Saturday, June 17, 2017

Video Review: "Vocal Fry" vs "Fry Scream" vs "Singing & Yelling w/Grit or Rasp" by Dave Wolff

"Vocal Fry" vs "Fry Scream" vs "Singing & Yelling w/Grit or Rasp": WHAT'S THE DIFFERENCE?
While I was on Youtube seeking tutorial videos for death metal and extreme metal vocals, I found a profile with the most comprehensive and academic instructional clips yet. The profile’s owner is Mary Zimmer an experienced vocalist and vocal teacher who has been posting tutorial videos for about a year and generated positive feedback from prospective vocalists in underground metal. To instruct vocalists in this discipline is relatively new, with a handful of bands (Hungry Lights), singers (Andrew Patterson) and instructors (VokillCoversMelissa Cross) demonstrating how the techniques works on Youtube. According to her channel, Zimmer clearly has a grasp of her branch of knowledge, and with enough promotion their demonstrations will annul the threadbare phrase that the vocal styles of death, black and power metal are screaming into a microphone without talent. A few minutes spent watching Zimmer’s videos are enough to effectively disprove this and show the training needed to master low pitched D/M vocals and high pitched B/M vocals. Two requirements she stresses as important are physical strength and coordination, as well as training your throat to achieve your desired sounds. Zimmer states as a disclaimer in another video her methods are safe and healthy, but should not overlook the advice of a medical professional, so a certain sense of responsibility and patience is likewise needed. Excessive strain and tension are signs that you should consult a professional rather than continue. As the title of the video states, Zimmer explains the differences between singing with grit and singing with rasp, emphasizing the importance of throat training and likening her methods to those used by blues, pop, rock and soul singers. My description is just scratching the surface and you’ll find much more information in her forty-plus videos. Highly recommended for vocalists who seriously want to learn about these vocal styles, and I would also recommend the other channels I cited above. -Dave Wolff

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