So, I'm a harsh vocalist. That means that I can growl, scream and screech with my voice similar to what you see in metal bands and such. While I was learning how to properly do this, I had to scour website after website and guide video after guide video to get any form of concrete knowledge on how to actually produce harsh vocals. I wish there had been a more comprehensive guide that was all in one place for the sake of convenience. So I'm going to take the initiative and start right here by writing some various tips and tricks to help any aspiring harsh vocalists get started.
1. Safety is always the number one priority
It's called harsh vocals for multiple reasons. One of these reasons is the force of the sound if you want to call it that. Producing harsh vocals requires a force that your true vocal folds can't really handle. You should always make sure that your false vocal folds are receiving the brunt of the force to maintain your vocal health. If you're experimenting and your voice hurts, immediately stop, drink some water, rest your voice for a while, and reevaluate your technique so you don't hurt your voice in the future.
2. Drink Plenty of Water
This one is probably pretty self-explanatory, but definitely worth mentioning. Harsh vocals requires a lot of practice and experimentation. You need to be nice to your voice otherwise it won't be nice back to you.
3. Your biology influences your harsh vocal capabilities
Just like biology can influence how our voices and voice parts, biology also influences our harsh vocal capabilities. Personally, I'm much better at growling and guttural harsh vocals because they're much easier for my voice. You might find the same to be true for you as well or maybe you're better at a different type of harsh vocals. You may even find out that your biology won't allow for you to produce harsh vocals as is the case for some.
4. Know what you're going to attempt before you attempt it
It's always a good idea to compile a list of songs or excerpts of songs that have sections that have the type of harsh vocals you want to produce. It gives you little phrases or words to practice on so you can focus more on your technique.
5. Use your diaphragm
You hear this a lot in singing as well. Your diaphragm is a super important muscle. It makes producing harsh vocals much easier taking some of the strain off of your voice as well as giving more raw power to it (which is what you should want especially when doing harsh vocals).
6. Practice, Practice, Practice.
There are two main reasons you'll need to practice a lot when it comes to harsh vocals. First, it requires a lot of experimentation to figure out what works for you as an individual. Second, it takes time to build up an endurance to harsh vocals. I spent months figuring out what my voice was capable of. When I first started out, I got tired really quickly and couldn't practice for very long, but eventually I built up my endurance and am way more proficient than when I started out.
7. Move at your own pace
You should never worry about trying to rush progress so you can sound like someone else or be as good as someone else. I've spent somewhere around 2 years or more working on my harsh vocals. Famous harsh vocalists went through the same process of learning. They spent time and practiced to figure out what works for them. So don't pressure yourself to try and race on ahead, otherwise you might end up risking your vocal health. There was a sizable chunk of time at my beginning where I only did guttural vocals because I was scared to try scream/screech like harsh vocals because I couldn't find a satisfying explanation on how to approach it. So take your time. Focus on doing it correctly and well over doing it quickly.
8. Don't let fear get the best of you
Remember how I said I was scared to try scream-like harsh vocals? I didn't let it stop me from trying though. I dug down and kept researching proper technique tips and when I felt more confident about it, I gave it a go. It worked to say the least since I'm now capable of screams. If harsh vocals is something you want to pursue, you can't let fear stop you from trying. Make sure you have all of your information at your disposal of course, but don't let fear stop you from trying. If you mess up or accidentally hurt yourself, it's not the end of the world. You just found one way that doesn't work for you. Just make sure to take extra care of your voice if that is the case. Remember, you have to be nice to your voice or it won't be nice to you.
9. Don't get discouraged
As you may have noticed, learning harsh vocals is a time consuming and challenging process. That being said, you can't get discouraged. Just because you can't produce the sound you want or you're struggling on finding a technique mindset that works best for you doesn't mean you never will. It just does take a lot of time. You'll get there though.
10. Remember to have fun
Like anything you pursue in life, you need to have fun with it. If you don't, then what's the point in doing it? Harsh vocals can be loads of fun. If you can find a spot with a good acoustic or go outside in the middle of the night when it's really quiet, you should try just wailing with what you've got. It's such a rush to just channel all of your feelings and energy into a monstrous growl or scream to the point where the Earth itself better know not to mess with your badassery.
