How to Sing Like James Hetfield (Hyper Compression, Air Flow, Moderation) NOT a Reaction!
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- Опубліковано 13 чер 2024
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Using actual studio album samples, let's dive into some older and newer Metallica lines and study how James Hetfield gets his grit, cleans it up, nails some noteless screams and makes it all sound so controlled and free at the same time. This has been a frequently asked for video and I'm excited to dig in with you!
1986 James: what the heck are you talking about?
1983 James: AfDshDHnIbr @#$& Gimme more beer :3
1982: heehee Sean Harris
@@BigCleverName :D :D
1991: "I blew my voice out twice, and I want to sing like Chris Isaac so I can put Nothing Else Matterd and The Unforgiven on this album"
Even though i dont really like people bashing on different eras of metallica, this conversation is pure fucking gold.
I started by singing the lyrics of "Orion". Wish me luck!
XD
No
That’s a tough one. Good luck. 😂
Lyrics: WAH-WAAAAAAAAH-WAWAWAWAWAWAWAWA WARARA WARARA WARARARARA (remembering cliff’s solo un voice) i searched the lyrics for this one, good luck
After you’ve mastered that, try call of ktulu, that’s a hard one
I'm just imagining Chris' wife hearing muffled shouts of "SEEK AND DESTROY".
"Honey, are you doing okay in there?"
Hahaha!! :)
Screams of “fire, fire, fire, fire”
*Looking for his cheating wife*
Searchiiiiiing,
Seek and deSTROOOOY!!!
Oh my god hahahahahahahaa, i cant stop laughing at each "seek and destory" bc I instantly picture this comment in my head
SEEEKINGGGG
Jason: AUUGHHHHH
FUN FACT: One of the reasons James sounds different after the Black Album Tours, is because after losing his voice, he took some lessons.
How'd he lose the voice? Was he using incorrect technique?
@@lightningmonky7674 drinking, probably a not so good technique and a 3 year non stop world tour
@@lightningmonky7674he blew his voice out if i remember correctly. He never wanted to be a singer and never actually did vocal warmups or lessons leading him to eventually blow his voice out on the black album
James being super shy and not wanting to be lead singer at first blows my minds, then ends up having the best metal voice in his prime of all time 85-91
Lol not even close
Yeah, I'm pretty sure when Dave Mustaine was still in the band, he was the one who did the singing. At least for a bit.
@@IsThereAnyHandleThatIsntTakenJames was always the singer, in fact he originally was just singing and not even playing. Dave mustaine said when James hetfield started playing he was shocked by his ability to play.
7:28 teen boys singing alone in their room 😂
🤣🤣🤣
That’s literally me right now
3:18 James in his 80’s singing
Leonardo Inverno ahahahah
What you talking about James sounded better in the 80s than he did in any other Metallica period
@@robbielawsonguitar6446 not THE 80's, HIS 80's
@@ares4086 oooohhh 😂😂
Man, first Shadows, now Hetfield... If only you also did Dio, then my dreams would be completely fulfilled.
Dio is coming ;)
@@chrisliepe holy shit!!
(or should I say Holy Diver)?
@@AshRavens you absolutely should not..
In fairness, Herfield and Shadows have both famously blown their voices out to a point that created physical damage. Hetfield had to dial his approach and techniques in afterwards which makes it sound less agressive in order to preserve what he still has. I don't think Shadows is quite there yet but I hope he has continued ability as Hetfield did. As far as Dio... who knows lol.
@@jameshatfield7165 you're just a Hat-er :D
James definitely wasn't much of singer early on, but a vocalist. That certainly changed. Analyzing some peak live singing would have been cool.
S&M (even with that excesive postproduction on his voice) or anything from 99 are great. What a year for James voice
That album + Load and Reload are really something special because of his voice. He really nailed the blend of smoothness and grit.
Have you considered talking about Serj Tankian? That guy has some serious control over his voice. During old soad days and his solo stuff
YES PLEASE
Please....
I need to learn how to sing like the guy.
Shane download Festival is cancelled
agreed
Yes please!!!!! 🙏
yes please, i just dont understand how he does it
8:52 notice how his voice is identical to Hetfield's when he's trying to mimic
I know right? Blew me away and I laughed so hard at the same time.
Sounded more like Lars to me.
@@andresardon2286 lol
Lars
Ride the lightning be like: “we can buy all ice-cream” 😂
I don't get it
Ahaha I get it
@@brunobredow3433 can you please explain it
All I can say :
YEAH!
YEAHHHHH
YEAH YEEAAAAHHHH- James Hetfield
YEAYEAH
YEAH
Yayeyeahah
Please make a "how to sing like Phil Anselmo"
Step 1: destroy voice with cigs
Edit: I like Pantera
Step 1. Get drunk off your ass. That's it.
@@BigCleverName that was mostly the drugs and the alcohol not the singing
You can't
He cant exactly sing like Hetfield can he
For next Suggestions:
Dave Mustaine
Tom Araya
Ozzy Osbourne
The Riff Basement yes Ozzy
Honestly Dave seems easy
It seems like he is just talking aggressively.
Dave Mustaine, please!!!!
Tom araya please
Step 1: End every other word with “AH” even if not possible
*possiblah
Yeaah
"Till the sandman he coooooomesAAH!" :D
I’m so used to singing to Het in my head like this that I do this same thing in other songs.
HallelujAHH
3:01 I always laugh when you do those examples, probabily the most fun vocal coach in yt.
Nice! Thanks! :)
8:46 what your mom hears walking by your room during quarantine
This is so f...ing underrated!
The real way to sing like James Hetfield is to completely trash your voice by singing completely improperly. I sacrifice my vocal chords so I can recreate the early 80s James voice so well
Dude your vocal fry is similar to cobains. It definitely has a more power then James. But you vocally sound like him
Good to know, I'm working on destroying voice my already! 👍🏻
Congrats dude! You recreate the young Hetfield very well. I will try to learn with your videos and sacrifice my vocal chords too.
Hetfield didn't really have that much of a technique early on, just scream loudly, drink tons of booze and further trash your voice by overworking.
Then he took some lessons and damn he got good.
@@masterexploder9668 yea you gotta use your throat
Used to sing in a Metallica cover band. The way I always described trying to get that sound to people was "Bear down like you're going to take a shit, without letting any air out (as in, diaphragm pressure & air compression). Then, let some out by opening your cords, but not all of it. Now try to sing like that, & you'll get the general idea."
A kinda crude explanation, but it usually got the point across.
Neo-Midgar I tried it just ended up farting
Toby Howe lmao
Ooooaaah!
This is literally exactly how i teach friends lmao, the shit taking aspect at least
If you need to 'bear down to take a shit' you need to see a doctor 😁
Dont forget he is playing while he is singing . Greatest rhythm guitarist of all time 🤘🤘🤘
right?!!?
Absolutely.
you lost your goddamn mind kid im the greatest
Lets be real here, dave mustaine is far more impressive. Im a metallica guy dont get me wrong, but cmon
shirok shor nope , dave is inconsistent nowadays while james is fairly equal
Don’t forget to mention in Kill ‘Em All, Ride the Lightning and Master of Puppets James still didn’t have a developed voice so they layered multiple vocal audios to get the best result so there is now way you can perfectly imitate his voice.
There's tons of early tracks that aren't doubled, most of the verses aren't
Not even James Hetfield can sing like James Hetfield these days....
His vocals are the best they've been in a long time, but his vocals have changed quite a bit over time.
Seattle 89 peak vocals
@Caelin Tscherter for thrash, hell yes but I like the deeper more pissed sound for live events and the AJFA era.
His 1989-1996 Voice is great
Sad but true
Doing Dave mustaine from Megadeth would be really cool. His voice is an...acquired taste for sure.
It's easy. For a sweating bullets sound: plug your nose and match the pitch
daves voice is awesome. it fits megadeth so well
His voice is kinda funny
Dave mustaine voice is shit yeah i said it
I gotta admit since Dave has gotten older his voice sounds cooler. On Dystopia he sounds amazing
Holy shi... That Fuel sounded almost like James himself
Chris, we can't thank you enough for your videos man. God bless you
Love how Hetfield used clean and rough vocals in the St. Anger album. It made the album a lot more powerful.
James Hetfield also, for ten years, consistently sang in standard tuning without down tuning.
Doesn't necessarily mean you're singing high just because the guitars are tuned higher
@@vosoryan actually you are semi wrong. People sing in lower tuning on tour to preserve vocals. Kelly Clarkson did a video on it.
@@daoyang223Nah, he means the range James is actually singing. Songs like Sad But True are tuned down in studio and he still pushes his range. It’s just the way they write it to fit his vocal range in comfortably.
Fefore And Justice for All, Hetfield used a technique that almost made him lose his voice, like M. Shadows. It's something that many metal and rock singers do before getting training.
From my recollection I'm pretty sure he was just yelling in pitch, but I'm probably wrong he might have been using some techniques
Nah he said he is losing his voice on tour because he is singing too much (black album tour) therefore he decided to get some lessons so he can not lose his voice on tour
@@FeFeronkaMetallica ahhhhhh I see
@@FeFeronkaMetallica yeah, when he scream out his ass during seek and destroy jam with fans
@DanielBx when he recorded the album and justice for all he coughed before every line to close his vocal chords
You are impressively in control of your vocals. I love that you not only display but also encourage the experimenting side of finding one's voice. Keep it up :)
0:23 you described perfectly the amazing voice of James Hetfield
Ive found that if you naturally have a gritty voice, its easy to do his voice.
James even doesn't have a gritty voice. His normaly voice is really mellow and chill. Like a stoner. Especially when he was younger.
@@XXLRebel Yeah.. It mustve hurt like hell just screaming his ass off every night every show lmao.
@@XXLRebel James’s voice back in the day lets say 83 was very strong and he had that grit but not so much. His voice is also low so in my opinion is easier to achieve his tone if you have baritone type of voice and a little bit of grit.you should have strong and nice voice
lmao smoke a shitton of cigarettes and you're golden
Just sing "ouhhww!" and "yeah" alot.
YEEEEEAAAAH
OOOOO....YEAH-HEH!!
4:30 sounds like Klaus Meine
I've been waiting for this to happen for so long! And now it's here! Thank you!!
3:33 James in 1994 after 3+ years of burning out his gritty roar of a voice
To think they were trying out singers back in the early days because James wanted to just play guitar, it would of been a completely different Metallica.
Wrong! He looked at his Aerosmith Poster and Said he wanted to be both Steven Tyler and Joe Perry. He just didn't think a band could make it without a "front" man, so he would go back and forth between vocals and guitar but ultimately decided to do both. James has NEVER said he didn't want to sing.
James actually wanted to sing first. He only picked up the guitar with it to add a more compact sound. Only found this out lately but that's pretty awesome. He was actually so bad in the beginning but improved to one of the best singers in the world.
@@XXLRebel he's nowhere near the best singers in the world, but he's come pretty far from where he started
@@kylester0055 Speak for yourself.
Always wanted this lesson! Thank you, Chris.
:)
You never cease to amaze, Chris! Thank you!
Yay! Been waiting for this one. Awesome analysis 👍🤘
The Ride The Lightning part sounded like metalcore vocals, amazing.
7:30 when I sing seek and destroy that's how I sound 😆😆😆😆
This was such a creative and clear vocal lesson. *Thanks brother!*
man omg, i laughed so much watching this, it's just so good, keep it that way! Best vocal teacher on youtube, period.
Man you’re a great teacher, these videos have been super interesting to watch. Would love to see you try your hands at Michael Åkerfeldt from Opeth someday, he’s my favorite vocalist out there (best examples of his incredible vocals is Ghost of Perdition, both his clean and distorted stuff from that song is legendary)
fun fact James didn't even want to sing when they first formed the band
Edit: I probably should have added that he wasnt really confident with singing pre Kill Em All. As others commented if it werent for Mustaine joining they may have gone with other options
False, he primarily wanted to sing when Metallica formed which is why they got mustaine on guitar early on, but then hetfield missed playing guitar which is why he ended up doing both in the end.
Wrong! He looked at his Aerosmith Poster and Said he wanted to be both Steven Tyler and Joe Perry. He just didn't think a band could make it without a "front" man, so he would go back and forth between vocals and guitar but ultimately decided to do both. James has NEVER said he didn't want to sing.
Yea James quoted he 'ended up being the singer in the band'
John Bush was almost vocalist
Seems like a “buzzing” sound kind of technique. I feel a similar result like trying to sing nirvana type stuff
like the deep version of nirvana vocals
I agree
Amazing video! I've always practiced my singing simply by just belting out every tune from the "Master of Puppets" and "Black" album in my car and the constant "practice" actually helped me sound like my own version of Papa Het, ESPECIALLY the "YEAHHH'S!". Thanks for helping me even more Chris! You just earned a new subscriber!
I love these types of videos you do!
Man, I would love to see you talk about Dustin Kensrue from Thrice. Especially some of the stuff from the last few years is super intriguing singing to me.
Dustin is next level good! So much variation over his career and he's just as good live 🤘🤘👍
5:53 😂 i loved that part
This video has helped me so much!!!! From here on out it's just practice. Thank you so much!!!!
Chris does not disappoint. Thank you man!
YEAHHHHHHHH
I hear you, man. “Safely” is the keyword.
You know more about singing than me; I’m a guitarist who “discovered” that I could sing. My natural range is in that Hetfield, Matt Drake, John Bush, Layne Stayley type range. I say my natural range, because those ranges is where I can feel most comfortable singing with “hyper comprehension” and using my false cords. I also feel comfortable in that Lashon Witherspoon range.
However, I “blew out” my voice after after becoming a vocalist for a band in Japan. I can do vocal impressions (but cannot effectively do some that I previously did after I had surgery to remove a vocal cord polyp).
I developed said polyp via pushing my voice to hard onstage during gigs (drinking hard alcohol between songs), and my day job (broadcasting and using my voice constantly). Also, while on stage, I pushed my voice HARD, because of all the rage inside me.
I ended up having surgery to remove the polyp.
However, I think I, recently, developed another polyp. This time is was a combination of stress from my previous job (changed careers recently), drinking cold liquids and, once again, said rage. Oh, and smoking. Literally, blowing out smoke and jumping right into growling vocals with smoke still rolling out of my lungs (I know; very stupid of me).
My problem is I need to CONTROL my rage and only push my voice when needed, not CONSTANTLY pushing it.
Honestly, I’ve been considering vocal lessons to help me learn when to push and when to hold back.
Now, I am of the mindset (now) that I should push it only when recording, not when singing by myself or even live. Also, to me smarter and not drink cold liquids and smoke while singing.
Hetfield (and Matt Drake of Evile) both have the same vocal style, but both “lay off” when singing live. They don’t push as hard, live. It makes sense, one shouldn’t push when doing many consecutive gigs.
Again, my main problem seems controlling my emotions and not going all out. I am sure I can still express my rage without trying to scream it out of my throat with every ounce of my being.
I don’t want to end up like Phil Anselmo. He had a great voice, but his rage destroyed it.
Would love you see you break down some of the more ballad-y songs like Fade to Black, Nothing Else Matters, Mama Said and Sanitarium
I love your vocal break examples, very fun to do lol
I can do the compression on the Gimme Fuel etc, but when I try to do it on higher notes like the Master of Puppets stuff, the distortion totally falls away and it's just clean. Any tips on helping with that?
Would you please consider Kurt Cobain (he sometimes sounded like he didn't have a good technique but at the same time sounded great and original) in your "How to sing like..." series? And also John Garcia from Kyuss, he has a great control over his grit and overall voice! Like on a Kyuss Bizzare festival 1995 show.
John Garcia from Kyuss would be in an interesting choice indeed, although maybe rather linked to Chris' video on the not so technically proficient singers?
Hey, I love your videos. You've been the easiest person to understand, and I always end up taking something useful out of your videos after I've watched them. Do you think you could do a video on Johnny Craig? Especially on the shout/scream/whatever it is that he does. Keep making these, they're awesome :)
Just started the video. Looking forward to some yeyahs!
I find it so cool seeing a safe and technical approach to singers who didn’t have any technique early on. Really rewarding taking different bits from your favorite vocalists and making your own voice and singing safely.
YES
Holy crap you did it!!!
I think a How to Sing Like Jonathan Davis would be interesting
Wow, i just discovered your youtube chanel, I'ts 4 AM, i have to go to sleep, but man...I've been searching so long for a lesson on James's voice and YOU are golden...you explain things so well and easy to understand.Thank you and God bless you!Subscribed!
Nice. Thanks for watching!!
Perfect man! Thanks for this!
"Look to the sky just before you die, it's the last time you willl!"
2:42 Christopher Walken, is that you? xD
LOOOOOOOL
I'm dead dude
HahahahahHahahaha ctm
Well done dude...very good explanation of James voice
Amazing!! Thank you very much Chris!!
Hey Chris, love the vids. A David Draiman would be awesome!!
I'd love to hear your thoughts and maybe a full video on Russell Allen from Symphony X. He's got a similar gritty, almost macho man metal style like Papa Hettfield, but it can almost get more brutal. Just check out their song Set The World On Fire to hear him switch between his grit and cleans. Maybe another one to add to this sort of hyper-compression group with Hettfield and M. Shadows.
Thanks so much man, I've learned a lot about my voice from your videos, and I'm excited to see where the future takes me. Thanks man, and keep up the great work!
Gotta day this video has really helped me figure out how to get a more controlled distortion with my voice... more do than any other! I’ve actually gone back to the Freddie Mercury and Layne Staley videos and have had a much easier time getting the grittier tones by singing a few lines of Fuel first! Thank you so much!
That’s great!! Thanks for sharing.
I just discovered Chris’ videos & I absolutely LOVE them! Sometimes I laugh out loud with his exaggerated examples. But it really works!
15:35 I wonder what your neighbours are thinking :)
@@strix3986 ride the lightning
11:52 This stuff that you're getting into there, I think that might be something I'm doing to an extent, moderating notes in certain phrases with my support. I can do some vocal phrasing, like the stuff you hear in Irish music (Paul Brady etc). But last year I tried to master singing the "you're as warm as Tennessee whiskey" phrase from Tennessee Whiskey by doing it slowly over and over. I made it to 5500 times (wanted to get to 10.000), but felt like I couldn't speed it up without missing the intonation on the notes. But it's been a while since I tried, and I've practiced a lot since. I'll revisit and try again with this in mind. Thanks as always, Chris. It's cool to learn from these videos, even when you cover vocalists that I don't usually listen to.
Man... what a great teacher you are! Thank you so much!
Enjoyed watching every second of this video! lookin forward to the next on:)
2:57 - foreshadowing a possible "how to sing like Kirk Windstein"? :D
Awesome work, thank you so much for it!
Also, I have a suggestion, please: a video like this about Peter Steele, from Type O Negative, would be amazing.
No justice???His vocals were super aggressive on it. Would have loved to see you cover some.
7:41 pushing more downward and using that break technique.
I tried your advice and I’ve never had a better sounding and feeling false chord scream!! Whoa, thanks man!!
Found you from your appearance on the Specter Sound Studios channels. New subscriber here 👍🏻
Awesome! Thanks for the sub!!
great job man!
James's belting, and clean vocals are so underrated, I swear.
Love your channel Chris. I’ve been singing professionally for 42 of my 55 years and I learn so much from all your videos. I’d love to see you do Sing Like videos for Lou Gramm, Brad Delp, and Freddy Curci if and when you get a chance. Thanks in advance. 😀
That’s awesome! Thanks! :)
Chris Liepe Please add John Farnham, and Jack Jones (aka Irwin Thomas ) from Southern Sons to my wish list. 😀 Both incredible Australian singers with a very similar style. Thanks again Chris. I’m supposed to be out on tour but we got cancelled after show 3. Lots of time to watch your videos as we’re self isolating up here in Canada! 🇨🇦
This is amazing! New sub!
Awesome videos, awesome pedagogy, awesome kindness, awesome guy...
Thank you!!
3:07 You sound like rick from rick and morty
Hey man, your videos have helped me a lot. A Joe Duplantier would be awesome!
Awesome work. I liked it very much.
I'd love one of this about Glenn Hughes and/or Daniel Johns (Silverchair's era). Amazing content as always. Thank you!
For whatever reason this was incredibly unnerving to watch but, damn, you know what you're doing. Fantastic video!
Love this! Any interest in continuing the hyper compression singers with Michael Poulsen of Volbeat? Obvious Hetfield influences but a lot of unique and interesting techniques as well. Often referred to as the Metal Elvis if you havent heard him
Awesome lesson, man. Thanks so much for doing this, I always wanted to see some good analytics behind JHs singing talent. But I must mention that (for "Kill 'em all" and partly "Ride the lightning" albums) he didn't "control" much of his singing. By his words, it was more like :"I started singing, and they wanted more aggression. So in the end of recording , I was just yelling at microphone
Crazy! Yeah, good points. It’s good for us, then, to try to learn these proper ways of using our voices.
Hey man great vids should do Devin Townsend and Howard Jones(Killswitch Engage)
ChronicTheAgoristHedgehog I totally agree Howard is the one who got me into Metalcore
Thank you so much man ! I requested this video a lot in the comments! :)
Me too! Chris has finally heard us. Here goesssss 😍
OH YES :) Give Me Fuel, Fire... And... Some time to do some studying and experimenting and I'll do anyone :)
@@chrisliepe "I'll do anyone" Sure, Chris 😂😂
Thanks again!
@@chrisliepe if you will do anything, do Greg Gilbert from shrine of malice >:) Great videos. Keep up the awesome job
Just add an “uh” at the end of most lines and you’re well on your way to attaining the signature Het sound.
Harvester of sorro-uh
I think, the black album and LOAD era, was James at his best vocally.
This has been the best video I played on my speakers at the bus.
wished you would've included more of his later stuff (like loverman and the mercyful fate medley), that's when he was at his best.still a great video =)
4 minutes in.. and already pressed LIKE haha.. You are awesome Chris!! Thank You, you're a great teacher and a nice person!! >>> Now, off to watch it 'til the end!! ;)
YESSS :) ...YEAAAHHHHHH
@@chrisliepe Now that i've seen it I wish it was longer lol. I wish You included some live stuff and clean stuff like "Halo on Fire" (check that out.. You can hear the transition from clean to hyper compression very clearly) thanks again! Very enlightening!!
How To Sing Like James Hetfield :
- Yeah
- YeaYeahhh
- Ouhhh
- Ouhhh Yeahhh
Of corse not
Thanks a lot for this video!
Incredible video as always, Chris!
I've learnt so much already from your videos, thank you!
Although he's somewhat out of the spotlight, please consider reviewing the magnificent Simen Hestnæs of Arcturus. He's an incredible and incredibly unique vocalist. I'm trying to blend all the techniques the way he does it, but the genius of his vocals is way way way beyond me. If you're curious, I suggest you listen to a couple of Arcturus' songs, most notably: Shipwrecked Frontier Pioneer, The Chaos Path, White Noise Monster, Crashland, Game Over, Demon, Warp. I hope you'll enjoy the brilliance that is Arcturus!
Thanks again for your vocal lessons, keep up the great work!
Thanks for the suggestion!!
Anytime! Enjoy!