Distortion 101: The Healthy Way To Add Grit

Singing with distortion is currently - and has been for that last couple of years - very trendy. We hear more and more singers use it in their artistry. So naturally many singers want to learn distortion. And some completely avoid it. And I get it. On one hand, it sounds gritty, emotional, raw. On the other, it sounds like something that might totally wreck your voice.

But here’s the truth: distortion isn’t just yelling—and it doesn’t have to hurt. If anything, the moment it starts to feel painful… you’ve already gone too far.

So let’s explore distortion in a safe, sustainable, and beginner-friendly way. We’re not trying to master death metal screams—but we’re figuring out how to tap into the colors between clean tone and grit.

So What Is Distortion, Really?

Let’s clarify something right away: distortion is not one thing. There’s vocal fry distortion, false fold distortion, growl, grit, overdrive… the list goes on. And honestly? If you’re just starting out, you don’t need to know all of them.

What you do need is to understand:

• How to get into distortion gently

• What your body should (and shouldn’t) feel

• Where things can go wrong

Distortion often shows up when singers are emotionally invested and pushing for more intensity—but the vocal folds themselves aren’t involved.

That’s why we start with control and awareness, not just “make it sound rougher.”

Safe Starting Point

Before you can jump into any kind of distortion, you need to make sure that your underlying foundation is sustainable. For example, if your belt is really tight, you get tired quickly and/or you’re straining to reach these higher notes on a clean sound, adding distortion on top of it isn’t going to work - or at least not sustainably.

I personally worked on distortion before my belt/mix-belt was sustainable and I could never really get that distortion right… Every so often it would work, but it would also hurt from time to time and it didn’t seem to get better. I then put working on distortion on the back burner and focused on getting my belt more sustainable. To my surprise, once I was able to let go of all that strain, distortion started coming through naturally and easily (but still controlled, meaning I could sing both with distortion and clean - without distortion!). So before you get all excited about singing with grit, please be sure to build a sustainable foundation first and you’ll find more success with accessing your grit too!

Fry, Rasp and Growl

When we talk about distortion, there are different kinds we can explore. When we look at the different kinds of grit in rock, pop or other contemporary genres besides metal, there are three main kinds:

• Fry: Like a creaking door sound. It uses very little air and it a great doorway into controlled grit. When done lightly, it can blend into tone without taking over.

• Rasp: That smoky, breathy edge you hear in emotional ballads. It’s light, air-driven, and is usually done on sustained notes.

• Growl: Think Christina Aguilera - a growl is a short, but more intense distortion that is used at the beginning of certain notes.

How It Should Feel (Spoiler: Not Like Strain)

Even though these different kinds of distortion sound different, they should all feel effortless when applied in your singing. If you’re trying this and your throat feels tight, closed, or dry—you’re probably pushing too hard.

Healthy distortion should:

✅ Feel buzzy or buzzy-light

✅ Happen in the upper tract, above your vocal folds—not stuck in the throat

✅ Happen on strong breath support, not tension

✅ Be repeatable (if it hurts, you can’t sustain it)

One trick we used? Trying short phrases on a vocal fry and then moving into a clean tone with a little buzz left over. That “leftover” feeling is a good clue you’re in the right zone.

Also, because the distortion comes from the part ABOVE your vocal folds coming together (not the vocal folds themselves!) you might feel like your throat is closing a bit. If you do feel that, that’s totally fine, as long as it feel comfortable and sustainable.

When and Why You’d Use It

Let’s be real—not every song needs distortion. But when you do want it, it can:

• Add emotional grit to a lyric

• Make a climax feel raw and powerful

• Help you contrast clean vs. gritty sections

• Bring energy to pop/rock vocals without over-singing

The key is being intentional. You’re not distorting for the sake of “sounding cool.” You’re doing it because the moment calls for a different texture.

At the end of the day, distortion should always be a choice, not something you just do all the time.

Final Thoughts: It’s Not About Pushing Harder

If you’re curious about distortion, here’s the biggest takeaway:

The safest distortion comes from coordination—not pressure.

You don’t have to force it. You don’t have to get it right away. It’s totally fine if it takes you a while to get it. On your journey of finding distortion in your sound you will probably do it “wrong” a couple of times (meaning it hurts or feels scratchy). That’s ok - just don’t keep going that way! Explore the edges of your sound, get curious, and trust that healthy distortion takes time.

🎧 Want to hear what distortion can sound like in real time?

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