PSA: A Solemn Warning to Metal Vocalists

[@robertgriffith3670]

If it "feels bad" then it's doing damage. If it doesn't feel bad, you're fine.

[@GarrettCampbell]

@@robertgriffith3670 100%🫡

[@ShooterEx]

That's not 100% true, because some things might feel alright but actually do harm your voice

[@cmcog]

Like smokin crack​@@ShooterEx

[@frostfireee28]

@@ShooterExyou’re 100% correct! There’s plenty of things you can do with your voice that might not hurt you immediately but cause damage you’re not actually feeling. This is why getting classically trained is so important for your vocal health! You’d be surprised how similar a healthy screaming technique is to classical singing!

[@ShooterEx]

@@frostfireee28 there are also things that might kinda hurt in some instances but actually do almost to none permanent damage to your voice, not more that talking, in fact

[@nosnackz]

My roommate screamed for years and he said yeah it doesn't hurt and I can go back to cleans no problem. A few years later he said he lost range. He was lacking some discipline and just going crazy

[@GarrettCampbell]

Oooof, ya a lack of discipline, or "screaming mindfully" is probably the most dangerous thing I've seen.

[@paulkirjonen1226]

Metal singer here, working with a sound reminiscent of testament, gojira, machine head, etc. I used to have a terrible technique, and after a while it started to affect my vocal health. There is apparently a feedback loop, the more swollen your chords are, the more likely you are to use bad technique even after your voice returns to normal (spoiler - it sounds and feels normal way before it actually is). I had to learn to focus on the feel and breathing as opposed to the sound I was aiming for. Doesn't matter if your tone is not 100% where you want it, you don't push on any regular occasion, and MAYBE a little bit for rare things like a live show recording. Don't lose hope, in my experience it's hard to really wreck your voice, but sometimes it takes a while to heal.

[@GarrettCampbell]

Thank you so much!! This is so encouraging, and I'm glad you've found hope as well for your own voice! :)

[@michelsantana9312]

Man, I lost my voice once from singing while I was sick. Never again! It took about 4 weeks to recover my speaking voice (I couldn't speak) and about 3 months to get back to singing. But somehow, I feel like my voice has never been the same. Can still high though.

[@GarrettCampbell]

@@michelsantana9312 Wow thanks for sharing! What sickness was it, if I might ask…

[@michelsantana9312]

@GarrettCampbell It was a common cold. I kept pushing even though my voice wasn't there.

[@GarrettCampbell]

@@michelsantana9312 Eeee. I’m sorry.

[@Lotus_vocalist]

Thanks for creating this video 🤘🏽 gonna keep everything you said in mind!

[@floricane]

I was a screamer at my HS band and was doing it wrong. I damaged my voice and had to completely stop any vocals that werent soft cheat-head voice for 8 years. Then Chris Liepe videos helped me relaern it in a healthy way!

[@GarrettCampbell]

@@floricane Chris is the best! Absolute best! Have been a fan for years💪🎙️

[@JohnPickup-CDHS-ze6qd]

Screaming isn't actually a scream at all. Proper technique shouldn't do any damage. The problem is most vocalists don't take the time to do it right because they wanna do it now. So they just do whatever they think sounds good. I highly suggest checking out Andy Cizek's vocal course with Chris Liepe. He shows you exactly how to do it right and it sounds incredible (And no, I'm not a bot lol)

[@GarrettCampbell]

@@JohnPickup-CDHS-ze6qd Chris Liepe is the best💪

[@anba-nx7hq]

dude ive been following your instagram for a lil bit now. I've always looked up to your skill and thought your vocals have been amazing and otherworldly, but seeing and hearing about your struggles is REALLY motivating. it makes you seem human - an insanely skilled human. it makes your skill level seem somewhat attainable. super motivating. youre amazing dude :)

[@GarrettCampbell]

@@anba-nx7hq Aw thank you so much! 😊You’re so kind. I just hope my experience- and life as well- can help others in theirs. See ya around!🙏💪🎙️🎹

[@afy_jb]

Remember! This is true regardless of genre. I grew up singing musical theater before switching to metalcore. I almost lost my voice around 18 because every music director I had was telling me to push hard to get a "deeper" sound while singing high. I have a naturally high, bright, thin voice. So, their "advice" resulted in me almost exclusively singing from my throat. My range quickly went from a little over an octave at 15-17, to barely 1 octave at 18-19. I had to completely quit performing and restart my vocal journey from square 1 at age 20. My coach helped me completely rebuild my voice, and now (at age 24) I can sing much more freely and with a much wider range than I ever could. Now, I write and sing songs like Sleeping With Sirens or Pierce the Veil because it just feels good for my voice to sing, not because I'm trying to sing against my type and artificially create a lower voice like I was before. If you find yourself struggling with singing (in any genre), these are the most important things you need to know. 1) DON'T PUSH FOR VOLUME. Volume comes over time only, I repeat, ONLY after developing proper, relaxed technique. You must start from a quieter place, similar to sighing. You should start a little quieter than speech volume. I recommend practicing with a Decibel Meter, so you can be aware how loud you are. Once you hit 80 decibels, your brain internally "turns down the volume" of your own voice to preserve your eardrums and prevent self-inflected harm. This is the main reason why people push so hard for volume despite probably already being loud enough. So be intentional. Start from an easy place in your lower or middle register. Quiet sounds aren't just for falsetto. Eventually over months of practice (even years), you will naturally gain more volume without needing to push once your muscles start doing what they want to do, not what YOU want them to do. This also means don't push past your limits. If you can only sing for 5 minutes in the day when you start, then only sing for 5 minutes. If your voice starts to hurt, immediately stop. If your voice starts to feel hoarse, immediately stop. If you find your speaking voice feels weird or off after practicing, you need to adjust your technique and probably sing for shorter periods of time. 2) EMBRACE YOUR VOICE. Many people try to mimic their favorite artists' voices, but it's probably hurting more than it's helping. Take the time to analyze your voice with a vocal coach once you start to get the hang of the foundational elements of singing. If you haven't figured out how to sing in a relaxed, comfortable way, then you can't do this part. You may be artificially changing your voice. Once you DO have the hang of it, figure out what your vocal type is. I don't just mean bass, baritone, tenor, alto, mezzo, soprano. I mean the subcategory of the main category. For example, I'm a leggiero tenor, so the way I train my voice in lessons is going to be slightly different from a dramatic or lyric tenor. (Yes, you need to take singing lessons if you want to scream. You will be using the same foundational techniques to scream in a healthier way). 3) BE PATIENT AND KIND TO YOURSELF. This is arguably the most important aspect of singing. Just like any kind of muscle, training your voice takes a long time. You wouldn't wake up one day and expect to be able to run a marathon without running a mile first, so you shouldn't wake up and expect to be able to sing high notes or belt or mix or scream immediately with 1 KZbin video. 90% of singing is a mental battle. If you keep telling yourself "It's too hard" "It's too high" "I can't do it" "I suck", then you are just becoming a self-fulfilling prophecy. Instead try to always remind yourself that it is a journey, and you WILL get there one day. There is NO DEADLINE to becoming a great singer. You can spend the rest of your life learning and training (and honestly you should never stop honing your technique). TLDR: Embrace your natural voice and be patient to yourself. Do not push to speed up progress. It will only set you back. Start slow, easy, and in a comfortable range. Over time you'll naturally figure out how to make the sounds you want to when you let your vocal folds do what THEY want to.

[@joshuakram]

"If it hurts, you're doing it wrong."

[@leigor6020]

I just can’t find the right screaming techniques and always hurt my voice, and it sucks, yeah and vocal rest is really important for beginners and people who struggle with screaming. Thx for the video mate, you deserve a subscribe 👍🏻

[@xrkronii]

Im so glad i learned extreme vocals. I had completely lost my falsetto and high range (leaving my singing range at bass to mid tenor) and now after 7 years of extreme vocals i found my high alto again :D Now i find extreme vocals and higher notes to be as natural as speech

[@GarrettCampbell]

@@xrkronii This is awesome news! So glad for you! Screaming is so freeing👌🤘

[@AlexanderMiller-u9u]

I learned how to metal scream here recently, and whenever it hurts for me or my vocal chords start to feel like they're "touching", I push a little less. What I mean when the vocal chords touch is when your voice sounds a little deeper and grainer, like you went through a 2nd stage of puberty. That's when you are warmed up and are a little more ready to scream. If you push really super hard there, you can start to do damage to your voice and not have a good scream. If I do scream for a while, (like 2hr+ with proper hydration/throat coat) then it starts to hurt and then I stop.

[@GarrettCampbell]

Ya man, hydration is something I was NOOOOT good at lollll. I would drink soda and energy drinks more than water, which is so terrible for my voice. Great advice here, thank you for sharing. (Throat coat was in the mug :)

[@simeaudio]

Great video. I've been doing metal vocals for 10+ years, had zero problems but I also got lucky - my technique was awful in the first years. If I could give only one tip, that would be: don't shout. If your breath pressure is in a good place, the likelihood of vocal damage will be greatly reduced. Plug one ear when practicing so that you can hear your tone better, and go from there. You need good tone, good harmonics, and you'll get that through repetition and tweaking - not by blasting out loud vocals when your body still hasn't built the correct muscle memory. Another extra tip: start with low larynx positions. Go for darker, deeper resonances, and build your way up to the higher screams. This also tends to keep you a bit safer when starting out. Metal screaming is NOT shouting, and it is absolutely possible to do it safely. If it hurts, it's wrong. (and of course, since it's impossible to get it perfect, if you've over-pushed REST until you feel that your voice is back to normal. Pushing through the pain is not going to make you the greatest singer ever, it's going to ruin your voice permanently.)

[@GarrettCampbell]

@@simeaudio Yes!!!! Love this. Metal screaming is not as simple as most people- even singers- make it out to be. There’s so many ways to do a good technique wrong.

[@Dragenthor]

Dawg those Powerwind vocals were sick as hell, so on point. Alle Conti is my favorite singer and it took years, but I've gotten to the point where I can sing pretty much every song he's done with Trick or Treat, Twilight Force or Rhapsody, and I really felt what you said about 'If your favorite singer gave you their voice, would you take care of it?' I'm gutted to hear that your voice is damaged, and I pray you do recover as much of it as possible, you're hella talented.

[@GarrettCampbell]

Thank you for the kind words!🙏Yes, Alle Conti is one of my top 5, up there with Christian Erikkson and Fabio Line. Thanks for the encouragement, and keep going with your own music! :)

[@Dragenthor]

@@GarrettCampbell Love those guys as well! And no problem, thank you as well. I'm just about finished writing and producing demos for my first musical project. It's a power metal concept album in the style of Trick or Treat's Rabbit's Hill, and it's been such a rewarding process. Also challenging, since I'm doing it all on my own, all the metal musicians in my area are all death metal guys, no one's really interested in getting a power metal outfit together. Oh well. But I really dig what I've heard on your channel, I've wanted to start doing covers myself, I just have no talent for production. You do good work! Looking forward to seeing more!

[@GarrettCampbell]

@ Wow, that sounds wonderful! Best of luck, and let me know when it’s out!🎶👍🤘

[@Dragenthor]

@@GarrettCampbell Thank you man, I sure will! 🤘

[@Sergio-nb4hj]

Justin Bonitz' (Hungry Lights) videos are a GOLD MINE. The video where he corrects his old techniques is loaded with so much good info for beginners and intermediate vocalists alike. Title is 'How To ACTUALLY Metal Scream | Debunking Misinformation'

[@GarrettCampbell]

@@Sergio-nb4hj Yep, I love those vids and they’ve helped me heal for sure❤️

[@4stringedbass]

lost like 1/3 of my range and got a permanent raspy voice for 4 months a few years ago. that really scared me and I quit doing harsh vocals after that. i mostly sing in a style a bit like jeff buckley/panic at the disco/queen, so if i do some jelling or even make some silly voices im often in big trouble. so i think choosing one over the other might be a good idea for some people.

[@GarrettCampbell]

Good thoughts! Regulating how much to "push" your voice is huge👌Best of luck!

[@kaitlyn.d.b]

YES! Apparently we have to learn the lesson of taking care of ourselves the hard way. Also, "clearing your throat" is pretty detrimental as well since you are essentially ramming your vocal folds together. The mucus then begins to overproduce since it is trying to heal the inflammation which makes the issue worse, so you "clear your throat" more... rinse and repeat. love that mug lol

[@GarrettCampbell]

Go Chiefs! :) Yes, my throat-clearing habits are not too great either loll thanks

[@jessicaison2140]

My approach is to take things slowly and stop for a few hours or the whole day if I'm feeling like I'm done. However, my approach to vocals is very intuitive and sensation based, and I've learned to feel my voice out for signs of strain.

[@MatVeiQaaa]

anything is only good in moderation, and the skill to follow that moderation is very difficult and important to acquire... You can even work too hard. Even if you do everything absolutely perfectly as far as technique goes, but simply do it too much, you gonna end up with damage.

[@GarrettCampbell]

Exactly!! Love this 💪

[@russellspear6188]

If you had swelling in your vocal cords from overuse, that could have been Reinke's edema. Your speaking voice sounds very good now! What kind of therapy or rehab did you do to get your voice back? What kinds of exercises worked? I have some Reinke's edema and something else that they haven't been able to diagnose yet, but I have an appointment with an ENT in four weeks. I sent you an email about this just now! I go into some more depth there.

[@GarrettCampbell]

Hey Russell! So awesome to hear from you by email! Yes, I read the whole thing and will get back to you asap, but what I will say now is that learning when to speak less or less loudly has made a BIG difference for me. I have two jobs, one of which where I teach 11 year-olds, which gets very noisy. Learning to not speak as much, and sing more relaxed and less forced when I DO sing has been the best therapy for me. Also, going to a pro vocal coach-- who understands your genre!!!-- is great. Cheers man! Talk soon.

[@russellspear6188]

@@GarrettCampbell Well, thank you for making this video and being nice enough to offer your email! I appreciate these tips and look forward to your email whenever is convenient for you.

[@NothingAfter]

It's scary that the first time I did screaming vocals in my workplace christmas party, this video pops in my recommendations. Thanks for sharing your experience. On another note, is that title a Yu-Gi-Oh! reference or what?

[@GarrettCampbell]

So glad my humble candid rant was helpful to you! loll Ya, maybe a slight reference there... :)

[@agsicodpslahavwshxausudusi7327]

I did my first harsh vocals (fry scream) on a party too because I can’t sing, lol

[@NothingAfter]

@agsicodpslahavwshxausudusi7327 bro i did the rapping and screaming in Bring Me To Life cause I can't sing either hahaha

[@GarrettCampbell]

@ lollll

[@GarrettCampbell]

@ lollll love that song

[@Andy_Rose90]

I lost most of my range and clarity of my voice to various factors over the years. Worst is probably chronic inflammation due to problems with my immune system paired with very reckless overuse of my voice. When I was young, I thought my voice was so powerful that I could basically do whatever I wanted without any issue. My immune system is still fried and I must talk a lot for my job, so at this point, I've basically given up on ever fully revovering again.

[@GarrettCampbell]

@@Andy_Rose90 Same here, my friend. It’s a fragile instrument😓

[@EncoreASMR]

Nice video.

[@GarrettCampbell]

@@EncoreASMR Thanks!

[@jensassmann]

but how do you reconcile this with e.g. will ramos? i'm sure you've seen the video that went viral where his throat etc was checked by doctors and he was super healthy, in fact his vocal health was above average. no damage at all. another great example is landon tewers, has been screaming for ages and still has an amazing singing voice.

[@GarrettCampbell]

@@jensassmann Great question! My screams are not exactly the same as Will’s, so he may do something that I don’t that makes him able to do it comfortably and loudly. Personally, I’m still trying to get my screams that “big” while staying relaxed. I wonder if it has to do with speaking volume as well…

[@popcorn_showers]

I'd like to see what homemade remedies for recovery for those of us who've already lost it and are still recovering 😅

[@GarrettCampbell]

@@popcorn_showers Me too! :) Let me know if you find anything!

[@ИапГоревич]

I lost my range to reflux, not due to screaming

[@GarrettCampbell]

@@ИапГоревич Oof, sorry to hear that. How’s recovery?

[@ИапГоревич]

@GarrettCampbell Nothing helps. I lost my head voice completely

[@KakashiHatake-sg8ym]

I transfused Hansi Kürsch, Rob Halford and Pavarotti into my throat

[@KakashiHatake-sg8ym]

(waiting for my voice to start beeing majestic)

[@GarrettCampbell]

@@KakashiHatake-sg8ym Can I get one too? 😂😂

[@GarrettCampbell]

@@KakashiHatake-sg8ym You’ll get there!😅👍👍

[@joshuafrato]

If it hurts. STOP. Reassess what you’re doing.

[@GarrettCampbell]

@@joshuafrato 100%🙏

[@iodfusj]

I've never heard of an artist having a problem unless they're a performer.. If the song is already recorded I don't understand why we're playing it again in front of people when the artist could be putting effort towards making something new. Imagine if the Mona Lisa was painted over and over again five nights a week in every city possible.

[@GarrettCampbell]

@@iodfusj Good point, although if someone painted the Mona Lisa for practice, they would learn a LOT about painting.