Information about Belt (music)
Belting (or vocal belting) refers to a specific technique of singing by which a singer uses his or her chest voice to produce high and powerful pitches. Technically, it is known as chest voice, or middle voice.
In addition to the modulation of vowels, the belt voice sound is produced by properly placing the sound in the mouth. The soft palate is raised and the vowels brightened toward the front of the mouth. The jaw is open (but not fully open) so that a few teeth are typically showing on the top and bottom of the mouth. There are various techniques and vocalises to accomplish this sound. The result is a kind of "soft yell."
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 a classically trained singer or students of Speech Level Singing, however, as these muscles are generally used only during high chest voice production or when making straining noises which singers trained in these styles are told not to do.
In order to increase the amount 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. A good example of an artist repeatedly attempting to hit a note required in a melody line can be seen in the DVD on the With The Lights Out boxset from Nirvana, in which Cobain is shown trying to hit a required music note in early unfinished versions of "Smells Like Teen Spirit" live in concert, again and again over many months before finally achieving the note. 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.
In pop music belting can be heard by singers such as Regine Velasquez, Christina Aguilera, Whitney Houston, Mariah Carey, and Celine Dion.
Most Speech Level Singing tutors and some students of that method regard belting as damaging to long term vocal health. They may teach an alternative using a "mixed" or middle voice which can sound as strong, as demonstrated by Stevie Wonder, Aretha Franklin, and Barbra Streisand. The subject of belting is a matter of heated controversy among singers, singing teachers and methodologies. The method is also frowned upon in some classical legit circles, though they tend to be less vocal on the subject.
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 slightly higher than in classical technique, they say that vocal cords are not harmed.
However, it is thought by some that "belting" will produce vocal nodules. Nodules can show up when the vocal cords are unhealthily slapped together in what is referred to in legit singing circles as a "glottal attack." Belt pulls the vocal cords very close together, but some allege that air can still pass through safely without causing a "glottal attack" with training.
Some singing tutors such as Catherine Sadolin actually believe belt technique can be used as therapy for vocal cords.
The thyroid is one of the largest endocrine glands in the body. This gland is found in the neck just below the laryngeal prominence.
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Technique
The term "belt" is sometimes described as the use of "chest" voice in the higher part of the voice, rather than using the "head voice," etc. However, the proper production of the "belt voice" involves minimizing tension in the throat and modulation of vowels and change of typical placement of the voice sound in the mouth. In a higher range all vowels are modulated to one of two vowels: "eh" as in "ape" or "ah" (bright vowel) as in "ChicAgo." Depending on the range of the singer, the vowels will be more or less modulated. Hence, in a male voice, a belted A-flat might not have the same amount of modulation as a belted B-flat. In males, belted voices often sound similar to classical, or "legit" singing techniques, such as Bel Canto or Speech Level Singing. Classical methods are not similar in females as the higher range of a singer in formally trained singing in females is done in middle and head voices, not the chest.In addition to the modulation of vowels, the belt voice sound is produced by properly placing the sound in the mouth. The soft palate is raised and the vowels brightened toward the front of the mouth. The jaw is open (but not fully open) so that a few teeth are typically showing on the top and bottom of the mouth. There are various techniques and vocalises to accomplish this sound. The result is a kind of "soft yell."
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 a classically trained singer or students of Speech Level Singing, however, as these muscles are generally used only during high chest voice production or when making straining noises which singers trained in these styles are told not to do.
In order to increase the amount 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. A good example of an artist repeatedly attempting to hit a note required in a melody line can be seen in the DVD on the With The Lights Out boxset from Nirvana, in which Cobain is shown trying to hit a required music note in early unfinished versions of "Smells Like Teen Spirit" live in concert, again and again over many months before finally achieving the note. 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.
In pop music belting can be heard by singers such as Regine Velasquez, Christina Aguilera, Whitney Houston, Mariah Carey, and Celine Dion.
Physiology and possible dangers of belting
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 registers. Because of research, more is known about the anatomy and the physical process of singing than before. One current vocal researcher and tutor is Jo Estill. Estill has conducted research on the belting voice. Estill describes the belt as an extremely muscular and physical way of singing. When observing the vocal tract and torso of singers, while belting, Estill observed:- Minimal airflow (70% closure)
- Maximum torso anchoring (activating the large muscles in the back to control airflow)
- Head anchoring (activating the neck and head muscles for stabilizing the larynx)
- Tilting of the cricoid (We know that the space between the thyroid and the cricoid widens. It seems that the cricoid is tilting downwards, although there might be thyroid activity as well).
- Highest position of the larynx
- Maximum muscular effort of the external muscles. When produced healthily, there is no forced tension in the vocal folds themselves.
- Constriction of the aryepiglottic sphincter (the "twanger")
Most Speech Level Singing tutors and some students of that method regard belting as damaging to long term vocal health. They may teach an alternative using a "mixed" or middle voice which can sound as strong, as demonstrated by Stevie Wonder, Aretha Franklin, and Barbra Streisand. The subject of belting is a matter of heated controversy among singers, singing teachers and methodologies. The method is also frowned upon in some classical legit circles, though they tend to be less vocal on the subject.
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 slightly higher than in classical technique, they say that vocal cords are not harmed.
However, it is thought by some that "belting" will produce vocal nodules. Nodules can show up when the vocal cords are unhealthily slapped together in what is referred to in legit singing circles as a "glottal attack." Belt pulls the vocal cords very close together, but some allege that air can still pass through safely without causing a "glottal attack" with training.
Some singing tutors such as Catherine Sadolin actually believe belt technique can be used as therapy for vocal cords.
References
Singing is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, which is often contrasted with speech. Contrary to common thought, air is not expelled with the diaphragm, but is inhaled using the diaphragm and exhaled or expelled, using the abdominal and lower pelvic muscles, as
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The chest register is the speaking vocal range of a singer, for example, in baritones, notes below the E above middle C (C4, C1 in European notation). It is the major bulk of most male voices, however, in female voices, falsetto voices are also utilized in most cases for screaming
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human voice consists of sound made by a human using the vocal folds for talking, singing, laughing, crying, screaming etc. The vocal folds, in combination with the lips, the tongue, the lower jaw, and the palate, are capable of producing highly intricate arrays of sound.
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mouth, also known as the buccal cavity or the oral cavity, is the orifice through which an organism takes in food and water.
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Location
In all mammals, the mouth is forward-facing in the face. Non-mammals have mouths in other locations (e.g...... Click the link for more information.
A singer is a musician who uses their voice to produce music. Often the singer is accompanied by musicians and instruments. While many people sing for pleasure, vocal skill is usually a combination of innate talent and professional training.
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note has two primary meanings: 1) a sign used in music to represent the relative duration and pitch of a sound; and 2) a pitched sound itself. Notes are the "atoms" of much Western music: discretizations of musical phenomena that facilitate performance, comprehension, and analysis
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Bel canto (Belcanto, bel canto) (Italian, beautiful singing), an Italian musical term, refers to the art and science of vocal technique which originated in Italy during the late seventeenth century and reached its pinnacle in the early part of the nineteenth century
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The soft palate (or velum, or muscular palate) is the soft tissue constituting the back of the roof of the mouth. The soft palate is distinguished from the hard palate at the front of the mouth in that it does not contain bone.
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jaw is either of the two opposable structures forming, or near the entrance to, the mouth.
The term jaws is also broadly applied to the whole of the structures constituting the vault of the mouth and serving to open and close it.
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The term jaws is also broadly applied to the whole of the structures constituting the vault of the mouth and serving to open and close it.
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Teeth (singular, tooth) are structures found in the jaws (or mouths) of many vertebrates that are used to tear, scrape, and chew food. Some animals, particularly carnivores, also use teeth for hunting or defense. The roots of teeth are covered by gums.
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A vocalise is a vocal exercise (often one suitable for performance) without words, which is sung on one or more vowel sounds. The singing of vocalise is called vocalization.
Vocalise dates back to the mid-18th century.
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Vocalise dates back to the mid-18th century.
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Scale can refer to:
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- Scale (computing). See also Scalability.
- Scale (map)
- Scale (ratio)
- Scale factor
- Scale (spatial)
- Scale (zoology)
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With the Lights Out is a box set, containing 3 CDs and 1 DVD, from the American grunge band Nirvana. It was released in November 2004. The title refers to the line "with the lights out, it's less dangerous" from the hugely successful Smells Like Teen Spirit single.
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Kurt Donald Cobain (February 20, 1967, Aberdeen, – c. April 5, 1994, Seattle), was an American musician, best known for his roles as lead singer, guitarist, and songwriter for the Seattle-based rock band Nirvana.
Cobain formed Nirvana in 1987 with Krist Novoselic.
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Cobain formed Nirvana in 1987 with Krist Novoselic.
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This article has been tagged since October 2007.
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Regina Encarnacion Ansong Velasquez (born April 22, 1970), nicknamed Asia's Songbird, is a Filipino singer, actress, and TV host.
Velasquez's belting voice is noted for its vocal range, power, and technical ability. She has a three and a half octave range.
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Velasquez's belting voice is noted for its vocal range, power, and technical ability. She has a three and a half octave range.
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Whitney Elizabeth Houston (born August 9, 1963) is a Grammy award-winning American R&B singer, actress, film producer, and former model. She is well-known for her powerful vocals, melismatic vocal inflections, and expansive vocal range..
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Mariah Carey (born March 27 1970) is an American pop and R&B singer, songwriter, record producer, music video director, and actress. She made her recording debut in 1990 under the guidance of Columbia Records executive Tommy Mottola, and became the first recording artist to have
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Céline Marie Claudette Dion OC, OQ, (born March 30, 1968) is a Canadian singer and occasional songwriter and actress.[1][2][3] Born to a large, impoverished family in Charlemagne, Québec, Dion became a teen star in the French-speaking world after
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The chest register is the speaking vocal range of a singer, for example, in baritones, notes below the E above middle C (C4, C1 in European notation). It is the major bulk of most male voices, however, in female voices, falsetto voices are also utilized in most cases for screaming
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Jo Estill is a vocal pedagogy teacher.
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Estill Voice Training System
The Estill Voice Training system was developed by Jo Estill in 1988 with the foundation of the "Compulsory Figures for Voice" training system...... Click the link for more information.
The larynx (plural larynges), colloquially known as the voicebox, is an organ in the neck of mammals involved in protection of the trachea and sound production.
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The cricoid cartilage, or simply cricoid (from the Greek krikoeides meaning "ring-shaped"), is the only complete ring of cartilage around the trachea.
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Location
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For other uses, see Thyroid cartilage.
The thyroid is one of the largest endocrine glands in the body. This gland is found in the neck just below the laryngeal prominence.
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Stevie Wonder (born Stevland Hardaway Judkins on May 13, 1950, name later changed to Stevland Hardaway Morris),[1] is an American singer, songwriter, musician, and record producer.
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Aretha Louise Franklin (born March 25, 1942) is an American singer, songwriter, and pianist. She has been called for many years "The Queen of Soul", but many also call her "Lady Soul," as well as the more affectionate "Sister Ree.
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Barbra Streisand (pronounced STRY-sand, IPA: /ˈstraɪsænd/; born April 24, 1942) is an American singer, theatre and film actress, composer, liberal political activist, film producer and director.
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The larynx (plural larynges), colloquially known as the voicebox, is an organ in the neck of mammals involved in protection of the trachea and sound production.
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The vocal folds, also known popularly as vocal cords, are composed of twin infoldings of mucous membrane stretched horizontally across the larynx. They vibrate, modulating the flow of air being expelled from the lungs during phonation.
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