Belting (music) - Physiology

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 have defined mixed sound as belting. One researcher, Jo Estill, has conducted research on the belting voice, 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 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 terminology this is known as Head and Neck Control or 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")

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