Clean vocals vs Harsh vocals

What do you prefere in your music?

Clean vocals can be anything that doesn't involve killing your throat. Be it clean metal singing, rock singing, rap etc.

Harsh vocals are Death growls, Grunts, Shrieks. etc

I've always prefered my good ol' clean vocals. Just sounds so much nicer to listen to.

with that definition I'm going with clean vocals. Though I do enjoy a gravely voice, I don't care for the metal screams/grunts. I also like a truley clean voice such as Steven Tyler.

I like both, but harsh vocals can ruin a song if badly done.

They both have their place, and it depends on who's on vocals. Most music I listen to utilizes harsh vocals, so I guess I'll choose that as my preference. My favorite harsh vocals would have to be Frank Mullen's. There's a short list of metal vocalists who can match his intensity/delivery/enunciation.

depends on the music. sometimes a clean vocal can sound overproduced though

Doesnt matter as long as they can sing. Screaming and/or growling isnt singing imho though.

I like both. I'm not close-minded enough to say that I wouldn't like one or the other...

Hmm... clean vocals have their place in music. But I love noise pop were usually the vocals are distorted and laiden with heavy reverb. For me it relies upon genre.

I like both. I'm not close-minded enough to say that I wouldn't like one or the other...

Saturos3091

this. I don't care as long as the vocals are good.

If you use your definition of harsh vocals, I like clean vocals better.

Always clean. Harsh vocals are just unpleasant.

There is some clean vocals i like , and a bunch i can't stand. I can say the same for harsh vocals too since they can easily get out of hand and become incomprehensible. I think i'll go with clean since i usually listen to clean or clean together with harsh.

I can't f***ing stand harsh vocals.

Clean vocals.

Harsh vocals almost always sound like **** IMO. Also, I find harsh vocals to sound incredibly samey. And although there are alot of generic clean vocalists out there, you also get some of the most superb or distinctive vocalists ever.

Gee, good technique and proper musicianship, or utterly unintelligible crap that's going to completely wreck your vocal chords?

Tough choice.

Not much of a metal fan, so clean vocals for me. I do enjoy some harsh vocals, like say, Mikael Akerfeldt's from Opeth. But I did have to train myself to consider the vocals as just another instrument to convey mood and emotion.

Gee, good technique and proper musicianship, or utterly unintelligible crap that's going to completely wreck your vocal chords?

Tough choice.

PannicAtack

Say what you will, but a lot of harsh vocals are very easy to understand. Whether or not you like them is a different issue.

And don't you think it's a bit of an overstatement to classify all clean vocals as "good technique and proper musicianship"? :?

Anyway, it depends entirely on the style of music. In all honesty almost all death metal and black metal just wouldn't work with a different vocal style. Likewise, a lot of musical styles just wouldn't work with harsh vocals. It really depends on the genre of music.

I like both but I would rather have all harsh than all clean. By the way screaming and growling doesn't wreck your throat. It doesn't even hurt

I listen to a lot of stuff with harsh and clean vocals, so both.

Though if the screaming and all of that is horrible is can really ruin a song for me.

TAYLOR SWIFT!!!! Clean vocals FTW!!!!!!!!

[QUOTE="PannicAtack"]

Gee, good technique and proper musicianship, or utterly unintelligible crap that's going to completely wreck your vocal chords?

Tough choice.

chessmaster1989

Say what you will, but a lot of harsh vocals are very easy to understand. Whether or not you like them is a different issue.

And don't you think it's a bit of an overstatement to classify all clean vocals as "good technique and proper musicianship"? :?

Anyway, it depends entirely on the style of music. In all honesty almost all death metal and black metal just wouldn't work with a different vocal style. Likewise, a lot of musical styles just wouldn't work with clean vocals. It really depends on the genre of music.

[QUOTE="chessmaster1989"]

[QUOTE="PannicAtack"]

Gee, good technique and proper musicianship, or utterly unintelligible crap that's going to completely wreck your vocal chords?

Tough choice.

PannicAtack

Say what you will, but a lot of harsh vocals are very easy to understand. Whether or not you like them is a different issue.

And don't you think it's a bit of an overstatement to classify all clean vocals as "good technique and proper musicianship"? :?

Anyway, it depends entirely on the style of music. In all honesty almost all death metal and black metal just wouldn't work with a different vocal style. Likewise, a lot of musical styles just wouldn't work with clean vocals. It really depends on the genre of music.

This statement is totally 100% false... as a former vocalist for 2 different Grindcore bands, I can attest that this statement is wrong...

you use the same technique for guttural vocals as for singing... you breathe with the diaphram, not your lungs just like good singing...

The major difference is that when you sing, you are supposed to use your regular vocal chords... when you do guttural vocalization, you use the second pair of vocal chords called the "false vocal chords"... they are essentially a second pair of chords that are harder and sturdier then your speaking vocal chords... like when you clear your throat, the sound you make is cause by the false chords... if you use proper technique, you never even use your regular vocal chords...

Perhaps you should not speak with such authority on a subject you know little about...

[QUOTE="PannicAtack"]

Gee, good technique and proper musicianship, or utterly unintelligible crap that's going to completely wreck your vocal chords?

Tough choice.

chessmaster1989

Say what you will, but a lot of harsh vocals are very easy to understand. Whether or not you like them is a different issue.

Well, I looked rather stupid here.PannicAtack

If serious... we forgive you:P... its fine not to like something and feel strongly about it... I do it all the time...

As for the TC's question: it depends on so many different factors that for me, the question is unanswerable... I love both, but it depends on the individual vocalist more then the style of vocals...

I like both. I'm not close-minded enough to say that I wouldn't like one or the other...

Saturos3091

[QUOTE="Saturos3091"]

I like both. I'm not close-minded enough to say that I wouldn't like one or the other...

LJS9502_basic

For real. And even if it was close-minded, I'd rather be close-minded than lie to myself and others about what I like.

depends on the band/music. love both

I dont know if slipknot is considered harsh or clean :)rangegear

[QUOTE="rangegear"]I dont know if slipknot is considered harsh or clean :)DmadFearmonger

It's completely dependant on what the artist is trying to express. If Behemoth used clear vocals, I don't think they'd be playing the same type of music. I like it the way it is. Conversely, I don't think Sara Bareilles should take up a death metal growl.

Mikael Akerfeldt.