# How do I sing with that raspy 80's metal voice? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [September 8, 2008, 8:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-sing-with-that-raspy-80s-metal-voice/462664 "2008-09-08T20:19:59Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![WarmNPrickly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/d78d45/32.png) [@WarmNPrickly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WarmNPrickly)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2008, 8:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-sing-with-that-raspy-80s-metal-voice/462664/1 "2008-09-08T20:19:59Z")
My church does a regular Valentines Day concert with a theme. This year the them is love gone wrong. I’m new to the church so I would love to break out with something memorable. I figure _Every Rose Has a Thorn_ would be a good standby, but I will have to dedicate lots of time to learning to play it. While I think that is doable, I would really like to do _You Give Love a Bad Name_\*. The only problem is, while I can sing like Bon Jovi for a few bars, I can’t help but hack and cough. How the hell does Bon Jovi sing like that and how can I learn for myself. I can hardly imitate 80’s metal unless I learn to sing like that. All i can think is that I have to smoke three packs a day for three months, but my wife wont approve of that (though I would be totally dedicated to it without her.) ---
**Author:** ![foolsguinea](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foolsguinea/32/14751_2.png) [@foolsguinea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/foolsguinea)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2008, 9:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-sing-with-that-raspy-80s-metal-voice/462664/2 "2008-09-08T21:16:33Z")
The trick is not to tighten your throat. You’re tightening your throat to, um, force your voice to go through mucus, & use the narrowness to put a discordant overtone in, I think. (A voice teacher will certainly correct me on this, but that’s what it feels like.) This is bad for your vocal cords. Let me say this again. This is _ **BAD** _ for your vocal cords. Instead, you need to open your throat up. Take it far enough, & you get the weird rough tone without the stress of constricting your glottis, & you can sustain it longer. This takes a LOT of practice, but it works. It’s what the screaming metal acts do. ---
**Author:** ![ExTank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/35a633/32.png) [@ExTank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ExTank)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2008, 9:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-sing-with-that-raspy-80s-metal-voice/462664/3 "2008-09-08T21:20:31Z")
A carton of Pall Mall unfiltered and a half-gallon of Jack Daniels will get you there, too. And quicker, to boot! ---
**Author:** ![WarmNPrickly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/d78d45/32.png) [@WarmNPrickly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WarmNPrickly)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2008, 9:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-sing-with-that-raspy-80s-metal-voice/462664/4 "2008-09-08T21:35:41Z")
interesting. I have been able to semi mimic it without causing issues at lower amplitude, but from what you are saying this is the exact opposite of what I need to do. I’ve got no problems with disturbing the neighbors so once the little one is napping I’ll have to go upstairs and play with my voice to see if I can get there. On the otherhand, a half gallon of Jack and a carton of Pall Malls you say? ---
**Author:** ![ExTank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/35a633/32.png) [@ExTank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ExTank)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2008, 9:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-sing-with-that-raspy-80s-metal-voice/462664/5 "2008-09-08T21:43:12Z")
> [@WarmNPrickly](#): > > On the otherhand, a half gallon of Jack and a carton of Pall Malls you say? Yep. And I could prove it, if the Injunction ever gets lifted. ---
**Author:** ![WarmNPrickly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/d78d45/32.png) [@WarmNPrickly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WarmNPrickly)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2008, 9:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-sing-with-that-raspy-80s-metal-voice/462664/6 "2008-09-08T21:45:23Z")
> [@](#): > > This is bad for your vocal cords. Let me say this again. This is BAD for your vocal cords. Wait a minute! So your saying that actually doing this properly could permanently damage my vocal cords? I’m not suprised. When I try, it hurts. Will it damage them is such a way that that is the only way I will be able to sing. Actually, it might be worth it. I can sing like mad, but so can a million other men. My church choir has such suckitude that they are unlikely to care that my voice has gone to raspy hell, but the raspy 80’s metal voice has got to be one of the most important and difficult voices of all vocal music. Seriously, I’m really good at getting most vocal qualities, but I can’t even touch this one. ---
**Author:** ![unspun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/b9bd4f/32.png) [@unspun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/unspun)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2008, 1:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-sing-with-that-raspy-80s-metal-voice/462664/7 "2008-09-12T13:18:31Z")
> [@foolsguinea](#): > > The trick is not to tighten your throat. You’re tightening your throat to, um, force your voice to go through mucus, & use the narrowness to put a discordant overtone in, I think. (A voice teacher will certainly correct me on this, but that’s what it feels like.) This is bad for your vocal cords. Let me say this again. This is _ **BAD** _ for your vocal cords. > > Instead, you need to open your throat up. Take it far enough, & you get the weird rough tone without the stress of constricting your glottis, & you can sustain it longer. This takes a LOT of practice, but it works. It’s what the screaming metal acts do. Interesting. Are some people more adept or able to do this without working at it? ---
**Author:** ![vertizontal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/ad7895/32.png) [@vertizontal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vertizontal)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2008, 1:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-sing-with-that-raspy-80s-metal-voice/462664/8 "2008-09-12T13:42:26Z")
A question for you audiophiles out there… is it possible for him to sing with his normal quality voice, and then feed the signal through some sort of filter/patch/whatever to add a raspiness to the sound? ---
**Author:** ![Flander](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8c91f0/32.png) [@Flander](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Flander)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2008, 3:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-sing-with-that-raspy-80s-metal-voice/462664/9 "2008-09-12T15:09:27Z")
> [@vertizontal](#): > > A question for you audiophiles out there… is it possible for him to sing with his normal quality voice, and then feed the signal through some sort of filter/patch/whatever to add a raspiness to the sound? Nope. Although you can take a clean guitar signal and apply distortion to it later, the distorted voice is the product of a LOT of practice, some natural talent and good technique if you plan on doing it for more than one song. ---
**Author:** ![Atomicflea](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/58956e/32.png) [@Atomicflea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atomicflea)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2008, 3:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-sing-with-that-raspy-80s-metal-voice/462664/10 "2008-09-12T15:15:26Z")
Didn’t you ever watch _Friends_? Get a cold! ---
**Author:** ![Frustrated\_Wonderer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/a4c791/32.png) [@Frustrated\_Wonderer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frustrated_Wonderer)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2008, 3:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-sing-with-that-raspy-80s-metal-voice/462664/11 "2008-09-12T15:24:25Z")
Yell a lot for a while. But don´t over do it. Then once your throat is soar (but not too soar), feel free to sing a couple of songs, before you lose your voice for a day or two. Works like a charm. 😉