Belting (or vocal belting) is a specific technique of
singing
Singing is the act of creating musical sounds with the voice. A person who sings is called a singer, artist or vocalist (in jazz and/or popular music). Singers perform music (arias, recitatives, songs, etc.) that can be sung with or with ...
by which a singer carries their
chest voice
Chest voice is a term used within vocal music. The use of this term varies widely within vocal pedagogical circles and there is currently no one consistent opinion among vocal music professionals in regard to this term. Chest voice can be used in ...
above their break or
passaggio
Passaggio () is a term used in classical singing to describe the transition area between the vocal registers. The ''passaggi'' (plural) of the voice lie between the different vocal registers, such as the chest voice, where any singer can produce ...
with a proportion of
head voice
Head voice is a term used within vocal music. The use of this term varies widely within vocal pedagogical circles and there is currently no one consistent opinion among vocal music professionals in regard to this term. Head voice can be used in re ...
. Belting is sometimes described as "high chest voice" or "mixed voice" (not to be confused with the mixing technique), although if this is done incorrectly it can potentially be damaging for the voice. It is often described as a
vocal register
A vocal register is a range of tones in the human voice produced by a particular vibratory pattern of the vocal folds. These registers include modal voice (or normal voice), vocal fry, falsetto, and the whistle register.
Registers originate in ...
, although this is also technically incorrect; it is rather a descriptive term for the use of a register.
[
] Singers can use belting to convey heightened
existential
Existentialism ( ) is a form of philosophical inquiry that explores the problem of human existence and centers on human thinking, feeling, and acting. Existentialist thinkers frequently explore issues related to the meaning, purpose, and valu ...
states.
[Singers such as ]Christina Aguilera
Christina María Aguilera (; ; born December 18, 1980) is an American singer, songwriter, actress, and television personality. Known for her four-octave vocal range and ability to sustain high notes, she has been referred to as the " Voice of ...
are known for their signature styles of belting
Belting became commonplace in
Broadway
Broadway may refer to:
Theatre
* Broadway Theatre (disambiguation)
* Broadway theatre, theatrical productions in professional theatres near Broadway, Manhattan, New York City, U.S.
** Broadway (Manhattan), the street
**Broadway Theatre (53rd Stree ...
musicals following
Ethel Merman
Ethel Merman (born Ethel Agnes Zimmermann, January 16, 1908 – February 15, 1984) was an American actress and singer, known for her distinctive, powerful voice, and for leading roles in musical theatre.Obituary '' Variety'', February 22, 1984. ...
's performance in ''
Girl Crazy
''Girl Crazy'' is a 1930 musical by George Gershwin with lyrics by Ira Gershwin and book by Guy Bolton and John McGowan. Ethel Merman made her stage debut in the first production and co-lead Ginger Rogers became an overnight star. Rich in song, ...
'' (1930), notably in the song "
I Got Rhythm
"I Got Rhythm" is a piece composed by George Gershwin with lyrics by Ira Gershwin and published in 1930, which became a jazz standard. Its chord progression, known as the " rhythm changes", is the foundation for many other popular jazz tunes suc ...
". The
opening credit sequence of the James Bond film ''
Goldfinger'' (1964) features a
title song
A title is one or more words used before or after a person's name, in certain contexts. It may signify either generation, an official position, or a professional or academic qualification. In some languages, titles may be inserted between the f ...
performed by
Shirley Bassey, which established belting as a signature quality of the James Bond films that continued through to the following century.
Overlap with mixing
Belting is sometimes confused with mixing, in which
chest voice
Chest voice is a term used within vocal music. The use of this term varies widely within vocal pedagogical circles and there is currently no one consistent opinion among vocal music professionals in regard to this term. Chest voice can be used in ...
and
head voice
Head voice is a term used within vocal music. The use of this term varies widely within vocal pedagogical circles and there is currently no one consistent opinion among vocal music professionals in regard to this term. Head voice can be used in re ...
are blended. A belted voice can be mixed or not, and a mixed voice can be belted or not.
Technique
"Chest register" is the lowest register of the singing voice, produced by dominant use of the
thyroarytenoid muscle
The thyroarytenoid muscle is a broad, thin muscle that forms the body of the vocal fold and that supports the wall of the ventricle and its appendix. It functions to shorten the vocal folds.
Structure
It arises in front from the lower half of the ...
. The term "belt" is the use of a chest voice in the higher part of the
voice
The human voice consists of sound made by a human being using the vocal tract, including talking, singing, laughing, crying, screaming, shouting, humming or yelling. The human voice frequency is specifically a part of human sound producti ...
. The chest voice is a general term for the sound and muscular functions of the speaking voice, singing in the lower range, and the voice used to shout. Each of those functions requires a thicker closure of the vocal folds and the support of the muscles surrounding them. Therefore, the term "chest voice" is a misnomer when it describes muscular work in the chest area of the body or a resonance therein. Proper production of the belt voice, according to some vocal methods, involves minimizing tension in the throat and a change of typical placement of the voice sound in the
mouth, bringing it forward into the hard
palate
The palate () is the roof of the mouth in humans and other mammals. It separates the oral cavity from the nasal cavity.
A similar structure is found in crocodilians, but in most other tetrapods, the oral and nasal cavities are not truly separ ...
, although techniques vary by pedagogical style.
It is possible to learn classical vocal methods like ''
bel canto'' and also to be able to belt; in fact, many roles now require it. Vocalists trained in a wide range of styles describe vastly varying experiences in the learning belt technique. Some claim that it comes naturally, while others struggle to access chest register other than while speaking. The style of music does not seem to be a related factor, other than in a singer's exposure to the material.
Belt technique requires muscle coordination not readily used in classically trained singers as the thyroarytenoid muscle is dominant (as opposed to head register singing where the ''
cricothyroid muscle
The cricothyroid muscle is the only tensor muscle of the larynx aiding with phonation. It is innervated by the superior laryngeal nerve. Its action tilts the thyroid forward to help tense the vocal cords.
Structure
The cricothyroid muscle o ...
'' is dominant), which may be why some opera singers find learning to belt challenging.
Physiology
There are many explanations as to how the belting voice quality is produced. Under a scope, the vocal folds visibly shorten and thicken, and they undulate along with more of their vertical surface area than in head register when a smaller segment of their edge must undulate to produce sound.
One researcher,
Jo Estill
Josephine Antoinette Estill (née Vadala; April 25, 1921 – December 9, 2010), known as Jo Estill, was an American singer, singing voice specialist and voice researcher. Estill is best known for her research and the development of Estill Voice T ...
, has conducted research on the belting voice,
[ Estill J (1988). Belting and Classic Voice Quality: Some Physiological Differences. Medical Problems of Performing Artists, 3:37–43.][Yanagisawa E and Estill J (1989). The Contribution of Aryepiglottic Constriction to "Ringing" Voice Quality. Journal of Voice, 3:342–350] and describes the belting voice as an extremely muscular and physical way of singing. When observing the vocal tract and torso of singers, while belting, Estill observed:
* Minimal airflow (longer closed phase (70% or greater) than in any other type of phonation)
* Maximum muscular engagement of the torso (in
Estill Voice Training
Estill Voice Training (often abbreviated EVT) is a program for developing vocal skills based on analysing the process of vocal production into control of specific structures in the vocal mechanism. By acquiring the ability to consciously move ea ...
terminology this is known as Torso Control or Anchoring)
* Engagement of muscles in the head and neck in order to stabilize the
larynx) (in
Estill Voice Training
Estill Voice Training (often abbreviated EVT) is a program for developing vocal skills based on analysing the process of vocal production into control of specific structures in the vocal mechanism. By acquiring the ability to consciously move ea ...
terminology this is known as Head and Neck Control or Anchoring)
* A downward tilt of the
cricoid cartilage
The cricoid cartilage , or simply cricoid (from the Greek ''krikoeides'' meaning "ring-shaped") or cricoid ring, is the only complete ring of cartilage around the trachea. It forms the back part of the voice box and functions as an attachment si ...
(an alternative option would be the thyroid tilting backward. Observations show a larger CT space)
* High positioning of the larynx
* Maximum muscular effort of the extrinsic laryngeal muscles, minimum effort at the level of the true vocal folds.
* Narrowing of the
aryepiglottic sphincter (the "twanger")
Possible dangers
Belting without proper coordination can lead to constriction of the muscles surrounding the vocal mechanism. Constriction can consequently lead to vocal deterioration.
[''The Oxford Dictionary of Opera'' by John Warrack and Ewan West (1992), ] Correct use of the technique and, most importantly, retraction of the ventricular folds while singing is vital to safe belting, as it is, in essence a form of "yell" and thus involves a tremendous (roughly +70%) increase in the force exerted on the soft structures of the
pharynx
The pharynx (plural: pharynges) is the part of the throat behind the mouth and nasal cavity, and above the oesophagus and trachea (the tubes going down to the stomach and the lungs). It is found in vertebrates and invertebrates, though its st ...
vs. more common modes of singing. Attempting to belt too loudly, in too high a register and without properly supporting the ventricular folds are (in combination) the "Three Devils" of the belter; an untrained belter may well consider the short term irritations (
hoarseness
A hoarse voice, also known as dysphonia or hoarseness, is when the voice involuntarily sounds breathy, raspy, or strained, or is softer in volume or lower in pitch. A hoarse voice, can be associated with a feeling of unease or scratchiness in the ...
, throat pain) caused by bad form to be just a "part of the job", when in reality it indicates a flaw in their belting skill that will cause long term serious damage (
vocal cord nodule
Vocal cord nodules are bilaterally symmetrical benign white masses that form at the midpoint of the vocal folds. Although diagnosis involves a physical examination of the head and neck, as well as perceptual voice measures, visualization of the ...
s, irreversible loss of former range and
timbre
In music, timbre ( ), also known as tone color or tone quality (from psychoacoustics), is the perceived sound quality of a musical note, sound or tone. Timbre distinguishes different types of sound production, such as choir voices and musica ...
) if not changed.
While acknowledging the extra risks inherent to belting, many proponents take pains to point out that it is an advanced skill which (so long as it is a "soft yell", and produced properly without straining and pain) is no more damaging to the voice than any other type of singing. Indeed, some genres of singing (such as
blues rock) rely on belting to allow the vocalist to "cut through" the
electric guitar
An electric guitar is a guitar that requires external amplification in order to be heard at typical performance volumes, unlike a standard acoustic guitar (however combinations of the two - a semi-acoustic guitar and an electric acoustic gu ...
while playing live. Many in the musical theater industry like to quip, "belting is not bad; bad belting is bad."
As for the physiological and acoustical features of the metallic voice, a master's thesis
[Eliana Midori Hanayama,]
Voz metálica: estudo das características fisiológicas e acústicas
, São Paulo: Faculdade de Medicina, USP, 2003. has drawn the following conclusions:
* No significant changes in frequency and amplitude of
F1 were observed.
* Significant increases in amplitudes of F2, F3 and F4 were found.
* In frequencies for F2, metallic voice perceived as louder was correlated to increase in amplitude of F3 and F4.
* Vocal tract adjustments like velar lowering, pharyngeal wall narrowing, laryngeal raising, aryepiglottic and lateral laryngeal constriction were frequently found.
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Belting (Music)
Singing techniques