How do you make death grunts?

Answer 1

Okay I'm still researching this in depth but propper death grunts belong to the section of advanced singing techniques. Without some singing techniques you'll simply get a soar throat and if continued you'll get polyps on your vocal chords.

My definition of death grunt will be a deep distorted undertone created with the vocal folds. This is different from distortion, tuvan throat singing, death growling or screaming.

A good example is placed here;

http://www.YouTube.com/watch?v=P--cTgZQQ84&feature=related

Though sounding good I do not share the opinnion of the youtube grunter that either you can or can't grunt. Like almost all of singing I believe the technique can be copied and used. Though with some people it will come more naturally.

I'll divide the answer in 3 parts.

Breathing & Posture, Placing the vocals and distorting the placement thereby creating .

First of all your posture has to be upright while standing, relaxed shoulders, feet placed forward with some space in between, knees a bit band and neck relaxed with the face facing front. Overall just stressfree standing.

Your breathing has to be focused from your diaphragm only moving your belly up and down. Normally you breath with both your chest and diaphragm but breathing from the chest will create stress on the vocal chords. Don't forget you'll have to breath through your mouth making it possible to suck up air more quickly.

This can be practised by inhaling making your belly go up then slowly tighten your abdominal muscles while slowly and fluently exhaling . If you can reach 30 seconds of exhaling while keeping it fluently you're ready for the next step ,in fact the longer the better as long as you don't lose your breath.

Now let's talk about placing the vocals. First of all you have to be able to sing maybe even like a little fairy :p. Pick a note and repeat the previous excercise while making the tone with your voice instead of simply exhaling. Depending on your personal attributes pick a note that's comfortable like the main note of your speaking voice and work from there to lower or higher notes. If you're able to use the note you want without getting a soar throat you can proceed.

Death grunts are if done properly not made with the normal vocal chords. To much brute force is required to grunt with them you'll simply lose your voice if you continue with the same problems in foresight as I mentioned in the beginning, requiring surgery if done wrong over a longer period. You will have to make the distortion tones deeper in the throat only making the notes with your vocal chords.

To find an example of the depth with wich you have to place your voice here is an example of tuvan throat singing style of kargyraa. While watching this vid don't focus on the higher pitched whistles these are made in the mouth and are yet irrelevant for death grunting.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s7his4z9tiw

The tone is made by choosing a lower tone and singing it then add a little feeling of chocking not to much or you'll damage youre vocal chords. You can also experience the basic tones by gurgling some water in the back of your throat while making a tone or note.

Now for the effect of distorting practice speaking like and old hag or a witch screeching and a bit mad. An examble can be found here.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TuHTOXXQQgQ

If you're able to do all this then you're save to move on to the last bit. Adding the distortion to the mix. Don't begin making a real hard death grunt first learn to use it then go for volume, so hold back on the air. First of all to make the sound as like an old witch, put your lips like that of a monkey making a little "O" with your lips. Whilst this really tighten your abdomanal muscles and putting up an angry or serious face might also help. Now slowly change the tone lower and lower till you reach the place where you made the tones for the throat singing. Like death metal magic you'll now be making a death grunt.

This method I developed worked for me. I

hope it's usefull for you aswell.

PS. If you use the old lady speech and make a grin you'll make a screaching sound usefull further in Death Metal.