I'm sorry that this one topic seems to be my continual trouble area, but it's the one thing that I'm trying to perfect the most. It would be great to have a 6 octave range, but that's not my inevitable goal. So here it goes...Every time I try to add roughness to my voice, I'll place my finger on my Adam's Apple. The grittier, the higher my larynx rises. Sometimes my larynx rises higher while doing this than when I'm hitting my HIGHEST falsetto note. I'm trying SO hard to do everything correctly. (feel it in the soft palate, power pushing, correct techniques, breathing out, not up, yawning position) I know that you endorse (or at least support) Melissa Cross's DVD, but I'm not exactly going for death metal screams. I want the note itself to be just as clear as the abbrasiveness. Again, I'm sorry if you are getting sick of these questions. If you can't answer this until let's say...later this year...Should I go ahead and get "The Zen of Screaming?" My only concern is that it won't help me with my very peculiar and particularly specific problem. Jaime, I'm at a dead end here. I've read everything about this in RYV. I could probably point out specific statements on the exact page without looking at this point. Again, if you can't currently answer this, just tell me whether or not to get the M. Cross DVD, and I'll accept whatever answer you divulge unto my open ears. (well actually "eyes" since I'll read it, not hear it...I digress) Thank you, Senor Jaime de la Vendera. Lo agredezco muchisimo!

I can't sleep...I thought I'd say that Melissa Cross' DVD focuses primarily on screaming through engaging the false vocal folds, and a warm-up routine. It's a good thing to have, definitely worth it as it's all useful information applied in a very easy to understand way.

If adding rasp to your voice, or indeed growling, even whistling out wonderfully disgusting sounds, appeals to you, I suggest you look into khoomei:

http://www.busker-kibbutznik.org/khoomei/HOW-TO/

It's really easy to hurt yourself examining these techniques, but done properly, you'll be able to do FAR more than just add rasp to your voice, and it won't hurt at all and will aid you in vocal expression.

I am not exactly sure if this is how it goes for everybody, but when I add rasp to my voice, I can clearly feel with my finger that the membrane coming from my mylohyoid muscle (right under your chin) and connecting to the larynx gets tighter/looser, and my larynx does indeed go up.

I never feel any pain when this happens. I can produce anything from a light raspiness to completely throwing the note away and just hearing harmonics.

I believe that this 'tigtening' I feel is the false vocal folds coming more and more into play, and I can conciously control whether I am accenting high or low harmonics.

I think the sensation of the vocal folds tightening is because of the larynxtube twanging together, in order for that sound to produce. This does not happen in the vocal folds but only because of a twanging in the tube above.

Johannes and James are right there. There is a tightening a bit above the cords, but not a pinching off of the pharyunx, and your larynx does not need to rise to get it. It's not that I don't want to explain it, because it is all basically already there, but I don't have time to write out 50 pages of info that will be rel;eased very soon in a system I am developing specifically for screaming. It's really not all about the info anyways. it will be about new specific exercises to help you isolate your voice to prduce the grit while adding pitch. I can't release any of these exercises because I am under contract with a company to produce them. That is another reason the extra audio files aren't done yet. I've got 30 projects to complete and only time for 15 of them ;) I have sooo much stuff to do0 my head wants to explode. I even have great people on this board dying to write out audio intervieews I have and I haven't been able to convert them yet to email the interviews to them. I still also try to be loyal anjd check the message board everyday and offer advice. So, everyone please bare with me. When my new book, the new vocal system and a few other projects I have to complete are done, then I will finally have more time to add a lot of stuff to The Voice Conection :)

Jaime V