THE BEST WAY TO START YOUR METAL VOCAL JOURNEY
Amazing news! I’m excited to announce the first of many virtual courses, “False Cord Fundamentals!”
Having taught almost one thousand students professionally, I’ve learned a lot about how to effectively help my students gain a healthy relationship with their voice, vocal distortion, and of course, safe and efficient singing and screaming. This virtual course is six modules long and is a compendium of all of the most effective methods of teaching I use with my one-on-one students. It focuses on more than just vocal exercises. It highlights
- Understanding your voice as an instrument, and how it works
- Creating a connection between proper breathing and vocal production
- Approaching distortion as a controllable asset of your voice by starting slow and then slowly ramping into more powerful growls and screams
- Projecting your scream without damage or injury
- Shaping mid and low tones
- What to do when things aren’t quite working, and how to assess your own technique and solve common vocal issues.
The goal of this course is to teach you the foundational scream found in bands such as Shadow of Intent, Whitechapel, Black Tongue, Slaughter to Prevail, A Wake in Providence, Cattle Decapitation, and hundreds more – and also to start you on the journey of being a powerful, self-reliant vocalist who can adapt to any song.
Learn more than just how to mimic a growl! Grab the False Cord Fundamentals Virtual Course and:
- Take the guesswork out of producing beefy low growls
- Gain consistency. Letting out a scream but not being sure what sound will come out will be a thing of the past.
- Work smarter, not harder. Get powerful mid and low tones without all the strain and effort many run into while self-teaching
And that’s it!
HEAR WHAT MY STUDENTS HAVE TO SAY!
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is this course meant for?
This course is designed for enthusiastic, dedicated vocalists of ANY skill level. Whether you’ve never attempted harsh vocals in your life, or you’re a seasoned vocalist who is wanting to gain stability in the fundamentals, this course is thoughtfully made to include anyone of any background and level of experience.
Who is this shaggy-lookin dude and why should I learn from him?
If you’re here you’ve probably seen at least one of my videos on YouTube, but here is the breakdown. I’m Mark! I’ve been a metal vocalist since 2009, and the vocalist of Kardashev since 2012. As a band, we have seven studio releases, the most recent of which is our Full Length “Liminal Rite” which was released on Metal Blade Records. I went to Northern Arizona University and studied Speech Language Pathology and minored in Linguistics. Though I did get hit with a serious illness that prevented me from finishing my degree, I learned a wealth about the voice. During that time I took what I was learning and applied it to my own metal vocal journey. Now I’m passing that knowledge on to you, so that you too can achieve your metal vocal goals!
How Long can I access the course materials?
Forever! Once you buy the virtual course, you can log into the virtual learning platform and view the materials at any time.
Can I be sure that my voice will be safe while taking False Cord Fundamentals?
This course is designed to walk you step by step through each phase of creating distortion, maintaining it efficiently, and projecting it with ease. That being said, you must go slowly and listen to your body. In each of the six modules I give you details on what you should feel, how to know you are producing these sounds safely, and the knowledge needed to know when you are ready to move to the next step. So long as you move slowly, don’t skip ahead, and listen to your body, you have nothing to worry about. If you do feel discomfort, slow down, step away, and come back to the course, working from the beginning.
HEAR MY STUDENTS LIVE!
1 KARDAVOX ACADEMY
1 AMAZING SONG
13 INCREDIBLE GUEST JUDGES
2 COMPETITIVE ROUNDS
3 PHENOMENAL WINNERS
COULD YOU BE ONE OF THEM? SHOW US WHAT YOU GOT!
Submissions are closed.
We thank each and every one of you for your interest.
Our Judges
Mark Garrett
Kardashev
NeverBreath
Joe Bad
Fit For An Autopsy
Phil Bozeman
Whitechapel
Dickie Allen
Infant Annihilator
Scumfuck/Scarlet Rot
Project Vengeance
Adam Warren
Oceano
Ben Duerr
Shadow Of Intent
Hollow Prophet
Cammie Beverly
Oceans Of Slumber
Josh Fore
Tetrarch
Vicky Psarakis
The Agonist
Sicksense
Melissa Bonny
Ad Infinitum
The Dark Side Of The Moon
Austin Dickey
The DickeyDines Show
Darkwatch
Chaney Crabb
Entheos
Johnny Ciardullo
Carcosa
Megan Targett
Vexed
The Rules
The Rules
1. The sign-up window closes on the 30th March at 0:00 PST. On the 30th March at 9am PST you will receive an email with your Unique Artist Reference and the song. Your submissions will need to be returned to that same email address. Round 1 ends on the 20th April at 9am PST.
2. Entries must be submitted as an MP3 file including the original track and your unmixed vocal track.
3. Tracks must be submitted in the format: Unique Artist Reference – Song Title.
4. I, Alex Carter am the only person that knows your name and unique artist reference. The contest will be judged by Mark, and the guest judge panel. Please do not harass our judges! None of them will know the names of any particular competitor, removing any bias that could possibly occur.
5. For the first round, your vocal track needs to be single-tracked, and unedited. To be clear, you can have many different takes cut together, but your vocals cannot be double-tracked, layered, or edited with effects in post-production beyond reasonable tiny tweaks such as volume control (for example, some competitors will have louder highs than lows etc.)
Essentially, your vocals will need to be as close to a live representation as is possible. Use your own discretion here, as different recording setups can sometimes provide different levels of natural compression. Just be honest, and treat it as a live vocal product and we won’t have any issues.
6. If you make it through to the second round, you’ll be able to add more layers, harmonies, and finish your song! The more people that enter, the bigger round 2 will be, so be sure to tell your friends to take part too – just no conferring/cheating!
7. Do not discuss your progress or entries into the competition with other competitors, or in the community page, and do not post any clips online during this process.
8. This song is property of Kardavox Academy. Once the contest has been completed, we will share with all of you how you can go on to use your work for this contest online, but note that it is similar to recording a cover for an existing song. Do not try and pass the track off as your own creation.
9. Most importantly: BE SAFE! HAVE FUN!
Kardavox Academy
1 on 1 live lessons with Mark
Unlock the raw Power and Aggression in YOUR voice!
About Me
Yo! My name is Mark Garrett, and I’ve been an avid vocalist since 2010.
I’m currently living my passion as the vocalist for Kardashev, newly signed to Metal Blade Records! I’ve done everything from progressive metal, deathcore, death metal, tech death, black metal, and more.
I’m also a full time vocal coach specializing in training safe and sustainable harsh and clean vocal technique to ANYONE dedicated enough and willing to learn.
I’ve helped hundreds of students of all skill levels and backgrounds get started, and achieve, their vocal goals. If you’re interested in learning how to turn into the absolute monster that I know YOU ARE, then let’s work together to get you screaming your heart out safely for years to come!
How can I help YOU?
Every student who works with me is a huge opportunity, and I’m so thankful to everyone who trusts me with their vocal journey.
When you’re in a lesson with me, you aren’t a cookie cutter student. I focus heavily on learning your voice in detail. I find your strengths as well as the areas where you have the most potential to grow, and I build my lessons for YOU specifically based on YOUR voice.
Anatomical and technical knowledge is paired with straightforward, no-nonsense exercises that allow you to do more than just “make cool noises”. You will have a deeper understanding of not only how your voice works, you’ll know how you can use it to its full potential for safe, efficient, and BRUTAL vocals for years to come!
Safety
Learn to scream safely to prolong your performances and career.
Expression
Move beyond mimicking your favorite vocalist and harness your own sound.
Mastery
Understand how your voice works and learn to use it with precision.
Control
Scream with confidence and wield your voice like the powerful force that it is.
FAQs
What do you teach?
My specialty is in False Cord and Arytenoidal screams, though I take on many fry students who all do extremely well. Whether you want to do piercing highs, massive guttural lows, powerful mids, and hardcore belting, I can get you there. While I do take on clean singing students, I do NOT teach classical singing or Opera, and stick only to rock and metal styles.
How long will it take until I sound good?
Vocals are a journey and a long term investment. The length of time it takes is dependent on many factors. What style you are learning, your vocal background, your dedication to practice, and your willingness to learn all heavily impact your rate of progress. I have found that all students who are willing to put in the work and take constructive feedback show strong improvement even after a few lessons with me. Just remember, I can help you make strong and steady progress. It’s up to you to practice, ask questions, and stay on task.
What are Mark’s qualifications?
My knowledge and teaching method comes from my time studying Speech Language Pathology and Speech Science at Northern Arizona University. Due to acute illness at the time, I was not able to finish my degree. However, the knowledge that I gained was instrumental to my own vocal journey and how I have kept a healthy powerful voice for over a decade. I have been a part of over ten studio releases including full length albums, EPs, Singles, and demos. Finally, I learned through both tour and international music festival performances what it takes to keep your voice healthy, strong, and powerful both on and off stage.
What if I don’t make any progress?
I’ve taught over two hundred students and I can honestly say I have NEVER seen anyone plateau while taking lessons with me. You can absolutely achieve your goals with patience, dedication, practice, and of course….guidance and learning from me!
Let’s turn you into the vocal beast that I KNOW you are!
Single Lesson
Great for new students wanting to test the waters and experienced vocalists looking for direct, professional guidance
Three Lessons
Excellent for students of any skill level. Lay a strong foundation for safety, control, and understanding that will be the bedrock of your voice for years to come.
Five Lessons
If you’re looking to take your vocal journey seriously, look no further. Gain comfort, control, and power in your voice!
Active Student Pass
For students both new and experienced. Our Active Student Pass gives you private lessons, direct email support from me with personalized feedback and guidance, and priority scheduling.
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Tell me about YOU
If you’re ready to make your vocal dreams a reality, fill out the contact form here and we’ll get started! I am 100% confident that my knowledge and expertise paired with your dedication and excitement will yield amazing results!