Singing Guide: Pendulum
Vocal technique, exercises, tips and relevant resources
If you’re wondering how to sing like Pendulum, you need to adopt skills used in rock and drum & bass styles of music.
Rob Swire, vocalist of Pendulum, incorporates aggressive singing and high-pitched screams to create a signature sound. Learning these techniques is difficult, so prepare to be patient while practising them.
Before jumping into aggressive vocals, it’s important to get your breathing right. You need to have proper diaphragmatic breathing for the optimal sound quality. Check out Singing Carrots’ articles on breathing basics, breath support and how posture affects your singing.
Once you’ve nailed your breathing techniques, it's time to work on the scream technique. The growling technique developed by Melissa Cross is an excellent start to achieving Pendulum's singing style. You can find the relevant exercise in Singing Carrots' exercise library. Note that this growl technique can be harmful if not done properly. Do not over-exert yourself and consult a professional if you feel any discomfort in your throat.
To develop piercing screams, a technique called "high screams" can be learned. The YouTube channel, Samurai Guitarist, posted an excellent lesson on it, and you can also check Singing Carrots' articles on vocal distortion & growling.
Incorporate your diaphragm breathing techniques and growling to scream like Rob Swire, but be mindful that screaming requires a significant amount of physical power, so always warm-up before starting.
Finally, it's crucial to keep your style and vocal range in mind while performing Pendulum’s music. Always choose songs suitable for your vocal range and gradually increase the difficulty level. Singing Carrots’ ‘Search songs by vocal range’ tool will help you find songs matching your vocal range, genre preference and difficulty level.
To conclude, gaining Pendulum's unique singing style takes time and practice. Follow the practical tips and articles linked in this article, and take care of your voice while pushing your limits. Good luck!