An Actors’ Guide to Screaming Safely

A scream is a sharp outburst of sound, usually high-pitched, that “can be performed in different vocal modes depending on the desired sound and emotional quality,” says vocal coach Vicky Harrison, who is trained in complete vocal technique. Within the world of acting, singing, and voiceover, screaming is considered a vocal extreme and requires the use of proper technique and care to perform safely without damaging your voice.

There is some overlap between the techniques used for singing and screaming vocals. “In both cases,” Harrison says, “healthy sound production relies on breath support, efficient vocal fold coordination, and resonance rather than force.” With a scream, however, “the end goal is not to make a beautiful or pleasant sound,” as in singing, voice coach Sonja Field says. 

Screams are generally “in the higher part of your pitch range,” voice coach Andrea Hazel Lewis says. For a long, high-pitched, and piercing scream, she recommends saying “yah” in a “bright, twangy sound” and repeating it, “building up the pitch and volume gradually.” Once you can safely produce and sustain “a long, high-pitched and loud ‘yahhh!’ [you can] start to reduce the Y sound slowly,” allowing it to shift to a more “open vowel sound” – an “ahhh!’ 

Your vocal folds stretch like elastic bands when producing any high-pitched sound, so Harrison says “it is important to gradually condition your vocal cords to reach higher notes and screams safely” without causing inflammation or damage. She adds that “screams can be created in chest voice…or other vocal modes depending on the effect needed,” not just in falsetto.

1. Preparation is key.

“A healthy voice is far more resilient than a fatigued one,” Harrison says, so ensuring that you practise good vocal hygiene in the lead-up to your performance will set you up for success from the start. Ensuring that you have had sufficient sleep and are well hydrated both before and during rehearsals and performances is “essential when you are going to be screaming,” Lewis says. 

2. Always warm up.

Voice is created using a whole range of muscles in the body, and screaming is a particularly intense use of voice. So warming up is a must. Harrison recommends that “actors approach screaming the same way athletes approach sprinting: You never want to go from cold to full intensity.” A solid warm-up should include “gentle stretches for the jaw, tongue, neck, and shoulders; breath work to release tension and regulate the nervous system; lip trills, humming, and sirens to encourage vocal flexibility; plus some resonance exercises to wake up the voice without strain.” From here, you can gradually build vocal intensity so you’re not jumping straight into screaming. 

3. Make a choice on the type of scream.

Lewis tells actors to “think about what sort of scream the scene needs. Is the scream brief or long or repetitive? Does it build in intensity or go intense straight away? Is it a scream of joy or fear?” The type of scream you use will inform what you need to work on technically, so deciding that in advance and then practicing the necessary technique will set you up well for performance. 

4. Focus on technique before emotion.

“Screaming requires real technique and care to do it safely without damaging your voice,” Field says. “Relying on emotion or just going for it is extremely risky.” Both Field and Lewis are certified in Vocal Combat Technique, and Lewis advises actors to “focus on thoughtful technique before any attempt to feel the full terror of the scream.”

5. Engage your body.

“The biggest misconception is that screaming should come from the throat,” Harrison says. “Safe screaming is actually about breath support and controlled airflow. Actors should think of the sound being supported from the body rather than ‘pushed’ from the vocal folds.” Try to get your whole body involved in the scream, engaging your core muscles rather than forcing volume out from the throat.

6. Reduce tension.

You want your body to be engaged in the scream, but you want to avoid any tension. That “often increases when performers try to sound extreme, and that’s usually when the risk of injury rises,” Harrison says. Try to stay as grounded and relaxed as you can, particularly in your tongue, jaw, neck, and shoulders. The safest screams happen when nothing is being physically forced.

7. Take regular breaks.

You may feel nervous to ask for breaks if you’re just starting out as an actor, but Lewis reminds actors that “taking regular breaks to rest your voice means you’ll be able to keep working for longer overall, so it’s not only for your benefit, but also better for a production too.” That may be setting a limit on the number of takes you can do for a screaming scene or asking for a short break between takes. It’s far better to give your voice a rest in the long run than push through to the point of vocal fatigue or even injury. 

8. Use vocal resets.

“People [often] do damage to their voice because it’s locked up in one position for too long, meaning tension builds up and can leave the voice more susceptible to fatigue or injury,” Lewis says. “Vocal resets get the muscles in the throat and vocal tract moving so they’re less likely to get stuck in one position for too long.” Sighing, yawning, gargling, and swallowing are all examples of vocal resets that can be done as part of your warm-up, in between screams, during breaks, and at the end of the day as part of a cooldown. Lewis adds that some actors she’s worked with “have even included a cheeky vocal reset during a scene.” A sigh or a swallow could easily be plotted in before or between screams, for example, and it may even add to the moment’s tension.

These tips and tricks will help set you up for delivering some ear-piercing howls, but Field notes that it’s “difficult to offer generic advice for screaming” because it’s so dependent on the individual and the type of scream you wish to produce. With that in mind, it’s worth considering using a vocal coach trained in the techniques required to safely produce your most blood-curdling screams before the job begins.