Singing with a Broadway belt is a lot of fun,
but it is important to understand it and implement it properly, otherwise it
can yield extremely negative results. There are two different types of belts,
chest voice and a mixed belt. Chest voice is demonstrated in the song
“Tomorrow” from the musical “Annie”. Chest voice feels lower, louder and can be
hard to control at times if you aren't doing it right. Picture seeing a friend
across a busy street and shouting “HEY!” with your whole body engaged to get
their attention; that is the basic feeling of the chest voice. On the other
hand, mixed belt can be demonstrated with Carrie Underwood’s singing, it
requires a lot of a twang or “catfight” type sound and is easier to sing in a
higher register than chest voice. Before attempting to belt for a show or
audition, meet with a vocal coach who can assess your technique and ensure that
you are going about it safely and properly.
A Little Musical Inspiration
"The singer has everything within him. The notes come out from his very life. They are not materials gathered from outside." ~Rabindranath Tagore
Good info Rebecca. What type of belt would one use for controlled singing in a higher register? There are a xouple of songs that we are doing where my harmonies are right at the falseto range. Im having trouble singing my part with any control. Any suggeations?
ReplyDeleteDefinitely the mixed belt if it's close to the falsetto range. To get a feel for it, try singing "Nyah-Nyah (up the octave) Nyah-Nyah (back down) Nyah" and go up and down the scale to see your range. "Nay-nay" also works.
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