What Is Belting?
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Have you heard someone refer to belting? Perhaps you’ve been told that it’s
bad for you, but you don’t know why. And what’s the difference between just
singing and belting?
Belt is something you hear all the time in popular styles of music. It’s the
sound in a voice that tells you it’s not classical. Think of the loud Barbra
Streisand sound or Ethel Mermen. Mariah Carey, Celine Dion, Bette Midler and
Bernadette Peters are a few more. Not Charlotte Church.
I would define belt as a high percentage of chest voice and a lot of umph, which
is exactly why it can be dangerous, if not done correctly. Incorrectly means
plain old chest voice or anything that hurts. (Taking chest voice higher and
higher will likely cause pain.) SINGING SHOULD NEVER HURT.
Correct belting has a strong bright resonance sensation in the mask, a lot like
classical, but not so much floaty or "up". It could even feel kind of brassy,
nasal and nasty. It's more like talking or shouting than what you might think of
as beautiful singing. The sensation in the throat is more engaged than in
classical singing, feeling rather like it leans forward in the throat. This is
where people can get into trouble, because the throat shouldn't push or grab.
You must have a teacher helping you discover the right way. (Some people are
natural belters, though, and have little trouble with this.)
FAQs
Is belt only for females? No, but the difference between belt and
classical isn’t clearly heard in a man’s voice until he gets pretty high in his
range, so we often tend to think of a belter as female. In musical theater
“belter” is a female voice/character type.
Is belt always loud? No, but again, the difference between the classical sound
and the belt sound is more easily identified when it’s loud.
Is belting bad for your voice? No. When done correctly belting is not bad
for the voice. That said, it’s a highly energized sound, and if you try to do it
without getting it quite right, you will wear out your vocal instrument. (See
above, concerning chest voice and pain.) Voice teachers used to be afraid of
teaching belt because their training was classical and they didn’t understand
it. Then they’d hear an untrained belter with vocal damage and say, “See! It’s
damaging for the voice! I won’t let my students do it.”
Remember the golden rules: (1.) Belting is not the same as chest voice. (2.)
Singing should never hurt.
What’s the difference between my normal singing and belting? Maybe none,
especially if you listen to popular or theater music. When you are still pretty
new to singing it may be hard to tell, because beginners do not energize the
sound enough.
If it is not clearly indicated in the student’s singing or preference, I start
singers with non-belt singing because it is probably a safer place to start
learning about the voice.
What are some belt exercises? I'd hate to prescribe specific belt
exercises without guiding an individual through them. It's kind of like the
doctor diagnosing and prescribing medicine without examining you
If you think belting is what you are aiming for, then check out Lisa Popeil's
website: www.popeil.com
She uses the term "lean" instead of belt, referring to the sensation of the
larynx leaning forward. There are videotapes available and information on
singing.
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