Learning to Sing “Heaven Beside You” by Alice In Chains
“Heaven Beside You” by Alice In Chains is a popular song that offers a great opportunity to explore the use of vocal distortion and the melodic nuances of grunge music. In particular, the lead singer often employs a type of vocal distortion known as growling.
Understanding Vocal Distortion and Growling
Vocal distortion is a technique used to add grit and textural color to singing, and is often used in rock and grunge music. Here’s a vocal exercise to practice growling safely.
Unpacking the Song
To truly master a song, you need to understand its structure. “Heaven Beside You” follows a verse-chorus structure. You can use our Song Search tool to find other similar structured songs.
Breath Support and Articulation
As you navigate the melodic lines of the song, proper breath support is crucial. Growling also requires excellent breath control. This article expounds on breath support in depth.
Moreover, clear articulation is important for the proper delivery of the lyrics. Here is an articulation exercise video that will come in handy.
Learning and Mastering the Song
Now that we’ve unpacked “Heaven Beside You” let’s work on learning and mastering it. Here are some steps to get you started:
- Determine your vocal range with our Vocal Range Test. This will help you understand whether you need to transpose the song to best suit your voice.
- Work on your growling technique. Refer back to the video above and incorporate these techniques into your practice.
- Warm up before practicing the song. A good warm-up prepares your vocal cords for safe singing.
- Use our Vocal Pitch Monitor to ensure your pitch accuracy as you practice.
- Finally, connect with the emotion of the song. Authenticity goes a long way in making your performance unique and compelling. Here’s a guide on how to sing with intuition, skills, and emotion.
The techniques you learn from this song, especially the vocal distortion and growling, can also be applied to other songs that require a similar stylistic approach, such as “Rooster” and “Down In A Hole”.
Remember to be patient with yourself; mastering a song takes time, practice, and perseverance. Enjoy your singing journey!