How to Sing Screamo

Co-authored by Tanisha Hall

Last Updated: March 28, 2023 Approved

Screamo is a subgenre of post-hardcore emo that was popularized by bands like 'Thursday', 'Alexisonfire', 'Silverstein', 'Poison the Well' and 'The Used'. However the screamo technique of screaming/growling has been used by singers across a wide variety of genres, from heavy metal to jazz. Screamo singing can be very hard on the vocal chords and can potentially cause permanent damage to your voice, therefore it's important to learn how to do it safely and correctly.

Part 1

Part 1 of 2:

Getting the Right Technique

1
Breathe from your diaphragm. One of the most important things to learn when practicing any singing style is how to breathe from your diaphragm.
- This allows you to take in more oxygen, helping you to hold notes (or screams) for much longer and avoid getting out of breath while performing.
- When you breathe from your diaphragm your stomach should expand as you inhale and contract when you exhale. Learning how to breathe correctly and naturally from your diaphragm takes practice.
- Therefore you should start doing daily deep breathing exercises to improve your technique.
2
Get the right vocal tension. You will have different levels of tension in your vocal chords depending on how high or low you sing or scream.
- For example, when you sing in a low voice your voice box will move down, making your vocal chord tension loose. When you sing in a high voice your voice box moves up, making your vocal cords tight.
- Good screamo singing is all about control, and in order to have control you need to be aware of how vocal cord tension works and how you can manipulate it. Once you can control vocal tension, you will easily be able to move between high and low registers, even while screaming.
- A good practice technique is to hum along with the sound of your car engine as you rev it up -- this warms up your vocal chords and allows you to practice moving from high to low registers.
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3
Start at a low volume. Many inexperienced screamo singers damage their voices by trying to scream too loudly -- however, one of the best kept secrets of successful singers is that they actually scream kind of quietly (as weird and contradictory as that sounds).
- Don't try to scream at the top of your lungs on your first attempt, start at a low volume and as your voice gets stronger you can gradually increase the volume.^{[1]
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- The beauty of screamo is that you can let the microphone do most of the work while you're performing. Even a "quiet" scream can rattle your audience's teeth when amplified by a good sound system.
- You can also produce deeper sounds by cupping your hands around the microphone or by moving your mouth in specific ways as you sing. The best thing you can do is just to play around and experiment with it until you find a sound that you like.
4
Record yourself singing. One of the best ways to improve your screaming technique is to record yourself singing and then watch it back later (no matter how awkward this might feel).
- This can help you to pick up on things like poor posture or pitch-problems which you would never have been aware of otherwise.
- Recording yourself allows you to really hear what you sound like and become aware of where you need to improve. The first step to improving your singing is to recognize your mistakes.
- A headphone microphone is usually a pretty decent microphone to record yourself. It picks up the voice pretty well , especially if you hold it right in front of your mouth.
5
Work with a vocal coach. Vocal coaching and screamo singing may not sound like two things that should go together, but screamers can actually benefit hugely from some professional training.^{[2]
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- In fact, famous frontmen Randy Blythe, Corey Taylor and Robert Flynn have all improved their screaming technique and learned how to properly care for their voices thanks to professional vocal training.
- A vocal coach will work with you to train and strengthen your voice. Even a couple of sessions can be worth the money, as your coach will teach you some breathing and warm-up exercises which you can practice at home.
- Alternatively, you could try to get your hands on a book called "The Zen of Screaming" by Melissa Cross, which is pretty much the definitive guide to safe yet awesome-sounding screamo.

Part 2

Part 2 of 2:

Protecting Your Vocal Chords

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Drink plenty of warm drinks. It's a good idea to drink slightly warm water before rehearsing or performing.^{[3]
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- The water helps to clear and lubricate the throat, while also keeping you hydrated. Warm water is better than cold water as it warms up your vocal chords.
- You could also drink tea or coffee, but remember not to add any milk or cream. Dairy products coat the throat and increase phlegm production, making singing harder.^{[4]
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Use a throat spray. Using a throat spray moisturizes your throat and helps to prevent your vocal chords from becoming damaged.
- The most popular throat spray for singers is called "Entertainer's Secret" as it is a non-medicinal spray which relieves pain and irritation without numbing the throat.
- It is available for purchase online.
3
Don't use any numbing products on your throat. It's a bad idea to use any numbing sprays or lozenges, even if they help to relive vocal pain.
- Pain is your body's way of telling you that something is wrong, so if you're numb to that pain you can do serious damage to your vocal chords and potentially ruin your voice without even realizing it.^{[5]
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4
Give your voice a chance to recover. When singing screamo, one of the most important things to remember is not to push yourself too hard.
- If you start to feel any pain, burning or irritation you should stop immediately and wait a couple of days for your voice to recover.^{[6]
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- Trying to sing through the pain (however rock star that sounds) will only hurt your voice more and potentially cause irreversible damage.
- Do not sing at the extremes of your range a lot. Just like athletes don't run at 100% all of the time, you shouldn't sing at 100% all the time either.
- For the most part, you should sing between 25% to 75% of your full potential.

Community Q&A

Question

Is it any different for girls?

Community Answer

Somewhat. Girls can have a harder time learning to scream if their voice is higher pitched. This can be fixed if you learn how to sing or speak in your lower register. This allows your voice to be deeper, which is necessary if your voice is pitchy. If you were blessed with a lower voice (like me), screaming will be easier.
Question

I'm sixteen and aiming for a Gerard Way/Chester Bennington style of vocals (My Chemical Romance and Linkin Park).

Dankfrance

Community Answer

Gerard Way (since I'm most familiar with MCR) has a bit of a mixed singing style, I guess you could say. His voice sounds fairly rough, especially in older songs, and the screaming/louder parts are often not much louder than the music (though they probably get toned down in editing a bit). Anyways, to go for a Gerard Way style, mix your singing with a softer, more gentler voice, a more regular volume, and then finally you can add in your screamo lyrics. It's quite the mix, but if you listen to him and really listen for it, you should be able to see what I mean by this.
Question

Is it safe to scream if I am 14?

Community Answer

Yeah, it's perfectly safe. Sing in a low tone, hum to your car engine revving, and make sure to drink warm drinks. Let your voice rest afterwards.

Warnings

Singing screamo incorrectly can permanently damage your vocal chords, so remember to always warm your voice up first, to use proper singing techniques and to stop immediately if you feel any pain.

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