I'll cop to Melissa Cross.
When I first started screaming, I was doing Ok, but just destroying my chords.
Found Zen of Screaming, never looked back. Helped to strengthen everything and tighten up technique. Also helped to darken my voice, which is crucial, but also something you may have to let happen naturally with age and use of your voice. Practice often, get in touch with how you sound. reach a point where you can accept your voice (the hardest part) and eventually, once technique is down, you'll grow to be pleased with how you sound. Then you'll start to kick some arse.
I got some real singing lessons down the track as well, so I can hold a tune alright.
The Zen of Screaming thing seems really lame and sort of kids in "core" bands, but its technically accurate and it fucking works.
dase wrote:There's a great article on this by the dude from trial that I'll try and find when I'm not on my phone, but basically it boils down to this:
Breathe. Like really work on your breathing and place your words around it.
Sing from your stomach. Be aware of how you're using your diaphragm. Stand up straight so the diaphragm has room to expand and contract.
Never, ever, ever use stuff like lemsip or throat coat. It just anaesthetises the vocal cords so you don't feel it while you're damaging them.
Drink hot drinks, inhale steam if you can.
Use the pa to push your voice as much as possible.
Keep your throat and chest warm when not singing.
If you're on your try and avoid talking after the show as much as possible if you can.
There's no way to do it that won't damage your vocal chords and voice in some way, but you can minimise the harm.
Anecdotally I've found chewing raw ginger helps a lot, but that could be he anesthetising thing to. The other thing I've been doing lately that REALLY has helped is use a music stand in practice. I'm in a new band that's writing new songs and I'm trying to write and learn six or seven sets of words. If I stare at bits of paper on the ground I'm hunched over. If I have them on a stand at mic level I can stand up straight and do all that breathing stuff. It really does work.
All of this is wisdom.
Anything to do with singing is about relaxation and breath, which seems counter intuitive to screaming, but its the truth.
RE Tom Waits: Drink bourbon......but not when you're about to sing.
Just kidding, nobody is ever gonna sound as good as that guy.