to you. ^^

[Iamscat1]

thanks man, il try! oh and great video, i keep watching it, mostly coz i have an awful memory and i forget stuffs easily :3

[Iamscat1]

oh 1 more thing, u know any good songs with kinda slow, deep death growl vocals? just coz it'd be nice to kinda try to sing along :3

[Blixish]

@Iamscat1 Try Torture Killer - Forever Dead. :)

[Iamscat1]

wow, checked it out, its pretty awsome, thanks man :3

[x0xSephx0x]

@Blixish Is normal if my diafram starts to fell like "tired"?

[Blixish]

@x0xSephx0x Of course. ^^ You're excersising your diaphragm in the same way sit-ups work for you abs.

[laitela01]

You are 14, so you are still going through puberty. Don't try death metal vocals after you are 16 if you want to do them.

[Blixish]

@laitela01 False info. Practice is god no matter what age you are.

[laitela01]

He just ruins his vocal cords trying to attempt something which is not possible in his age... Sure he can give his shot trying it but as result: sound like shit.

[Blixish]

@laitela01 Wrong. If he just doesn't push it to far, he will be fine. Stop exercising when it hurts/itches, and drink water. Don't worry. When the voice is changing is the best time to learn to sing, even though it's a lot harder. This goes both for metal vocals and clean vocals.

[Iamscat1]

yea, i can kinda do it now, by kinda i mean i suck at it, but whenever i do it, my throat and stuff feels nothing, and i drink lots of water

[Blixish]

@Iamscat1 Good stuff man. Keep working on it, and eventually the sound will improve. ^^

[DAMOCLIES]

dude if your 14 and not done with puberty something is wrong. lol i started when i was 11. obviously he's gone through puberty. if he didnt he would sound like these kids you see on here with no bass in there voice and no balls to flex to project the sound.

[laitela01]

No, the vocal cords do continue growing... 14 year old is somewhere middle of puberty...

[DAMOCLIES]

dude.....i was DONE with puberty by the time i was 14. i dont know what world your living in, but damn it must be a sad one. no offence im just saying. i ate my veggies. lol

[laitela01]

haha so you had probably beard and hair on chest when you were 14? Voice does deepen around 14 but the puberty isn't over til' 17 I'd say. Go read some school books since you obviously don't know what you are talking about.

[Blixish]

Practice is important no matter what stage of puberty you're in. Stop this nonsence.

[x0xSephx0x]

Hey (:

Great tutorials.

I started screaming few months ago, I'm 15 years old and i want to know if i should wait till I'm 16/17 Years old or I can keep training (:

[Blixish]

@x0xSephx0x Keep training mate. The earlier you start, the better!

[x0xSephx0x]

@Blixish One more tip, Sometimes when i low growl it's cracks a lot, like the pig squeal without the pig part. DO you know what i mean?

[Blixish]

@x0xSephx0x Yeah. What about it? :P

[mariano2108]

What do you thing of Mikael Akerfeldt?

I think he´s the best.

[Daemonsinful]

awesome

[RobbyEpi420]

oh yeh, i wasn't complaining or being serious at all.

[RobbyEpi420]

hahaha, does Big C know you're using his pic at :22??

[Blixish]

@RobbyEpi420

I don't know, and I don't care. :P He's an awesome vocalist, and I don't think he'd mind getting the extra attention from this. ^^ If he doesn't like it, he shouldn't have posted his face on YouTube. :P

Don't misunderstand though, this is my opinion, but it doesn't mean I don't respect Cameron. I love his work.

[DrRoxo]

These would help me a lot if I hadn't learned on my own how to growl. The bit on the higher scream is useful, though..

By the way.. I don't know if it's because you're tired, or what, but you kind of have a norwegian serial killer thing going on when your talking. Awesome, but creepy.

[freebones12321]

1:45 you mean falsetto?

[aravis123]

o yeah another question would be DOES AGE MATTER???cuz im just 15 @_@ but i really want to learn @_@ but i cant seem to get a hang of it @_@

[Blixish]

As long as your voice has developed normally, age does not matter. Just keep practicing.

[SeriousScreamer92]

well.. for the pig squeal the best technique is to go humm like mmmmmmmmm as loud as you can and then just open your mouth, instead of doing it through the nose. It will be quiet and can hurt, but its the best for a squeal, even tho I hate squeals, I do a normal growl and stuff. And no, age does not matter, I'm 17, even tho my videos are so not up to date, I'll have to post something up soon.

[Blixish]

Squeals, as any other vocal style/technique is individual. Different vocalists prefer different techniques, and my way of doing it is the safest I've found yet, and (of course) it hurts the least. (Of the ones I've found yet.)

[SeriousScreamer92]

as I remember you are teaching the same growl as I use it, and I hate the "cookie monster technique" I just described, but it does make the best sound with a squeal. And the cookie monster hurts more, its the technique I just explained which I do not use but is the best for squealing. The reply wasn't intended for you, but I think someone was asking for advice on squeals.

[Leaveboyen]

i started growling when i was about 13 or 14 years old and now i'm 16 and it doesn' hurt anymore :) can't get the hang on screams yet though, haven't realy tried yet but i'm on it. it kinda fucked up my voice as i didn' stoped when it hurted and my vocie was changing alot at the age of 12 and continued along (my vocie still fails me sometimes) comment if you got questions

[Tb0neZ5]

you can be 5 years old and do these vocals. you are using false chords so it doesnt matter what your real voice sounds like/

[Blixish]

... Your false cords also develop with age.

[Tb0neZ5]

i guess i shouldnt talk till i know what im talking about then haha. but i do know some people with really high voices that can growl better than me

[mariano2108]

@Blixish With Practise

[Blixish]

@mariano2108 And age. Like everything else on you body... I'm talking about puberty.

[mariano2108]

Yes you are right. I was adding practise too.

Anyway what do you think about Mikael Akerfeldt?

[Blixish]

@mariano2108 He's a God. Opeth is my all time favourite band. :)

[aravis123]

umm i dont really know if im doing it right but i do it backwards @_@ is it ok?? i mean i inhale @_@ is it acceptable??@_@

[Blixish]

If you're inhaling you haven't been following this tutorial at least. :P Personally, I don't like inhales, and I suggest you start practicing exhales instead. ^^

[MetalSk8Shred]

Thank you Blixish, you made it alot easier for me to understand how to do these extreme vocals and how they work.

[Blixish]

No problem man. :)

[KillerSlicer]

Haha, hörde på första ordet att du var svensk ;p

[Blixish]

Jeg er Norsk. Nært nok da. :)

[XDDisturbedXD]

Everytime I try to do a scream it sounds like a fucking duck, Why is this? :[

[Blixish]

Scream with your lungs and your voice, don't clench your throat together, and don't use your tongue. :3 Give me a sampe, and I'll explain more in debth. ^^

[XDDisturbedXD]

Kay ill get a sound clip for you :P

[aravis123]

umm are growls and screams really silent???is it close to a whisper?? cuz i think my growls are to silent @_@ please reply XD

[Blixish]

Growls are a bit more silent than screams.

Screams are as loud as you get when you try to shout to someone who is far far away.

Growls are more silent, but alot louder that normal talking.

[kimpelkid]

dude my growls are extreamly loud but my highs are lacking alot...how do i fix that...every time i add more 'power' it becomes some weird ass yell and i cant keep it in fry....help would be greatly appreciated...

[Blixish]

Don't use fry... Use false cord! Send me a sound clip, and I'll explain more in debth. :) I believe your 'yell' should be pitched more up, into a falsetto scream. Try it, and if it doesn't work, send me a sound clip for me to analyze.

[buckweezy]

Dude same here I've basically given up on my highs i'm all low gutturals and when I try to do highs I sound retarded

[buckweezy]

No if your growling from your diaphragm Its very loud for me anyways.

[Blixish]

It pretty much depends. If you do Mortician type growls, they are at about 2 times talking level. If you do Corpsegrinder lows, they are at probably 10 times talking level. :)

[buckweezy]

Yea Corpsegrinder and Chris Barnes type growls are what I go for.

[YourParentsRDivorced]

never cup the mic.

[Blixish]

I'd say never cup the mic when in studio. Wether people want to cup their mics live is none of my business.

[LaughingMage]

I'm sorry but this video is so quiet i can't even tell if you're talking...

[FootballnSoccer]

can anyone tell me whether Tim Lambesis from As I Lay Dying is screaming or growling? Cuz I want to work on that low shit he does. I have my highs where I want them. My friend says my lows sound like Alex Varkatraz from Atreyu in what he says sounds like shit. While I have no problem with Alex's low, I do want a more powerful low. So can you help me here?

[Blixish]

You just have to practice. Sounds like you've got the basics already, now you just have to work on what you've got. Try experimenting with how much pressure you add from your diaphragm, and how tight you allow your throat to get. If it hurts, stop. If it doesn't, experiment some more. Eventually you'll find a style that fits for you. :)

[FootballnSoccer]

alright. Thx :)

[AlexMetalhead95]

As I Lay Dying is lame metalcore mainstream screaming trash. Look up the song Twilight of the Thunder God, or For the Revolution and stuff like that. Real growling.

[luisyboy]

dude ur voice is so soothing lmao makes me sleepy

BUT i did learn

and i think im doing it right

if u can check out my latest video and tell me if i did anything wrong?

[Zeerguitardude]

Dude this was VERY helpful to me.

I've been practicing screaming for a while now but I can't do it for very long.

However there are some things outlined in your guide that i've picked up on which should help me improve a lot.

thanks again! :D

[Blixish]

No problem. :)

[cranktheskylight]

please can you explain how to scream like jake luhrs from august burns red?????

[Blixish]

I did in the middle of this video. o_O

[cranktheskylight]

shit must of not been paying attention my baddd

[hotpotato64]

0:26 Big chocolate :D

[Blixish]

Hell yeah! :D

[melodiccreepingdeath]

anyone got a mic for black/death/doom metal? :]

[Blixish]

Shure SM57 is a great choice no matter what kind of vocals you do. (As a live/rehearsal mic.)

For recording, I suggest Shure SM7B. I've heard it used in both brutal death metal, black metal and clean vocals, and it's really great!

Anyways, just make sure it's a dynamic mic, with cardiod response, or even better: supercardiod. It will help sort out the noise from the sides. If you want to know which mic is right for you, I think you should just test a lot of mics. ^^,

[PickleSquirts09]

if it aint' broke blast beat the fuck out of it idw kicks ass

[famousryan1]

the term i think you want is falsetto

[Blixish]

Yup. Keep your voice in falsetto when screaming.

I just put it in terms of common knowledge. This is a tutorial for beginners. ^^ I don't expect the viewers to have any musical background.

[famousryan1]

o lol yea i already scream and i was trying to find if anyone has posted a vid on high and low at the same time... (pray for plagues-BMTH) i know ones recorded over the other but i was able to produce a high and a growl together :S =]know anything about this?

[Blixish]

Yeah. Both the grind technique and the exhaled squeal technique is both high and low at the same time. To perform this, you have to shape your mouth to create an overtone, and do a low growl. ^^

[famousryan1]

no i can do it but i didnt know if it was something that actually existed or if i was retarded :P

[famousryan1]

and its not like the "pig squeal" i mean i have the high scream and a growl not the "breeing" technique

[Blixish]

Wow! Can you upload a demonstration for me? I think I'll be able to analyze it.

You are exhaling, right? :)