Belting (music)

Belting (or vocal belting) refers to a specific technique of singing by which a singer uses a high-intensity sound to convey heightened emotional states.

Technique

The term "belt" is sometimes mistakenly described as the use of chest voice in the higher part of the voice. However, the proper production of the belt voice according to some vocal methods involves minimizing tension in the throat and change of typical placement of the voice sound in the mouth, bringing it forward into the hard palate.

It is possible to learn classical vocal methods like bel canto and to also be able to belt; in fact, many musical roles now require it. The belt sound is easier for some than others, but the sound is possible for classical singers, too. It requires muscle coordinations not readily used in classically trained singers, which may be why some opera singers find learning to belt challenging.

In order to increase the number of high notes one can belt, one must practice. This can be by repeatedly attempting to hit the note in a melody line, or by using vocalise programs utilizing scales. Many commercial learn-to-sing packages have a set of scales to sing along to as their main offering, which the purchaser must practice with often to see improvement.

'Belters' are not exempt from developing a strong head voice, as the more resonant their higher register in head voice, the better the belted notes in this range will be. Some belters find that after a period of time focusing on the belt, the head voice will have improved and, likewise, after a period of time focusing on the head voice, the belt may be found to have improved.

Belting is often misunderstood to be dangerous. However, a well trained, well supported and placed belt is safe. As a general rule, learning belters are told to cease immediately if what they are doing physically hurts, and work through it with their tutor.

Physiology

There are many explanations as to how the belting voice quality is produced. When approaching the matter from the Bel Canto point of view, it is said that the chest voice is applied to the higher register. However, through studying singers who use a "mixed" sound practitioners of the Estill have defined mixed sound as belting. One researcher on the singing voice is Jo Estill. Estill has conducted research on the belting voice. Estill 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 terms: Torso anchoring).
• Engagement of muscles in the head and neck in order to stabilize the larynx) (in Estill terms: Head and neck anchoring)
• A downwards tilt of the cricoid cartilage (An alternative option would be the thyroid tilting backwards. 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 of belting

Use of belting without proper coordination can lead to forcing. Forcing can lead consequently to vocal deterioration. Moderate use of the technique and, most importantly, retraction of the ventricular folds while singing is vital to safe belting. Without proper training in retraction, belting can indeed cause trauma to the vocal folds that requires the immediate attention of a doctor.

Most tutors and some students of the method known as Speech Level Singing, created and supported by Seth Riggs, regard belting as damaging to long term vocal health . They may teach an alternative using a "mixed" or middle voice which can sound almost as strong, as demonstrated by Whitney Houston, Mariah Carey, Celine Dion, Patti Labelle, Josh Groban, Jennifer Hudson and Regine Velasquez. The subject of belting is a matter of heated controversy among singers, singing teachers and methodologies.

Proponents of belting say that it is a "soft yell," and if produced properly it can be healthy. It does not require straining and they say it is not damaging to the voice. Though the larynx is higher than in classical technique,and many experts on the singing voice believe that a high larynx position is both dangerous to vocal health and produces what many find to be an unpleasant sound. According to master teacher David Jones, "Some of the dangers are general swelling of the vocal cords, pre-polyp swelling, ballooning of capillaries on the surface of the vocal cords, or vocal nodules. A high-larynxed approach to the high voice taught by a speech level singing instructor who does not listen appropriately can lead to one or ALL of these vocal disorders".

However, it is thought by some that belting will produce vocal nodules. This may be true if belting is produced incorrectly. If the sound is produced is a mixed head and chest sound that safely approximates a belt, produced well, there may be no damage to the vocal folds.

As for the physiological and acoustical features of the metallic voices, a master thesis advised by the speech therapist PhD Silvia Rebelo Pinho 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.

Vocal range of famous belters

• Celine Dion : from F-sharp below middle C to soprano F (F♯₃ - F₆). Her highest note in belting voice is the high F (F_5</sub)>.