Vocals

[neonblack]

I did a quick search but didn't see anything about this really. Singers/hollerers/yowlers/growlers/crooners/etc of ILF, how do you do it?

I mean, I know with your mouth (twss) but I mean how do you write vocals? Like, how do you write vocal parts that you're satisfied with and then play your guitar part and sing those parts at the same time without one or both parts suffering?

How do you come up with vocal parts that aren't just ripping off someone else's vocal parts? How do you find your voice? Are you trying to emulate someone else or are you intentionally trying to emulate nobody?

Basically let's just talk about vocals. I'm playing in a band now where it seems the most appropriate thing would be to yell into a mic. Any tips for doing that without ruining my throat or passing out? Any tips in general for aggressive vocals in a non-metal sense? I mean we can talk about metal vocals too, if someone else is interested or whatever. I don't care.

[actual]

Tape a telephone mic inside a mask. Put on said mask. Scream about dicks cause no one can hear what you're saying anyway.

[neonblack]

That seems like a sure-fire way to pass out. I don't know how Brian Chippendale survives.

[coldbrightsunlight]

I almost exclusively write vocal melodies last, normally by playing the music part on guitar or piano repeatedly and singing along, usually nonsense words and sounds unless I have a lyric in mind. Sometimes I write the melody on piano or guitar and make up words to it.

In terms of singing the parts I just do it, I don't have a very good or unique voice and I've learned not to be too bothered, I just sing in a pretty plain way with little embellishment.

I do wish I had a better voice and was better at vocal phrasing and interesting singing but I think that might come if I keep at it and gain confidence.

[popvulture]

In the bands I've written songs/sung for, lyrics almost always have come last. Vocal melodies, though, usually come pretty early on. I write progressions/riffs, then pretty soon afterwards I'm putting some nonsensical/phonetic la la vocals over them. This always helps me fit the vocals to the song structure/cadence/style. When it comes time to write lyrics (the most agonizing part), I try to pick words that get the point of the song across but also adhere to that early scratch la la melody. It's worked well so far. Only regret is not spending enough time refining actual lyrics and/or working on the vocal takes more in the studio.

[Invisible Man]

http://songexploder.net/weezer

You should listen to the Weezer episode of Song Exploder. Not saying it's the way to go, but it's definitely interesting.

[odontophobia]

In full disclosure...

it's been weird for me because primarily I was a vocalist before ever picking up guitar.

Now that I'm writing songs I have to think about singing and playing riffs and it's hard. The better riffs I write the harder it becomes (for me) to do vocals. Doing both makes you way more impressed with other people doing it.

Now I mostly yell jibberish over our music until I find patterns that I like and I start there. It's working so far.

[codetocontra]

Go instrumental.

I used to have a better singing voice but when that band broke up I stopped singing and sort of lost the talent for it. At some point I started doing something wrong and would lose my voice or it would get raspy for about a week after a show. Hoping it will be like riding a bike and it will all come back to me. Though if a new band moves forward and I do end up doing vocals again I would consider actually going for a few voice lessons to help get it together. One time the house was empty and I hooked a mic up and sang...lasted about 5 minutes and really hoped the neighbors didn't hear me.

Lyrically though, there are only two types that I enjoy. One is the vague almost nonsensical string of words that have a subtext underneath, or tell a story. Singing about "you" is fairly boring and egotystical when using your perspective overtly in songs, thing like saying "I" all the time. Those aren't songs I care about very often.

Singing and playing is just a skill to develop. Playing would help keep my singing in time, and singing verses helped keep my measures counted properly.

[snipelfritz]

Sing what's in your heart...blood...projectile vomit blood onto the audience.

[coldbrightsunlight]

http://songexploder.net/weezer

You should listen to the Weezer episode of Song Exploder. Not saying it's the way to go, but it's definitely interesting.

Yeah I found this fascinating. Don't necessarily think it produces interesting lyrics (see anything weezer has done in this century) but it's a very different approach that I think definitely has merit, and it made me think about how I write lyrics.

[Iommic Pope]

The Pope method:
1. Firstly and most importantly, never write anything you cant sing and play at the same time live (if you are singing and playing simultaneously). Riffs are more important. Make riffs good.
2. This is old hat and cheesy, but if you wanna learn how to scream/without damaging your chords, go learn the Zen of Screaming method. Ive been decried for this before, but it works, its safe and you can figure out the fine details after youve got your technique down.
3. Get some lessons from someone outside your school of thought. Jazz singers are great. Female ones with open minds particularly. They understand you're trying to make music your way and youve put yourself on the line to learn how to do it properly. They can also outsing rhe fuck out of any dude youll meet and can teach you so much more about being comfortable with your voice.
4. Your voice, it sucks, get over it. You'll never like it. But you'll get to a point where you dont think its so weak and hate it on principle. When you really start nailing big notes and extending your range, itll actually feel good. Really good. I love playing guitar more than singing, but singing feels better if its done right. Wish i knew why.
5. Draw from your influences. You wont ever sound like Tom Waits, Mark Lanegan, Steve von Till or Dorthia Cottrell, so who gives a fuck if you're trying to?
Wait...
6. Write patterns/rhythms first, stuff you can PLAY AND SING.
7. Work on melody to fit this. Make sure you can play it AND sing it.
8. Write lyrics last. I like to write short stories that give you only a glimpse of whats happening but progress and tell a narrative of silences as the song moves amlong. Hooray! You might like to write obscure songle word lines or phrases that hint at a greater narrative or issue. Arent you mysterious?
9. Be prepared to hate the process. But anything worth doing is worth destroying your ego over in order to gratify it in a deeper sense and gain insights into your inner well of awfulness. GO YOU GOOD THING.

[BitchPudding]

Tape a telephone mic inside a mask. Put on said mask. Scream about dicks cause no one can hear what you're saying anyway.

prettu much how I do it live with my solo shit and noise band. Contact mic > boss me > amp. Ill post pics of the beast later.

[maggot]

There are songs I write by walking and singing; those tend to have the best melodies, but the music behind them tends to be real simple - just chords, although you can go on to make it as complicated as you want.

Then there are the songs where I write the vocal parts along with the riffs. Those frequently have better riff than songs, but sometimes I get lucky. If you were songs by singing in the shower/on the way to work, etc, you write more "hits". I'm putting "hits" in parentheses because I just mean something that people remember and sing along with.

I'm generally in agreement with the Pope, but I'm not sure about the writing all the rhythms first. You can also base rhythms off of the lyrics.

Basically, any way you can poop out a song is a good way. Put time into it and don't expect to be inspired.

[Iommic Pope]

Yeah initially for me inuse the rhythms or patterns as a guideline so that if there are more interesting options available when words are written (such as with the syncopation of passages etc) then they can be changed in.
I gave up on trying to shoehorn things id written into songs when i was a kid though.
Its much better to serve the song than it is to gratify my amateur hour poetry skills.

[coldbrightsunlight]

I'm constantly writing down lines and couplets or just short phrases on whatever paper I can find lying around, maybe 1% end up in a song? Occasionally it can be really inspiring to flick through the collection and be grabbed by a single line though. Several times I've come back to one line months or years later and been inspired to write an entire song.