More and more often, both on Russian and foreign stages, songs of various groups are heard, which perform them using the growling technique, which means “growl” in English. Yes, this performance sounds more like an animal growl than a human vocal. This performance technique is typical for heavy music. For example, Doom-, Death-, BlackMetal, Metalcore Grindcore and Deathcore. Learning to growl isn't that hard. It can be mastered by both representatives of the stronger sex, who have a naturally low voice, and young people whose voice timbre is higher, as well as girls.

How to learn to sing growling

There are several subtypes of growling. The division is conditional.

• Traditional growling involves splitting the vocal cords.
• Mixed growling.
• Squealing, which is more like a grunt.

There are a couple more secrets about how to sing growling. Some parts of the throat may produce a growl.

• A “growling” sound is produced when the air flows towards the soft palate.
• This sound is produced when the air flow is directed at ligaments that are slightly higher than the main ones - the so-called false ligaments.

At its core, the growling mechanism itself is no different from ordinary belching. This means that if you growl correctly, you will use the same parts of the throat and body as when burping. You can understand the mechanism of growling by burping several times.

Growling lessons

Let's consider sound production. The easiest sounds are “u-u-u” and “i-i-i.” To do this, simultaneously press the tip of your tongue to the palate, lower your chin, and lift your Adam’s apple up to your chin. You should feel tension under your lower jaw. Well, now all that remains is to exhale. Pursing your lips together makes a “u” sound. And if you slightly raise the corners of your lips, you will get the sound “i”. If performed correctly, you will even get a roar. But we don’t recommend doing it loudly right away, as this could damage your vocal cords. So start with low volume.

If you can extract simple sounds without difficulty, you can move on to extracting the remaining vowels. In this case, the tongue should not be involved, which may initially cause difficulties. The tongue should not rest on the palate, but can be used at the beginning of training to bring the vocal apparatus into the desired state for growling. Pronunciation of words can be started after all vowels have been mastered.

Remember to breathe correctly. Learn to “breathe with your belly” so that the sound is even and strong. Exhale so that the stomach is drawn in, but not very deeply. Slowly draw air into the lower part of your lungs, slightly inflating your stomach. To avoid losing consciousness, breathe evenly and not frequently. As you exhale again, start to growl as you push out the air. Keep your abs tense at all times.

Do the exercises on an empty stomach. Now you know how to learn to growl. If done correctly, the growl will be smooth and long lasting.

Are you looking for how to learn growling? In that case, this article is for you. You will learn the basic principles of extreme vocals and how to master growling and screaming at home.

Let's first look at what growling is and what it is eaten with. This vocal technique came out of such styles as: Doom Metal\Black Metal, then it was picked up by previously mainstream trends - MetalCore \ DeathCore. In most cases, guys sing to them, but this does not mean that mastery of this vocal technique is available only to them. Women can also learn. As an example - and. No one argues that it is more difficult for girls to sing (due to a different structure of the larynx), but if you put in more effort, you can overcome this “small ailment.”
We continue the article “How to learn to growl.”

The emphasis is mainly on clefting of the vocal cords.
There are several ways to make a growling sound:
1) direction of air to the sky
2) directing air to the false ligaments
To understand how to properly cleave, try burping. The principle is the same.

You shouldn’t immediately start singing songs of your favorite bands, ala, and others. Incorrect splitting can damage the ligaments. Start with the simplest sounds, such as “eeee” or “eeee.” Learning to growl these sounds will create a good foundation for your potential growth as an extreme vocalist.
When there is a cleft, there should be tension in the lower jaw and the Adam's apple should rise.
The most simple way– do this while inhaling, the most difficult (but professional) – while exhaling.
*Do not start learning loudly, try to repeat the sounds quietly, gradually increasing the volume.
The “U” sound is made by lifting the corners of the lips.
The sound “I” when stretching them.
As with normal pronunciation of letters.

Let's move on. When singing fully, the tongue is practically not involved. After singing single vowels, move on to syllables, and only then to words. You need to study in exactly this sequence, you need to go in small steps, from small to large.
When learning to growl, you should breathe with your stomach, and not with your lungs, i.e. air is drawn into the stomach, and from there it is spent on splitting. This method will help you growl longer without taking extra breaths. You also need to help your abdominal muscles push out the air.
For quality growling, you need to follow a diet. Before vocals, you should not wear tight clothes or drink carbonated drinks (ala Coca-Cola). This puts extra tension on the ligaments.

Do not drink beer before singing, it does not soften, but rather dries out your throat.
People who smoke tend to growl better. So, if you smoke, this will be a small plus for you.

Guttural growl: what could better convey the darkest sides of human existence, all its horrors and chaos? Extreme vocals are suitable for violent topics, but are not quite suitable for the vocal cords. But if you learn proper technique, take care of your health, warm up your ligaments, and push air out with your belly, then death will become something your voice conveys, not something you experience.

Steps

Learn to sing correctly. Start with vibrating vocals (vibrato), as in classic or progressive rock. The most important technique when singing to death metal is breath control, a balance between using the strength of your diaphragm and your vocal cords. If you only growl with bunches, you will definitely damage them. For proper technique, you must engage your diaphragm, pushing air out of your lungs. Practice regular singing for a month to begin with. This will actually develop the power of your voice and make it easier for you to growl.

Drink warm water or tea an hour before your performance and between songs. This will relax your vocal cords. Avoid cold water: it is a shock to them and they will become “shrink” as a result. Also, do not drink hot water, as it can scald your tongue and throat.

Warm up your chords before recording or performing.“Warming up” can mean anything from singing in the midrange to singing your vocals in a clean bass voice. Even humming some melody for five minutes would be much better than not warming up the chords at all.

Fill your lungs with air, then push some of it out, causing your throat and tonsils to tighten slightly. Do this all at the same time, but do not push the air too hard. Try to make a high-pitched guttural sound, reminiscent of an old man dying. It should sound like a rattling black metal vocal. Now lower the pitch in your throat in the same way as when singing normally. At first, you will not get exactly what you need, but this is a matter of time and habit.

Imagine a column of air rising from the diaphragm and passing through the chest, and then through the vault of the palate (this is the dome over the upper teeth behind the nose). The larynx should be down and open. This technique doesn't just help enhance death metal vocals, it's also designed for melodic singing. The only difference between the two is that when performing songs normally, the sound comes from the real vocal cords, and the growl comes from the false ones (instead of vibrating the vocal cords, focus your growl under them, in the collarbone area).

Push the air with your stomach. All the power of your vocals comes from the diaphragm. It will work better if your back is straight all the time. Don't slouch or relax the muscles around your spine. Inhale and let out a deep growl, opening your vocal cords. For a powerful growl, the throat must be relaxed.

Let out an angry sigh. Imagine that you are annoyed and say a very tense “Ugh!” You will feel a low, faint vibration at the back of your throat. This is the basic sound of false vocal cords. Practice this vibration by stretching the sound and adding more and more power to it using the diaphragm. You will find that this exercise does not harm you, as long as you drink a lot of water and do not try too hard. With practice it will start to sound brutal!

1. Practice barking like a dog. Take a deep breath and use your diaphragm again. Forcefully squeeze out the sound from the depths of your belly, imitating a real bark. Then stretch out this sound and try barking a few words. It may sound silly, but breathing like a dog will help you open your throat and add guttural sounds to your bark. Start with a low volume and increase it gradually as you get better at it.

   • A good way to practice this guttural bark is to make the sounds “a”, “e”, “y”, “o”, “n”, “u”. As you get better at it, try increasing the speed.

2. Choose a song that you would like to perform. Try to choose from bands like Slayer, Metallica, Alice Cooper, AC/DC: they don't growl like in death metal, and it will be easier for you to practice your own growl style. Try singing in a normal manner at first, then gradually add more “fire” until you feel your diaphragm actually pushing the air and you are able to produce the deep sound you were aiming for. If you can't do deep guttural vocals, try singing in a raspy voice. Anyone can do this, both men and women.

   • These slow songs are good for practicing regular vocals: “Black Sabbath” by Black Sabbath, “Dead Skin Mask” by Slayer, “Hard Rock Hallelujah” by Lordi.
   • Here are slow-tempo death metal songs to practice your growling technique: “Death Walking Terror”, “Festering in the Crypt” and “I Cum Blood” by Cannibal Corpse, “The Jealous Sun” by Novembers Doom, “Sarcophagus” by Nile.
   • For training regular vocals at a fast pace, songs by Slayer are perfect: “Aggressive Perfector”, “Dittohead”, “Jesus Saves” and “Necrophobic”.
   • Things from the death metal genre will help you rehearse the fast tempo of growls: “Disposal of the Body” by Cannibal Corpse, “Homage for Satan” by Deicide, “Post Mortal Ejaculation” by Cannibal Corpse, “The Exorcist” Possessed, “The Optimist” Skinless, “4: 20" Six Feet Under, "Stabwound" Necrophagist, "Egypt, the Red Earth" Necronomicon, "Buried By The Dead" Bloodbath, "Sick Salvation" Bloodbath, "Prometherion" Behemoth, "Scrolls of the Megilloth" Mortification, "Demon of the Fall" Opeth, "What Can Be Safely Written" Nile.

3. After performing to death metal, drink a non-alcoholic drink that is gentle on your larynx, such as plain water.

   • If you've just finished a long and brutal performance and your ligaments are tired from growling, then honey will do wonders for them.
   • Don't give up if you can't sound anywhere near your favorite vocalists: try to develop your own style and tone. In the beginning, a great way to growl at the same time as them is to turn on the recordings. Try adding your own shades as you go.
   • Don't smoke. And if you can't live without drinking, drink alcohol at least in moderation. Smoking may deepen your voice, but it will also reduce your breathing power. Playing death metal requires a huge amount of energy, and drugs of any kind will only sap your energy.
   • Rough vocals will become more powerful with practice if you do it right.
   • To make more furious sounds, experiment with saliva in your mouth. You can hold it between your tongue and throat - you get that same gurgling sound that you hear in many songs. An open, relaxed throat is the key to success. The air should come out easily. The tone can be changed by changing the direction of the air expelled by the tongue. This is done by curling the tongue up or down, which then produces a deeper tone. Lips - the second method. And you should never change the key with ligaments.
   • You may be able to make a pig squeal, or bri-bri (also called pigsquill, pigvoice, or pigging), by curling the tip of your tongue just over your front upper teeth—with it wide open—and making a guttural “i” sound.
   • Make sure your vocals are varied. A monotonous growl will soon become boring, no matter how impressive your vocal abilities are.
   • Control your breathing and the amount of mucus in your mouth and throat.
   • The sound should be produced at the back of the throat. Place two fingers on the throat at the highest point of the neck where it meets the chin. If you feel vibration there, then you are doing everything right. If you understand that it comes from the depths of your throat, it means that your vocal cords are suffering and you need to improve your technique.
   • Perhaps you shouldn't wrap your hands around the microphone so that you get a resonating bowl of your palms. Many vocalists deliberately use this technique to enhance the sound of the voice and make it sound lower than it actually is, but in the death metal community it is condemned as a fraudulent practice. Additionally, it will blur the clarity of the sound and very likely make it harder for you to achieve your desired level of vocal/tonal clarity.
   • If you're already good at screaming, mastering death metal vocals will be very easy.

   Warnings

   • Be prepared for surprised faces and harsh criticism when you show off your unique vocal style to family or friends. Some people don't consider growling to be real singing at all.
   • The smooth muscles of the throat should never become sore when playing death or black metal. However, when you first start doing this, the outer muscles will ache due to the need to hold your throat in a new position.
   • For a beginner, an attempt to produce a more powerful growl with the wrong technique very often ends in serious damage to the vocal cords. If you feel pain or discomfort, are hoarse, or have lost your voice altogether, then you are doing something wrong and need to improve your death metal vocal technique.
   • In rare cases, newbies are so intense that their vocal cords begin to bleed. If blood appears, stop immediately and do not use your voice until you are completely healed. In severe cases, medical attention may be required and your voice will be permanently damaged, leaving you without any hope of ever growling.
   • Any manner of singing in a rough style can permanently take away a good singing voice: its range will suffer and there is a high probability of other troubles, such as nodular laryngitis or vocal cord polyps - growths on the cords. Proper technique can minimize these effects. Protect your voice the same way a guitarist would protect a guitar: buy an expensive one or a custom one, not one that will crumble when you play. Remember: a guitarist can always buy a new instrument, but with a voice you only get one chance.
   • If you have a throat problem - a cold or flu with a cough - give the cords a week or two to rest.
   • Inhale growling is not the most reliable technique for singing to death metal. It often sounds too high and is somewhat of a scam. Although this technique cannot harm your voice in any way, you risk losing the melody during inhalations.
   • Don't be surprised if you don't sound like your favorite growl singer. Everyone has a different singing voice, even when growling.

First used by Hellhammer in 1982. Later appeared in the albums of American groups Possessed Seven Churches(1985), Death Scream Bloody Gore(1987) and Necrophagia Season of the Dead(1987). In gothic, doom, and death metal, a combination of male growling and high clean female vocals is widely used. IN lately Female growling is becoming widespread. Genres such as black metal and death metal often use a combination of growling and screaming, with some bands using the same vocalist for both vocal techniques. There are also more and more vocalists using both growling and clean singing, mainly in the genres of melodic death metal and doom metal. Growling is often used in combination with other extreme sound production techniques (scream, guttural, pigscream, squeal).

Technique

Scientifically, growling can be called diaphragmatic bass. This vocal technique is based on singing supported by the diaphragm with a strong exhalation of air from the lower abdomen with further splitting of the false vocal cords - this is how a growl effect is achieved. In force physical features growling sound is very low in tone.

A similar technique is used in the style of Tuvan throat singing “kargyraa”.

People who have recently started using growling often experience pain in the larynx, which goes away over time (due to improper sound production). If your breathing is incorrect (that is, if you frequently inhale and exhale too much air), dizziness may occur.

Over time, some singers who have used both growling and clean vocals opt for one or the other. So Jonas Renkse (Katatonia) over time “lost the ability” to sing growling, resorting to it only occasionally at concerts, and Dan Svanö deliberately refused to “growl” so as not to lose his “clean” vocals, but still, many years of observation of many “mixed” » does not detect vocalists negative influence"growling" in a clear voice. Examples of this include, for example, Bring Me The Horizon vocalist Oliver Sykes (who previously performed exclusively extreme vocals, but later switched to vocals), Bjorn Strid from Soilwork, Mikael Åkerfeldt from Opeth, Christian Alvestam (Scar Symmetry, Solution .45, The Few Against Many), Vlad Shahin from Mournful Gust and many others.

The detrimental effect of growling on a singer’s vocal abilities is very relative (since with proper growling, the vocal cords do not participate in sound production), and occur only with incorrect sound production technique, excessive tension, various viral diseases, and throat diseases.

Guttural

This technique was first used by the vocalist of the Finnish band Demilich Antti Boman on the album Nespithe(). Now the most popular groups with vocalists singing guttural are: Devourment, Prostitute Disfigurement, Internal Suffering, Mental Demise, Artery Eruption, Sikfuk, Insidious Decrepancy, Chelsea Grin, Whitechapel, Oceano, I Declare War, Guttural Secrete; Russian Abominable Putridity, Katalepsy. Collectives with female gutturals also appear - Awaiting the Autopsy, Cerebral Bore. In addition, it should be added that guttural is a common vocal for bands playing in the style of TXDM (Texas death metal or slamming brutal death metal)

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Notes

Women's Men's Other Extreme See also

Excerpt characterizing Growling

“Une maitresse femme! Voila ce qui s"appelle poser carrement la question. Elle voudrait epouser tous les trois a la fois", ["Well done woman! That's what is called firmly asking the question. She would like to be the wife of all three at the same time."] - thought Bilibin.
- But tell me, how will your husband look at this matter? - he said, due to the strength of his reputation, not afraid to undermine himself with such a naive question. – Will he agree?
- Ah! “Il m"aime tant! - said Helen, who for some reason seemed to think that Pierre loved her too. - Il fera tout pour moi. [Ah! he loves me so much! He is ready for anything for me.]
Bilibin picked up the skin to represent the mot being prepared.
“Meme le divorce, [Even for a divorce.],” he said.
Helen laughed.
Among the people who allowed themselves to doubt the legality of the marriage being undertaken was Helen’s mother, Princess Kuragina. She was constantly tormented by envy of her daughter, and now, when the object of envy was closest to the princess’s heart, she could not come to terms with this thought. She consulted with a Russian priest about the extent to which divorce and marriage was possible while her husband was alive, and the priest told her that this was impossible, and, to her joy, pointed her to the Gospel text, which (it seemed to the priest) directly rejected the possibility of marriage from a living husband.
Armed with these arguments, which seemed irrefutable to her, the princess went to see her daughter early in the morning, in order to find her alone.
After listening to her mother's objections, Helen smiled meekly and mockingly.
“But it’s directly said: whoever marries a divorced wife...” said the old princess.
- Ah, maman, ne dites pas de betises. Vous ne comprenez rien. Dans ma position j"ai des devoirs, [Ah, mamma, don’t talk nonsense. You don’t understand anything. My position has responsibilities.] - Helen spoke, translating the conversation into French from Russian, in which she always seemed to have some kind of ambiguity in her case.
- But, my friend...
– Ah, maman, comment est ce que vous ne comprenez pas que le Saint Pere, qui a le droit de donner des dispenses... [Ah, mamma, how don’t you understand that the Holy Father, who has the power of absolution...]
At this time, the lady companion who lived with Helen came in to report to her that His Highness was in the hall and wanted to see her.
- Non, dites lui que je ne veux pas le voir, que je suis furieuse contre lui, parce qu"il m"a manque parole. [No, tell him that I don’t want to see him, that I’m furious against him because he didn’t keep his word to me.]
“Comtesse a tout peche misericorde, [Countess, mercy for every sin.],” said a young blond man with a long face and nose as he entered.
The old princess stood up respectfully and sat down. The young man who entered did not pay attention to her. The princess nodded her head to her daughter and floated towards the door.
“No, she’s right,” thought the old princess, all her convictions were destroyed before the appearance of His Highness. - She's right; but how is it that we didn’t know this in our irrevocable youth? And it was so simple,” the old princess thought as she got into the carriage.

At the beginning of August, Helen's matter was completely determined, and she wrote a letter to her husband (who loved her very much, as she thought) in which she informed him of her intention to marry NN and that she had joined the one true religion and that she asks him to complete all the formalities necessary for divorce, which the bearer of this letter will convey to him.
“Sur ce je prie Dieu, mon ami, de vous avoir sous sa sainte et puissante garde. Votre amie Helene.”
[“Then I pray to God that you, my friend, will be under his holy, strong protection. Your friend Elena"]
This letter was brought to Pierre's house while he was on the Borodino field.

The second time, already at the end of the Battle of Borodino, having escaped from Raevsky’s battery, Pierre with crowds of soldiers headed along the ravine to Knyazkov, reached the dressing station and, seeing blood and hearing screams and groans, hastily moved on, getting mixed up in the crowds of soldiers.
One thing that Pierre now wanted with all the strength of his soul was to quickly get out of those terrible impressions in which he lived that day, return to normal living conditions and fall asleep peacefully in his room on his bed. Only under ordinary conditions of life did he feel that he would be able to understand himself and all that he had seen and experienced. But these ordinary living conditions were nowhere to be found.
Although cannonballs and bullets did not whistle here along the road along which he walked, on all sides there was the same thing that was there on the battlefield. There were the same suffering, exhausted and sometimes strangely indifferent faces, the same blood, the same soldiers' greatcoats, the same sounds of shooting, although distant, but still terrifying; In addition, it was stuffy and dusty.
Having walked about three miles along the big Mozhaisk road, Pierre sat down on the edge of it.
Dusk fell on the ground, and the roar of the guns died down. Pierre, leaning on his arm, lay down and lay there for a long time, looking at the shadows moving past him in the darkness. It constantly seemed to him that a cannonball was flying at him with a terrible whistle; he shuddered and stood up. He didn't remember how long he had been here. In the middle of the night, three soldiers, having brought branches, placed themselves next to him and began to make a fire.

Many young musicians who play heavy guitar music want learn growl singing technique . This style of singing is not traditional and therefore no one will teach you this art in music schools, and special courses cannot be found in every advanced city. Based on these factors, most modern metal singers are essentially self-taught. Well, if they succeeded, so can you!

So, first, let's figure out what growling is?

Growling in modern circles they have dubbed an aggressive style of singing, the sounds of which are produced, as a rule, by the method of splitting ligaments, and there is a chance to hear it in such movements of rock music as death metal, hardcore, deathcore and other heavy genres of music. This bass growl is not achieved by all beginners, but only by those who study hard and have the opportunity to practice their skills.

Myths

Among beginners, opinions are spreading that supposedly, in order to achieve a high-quality growl tone, you need to smoke more and drink heavy alcohol! Guys, do not confuse growl with the “vocals” of chanson performers! Ligaments need to be protected, as well as your health. It will be difficult for you to pull out long vocal parts with smoke-filled lungs and a swollen liver! Therefore, spend less time on nonsense and spend more time on learning techniques!

Lesson #1.

The first step is to realize that any growl, like clean vocals, has its own individual shade, unique only to its owner! Therefore, you should not try to imitate famous vocalists who master the growl technique, but focus more on the originality and uniqueness of your personal style of performance! Of course, as a sample you can take the most successful examples of growl in musical history: Cannibal Corpse, Napalm Death and other legends of the heavy scene.

Most beginners mistakenly think that singing with a growl is just screaming. No and no again! This is a whole art, but with an ordinary scream you will lose your voice and not only won’t be able to sing, but also won’t be able to talk!

Initially, the growl is very similar in the manner of execution to a human burp, where - in both cases - the same throat muscles are involved. Therefore, you can practice before starting classes to understand how to make “uterine” sounds and how the throat is used here.

Let's get started! We’ll start the lesson with the sounds that are easiest for beginners - the sounds “uuuu” or “eeee”. During the first lesson, you are required to understand how to correctly make a sound, how exactly the throat is used in this process, and how to accurately breathe while doing this! The first time, you should growl as quietly as possible, so as not to overstrain inexperienced ligaments. A little later, by increasing the air flow through the throat, you can increase the power of the growl!

To properly reproduce a roar technically, you will need to narrow your throat so that the air that is rapidly pushed out through the throat opening provides the heavy timbre of the roar that we need.

Initially, during training, you will not really succeed in anything, but over time you will bring everything to automaticity and you yourself will not notice how your throat and tongue will fall into their positions. Speaking of regulations!

Correct positions when growling:

• the tongue is sealed to the palate;
• lips with a tube;
• chin down, and Adam's apple, on the contrary, up.

During the first lessons, do not harass your throat too much and give it more rest, as well as moisten it with water.

Lesson #2.

You should realize that proper growl singing is achieved without the help of the tongue. This is only in the initial stages, when you completely cannot control your face, you have the right to help yourself with your tongue, but your goal is to achieve exactly the throat production of sound!

During the second lesson, try to completely turn off your tongue and try to pronounce not individual sounds, but small words. Stay longer at this phase, as your throat will initially become quite sore, and you will also likely develop a cough. It is very important to develop your throat well and adapt it to a given singing style!

Lesson #3.

All that remains is to learn the most difficult thing: control and help yourself with your breathing during growling! Breathing plays an undeniable role in growling, as it allows the power of the growl to be kept at the same level throughout one breath, which allows the vocalist to sing a long phrase.

Breathing technique: the inhaled volume of air must be displaced not by the force of the lungs, but by the abdominal muscles. The movement of air, lifting the diaphragm, will quickly approach the unmistakably compressed throat and the required voltage will be produced at the output. When growling, you shouldn’t breathe very deeply and with frequent repetitions of inhalation, but you shouldn’t fill the entire volume of your lungs with one big breath. Your goal is to correctly calculate the air as you inhale and exhale, in order to have time to pronounce a whole phrase while the air is moving inside you!

The outgoing growl should sound without interruption and at the same frequency. By the way, you can change the tone of the growl by narrowing and widening the throat opening, but this is a task for more experienced performers!

As you understand, good results can only be achieved through long-term training! So arm yourself with patience and take on these three key exercises that will allow you to further develop your growling technique!