Dear Listers,
The use of the belt voice can be a dangerous thing for some singers. However, from a pedagogical standpoint the belt voice only differs from the classical use of chest-voice in two main areas: 1) Laryngeal position- when belting the larynx is generally high in the throat. Also, we must keep in mind that as the larynx goes up- the soft palate(velum)comes down. This laryngeal position is opposite to the comfortably low-larynx position used by any good classical artist. 2) The choice of vowel quality. The belt voice lends itself to very spread vowels usually produced with a more horizontal mouth opening. This more horizontal mouth opening probably goes hand-in- hand with the high-larynx.
If the larynx is raised in the throat, the vocal tract becomes shortened. Since the "ringing" quality (area of acoustic energy from 2800-3400Hz which gives a voice carrying power) of the voice comes from the laryngeal area itself, the heightened laryngeal position of a "belt" quality has some serious implications on the true "ringing" quality with which we associate a fine classical singer. That being said, it is clear why nearly every music theater singer performing in a large venue uses a body mic. With the correct vowel and a stable larynx, the belt voice may not differ very much from a classical chest-voice tone, as both chest-voice and "belt" use increased action of the vocalis(TA). Very interesting topic for discussion......
Take Care All,
Taylor L. Ferranti Doctoral Candidate in Vocal Pedagogy Louisiana State University
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