The first time I taught at a school that offered a musical theatre major back in 1999, I had a male student who kept referring to his “belt” voice and differentiating it from his “legit” voice. I thought his terminology sounded strange. At the time, I felt the need to correct him. I explained that the term “belt voice” referred to women singing in a chest voice sound, which is a very different quality from their head voice sound, the sound of classical female singing. Since male voices do not change registration between the two types of repertoire, there was no need to differentiate between the two types of vocalism in men. He seemed unconvinced by my explanation. He knew that his technique changed significantly between the two styles of music and he felt the terms “belt” and “legit” applied to him.
Well, I’ve come to believe we were both right. I was right in that “belt,” as an industry term, is used to refer to female TAD (thyroarytenoid-dominant) vocal production to distinguish it from female CTD (cricothyroid-dominant) vocal production, which is called “head,” and the mixture of the two, which is called “mix.” As an industry term, belt is not used to refer to male singing. The term “legit,” however, is used for both men and women—but for men, the industry does not seem to have an opposite term for “legit.” So what should a young baritenor call his singing that is not “legit”? “Illegit”?
If you compare the sound of Ramin Karimloo in this passage from “Bring Him Home” from Les Misérables with that of Jonas Kaufmann singing this excerpt from “Pourquoi me réveiller” from Werther, both in the same tessitura, it is obvious the quality of sound is totally different and that the techniques used to produce these two types of sound are also radically different. To my knowledge there have been no studies that demonstrate physiologically and acoustically what these differences are in male singing, and I am not the scientist to engage in such studies, but I hope some voice scientist takes on this project. For the time being, we do have lots of studies telling us what belting is in the female voice.
There’s more to belting than registration. In addition to the TAD registration, we know that the level of the larynx inside the throat is higher in belt than it is in legit singing. I do not believe, as has been asserted, that the larynx is elevated in belt, because if it were, the voice would be in a state of hyperfunction. We can thank Seth Riggs for the term “speech-level singing,” which suggests that the level of the larynx is the same in singing as it is in speech. This is not the same as in classical technique, in which the larynx is lowered.
So if we can think of the larynx as having three possible levels related to the normal level of optimally functional speech—“speech level” being that norm, “lowered” being the “inhalatory position” espoused by Richard Miller and others, and the “elevated” being hyperfunctional—we must say that successful Broadway singers belting in eight shows a week without vocal injury are singing with the larynx in the “speech level” position, which is higher than the “inhalatory position” of classical technique but not “elevated” to the point of hyperfunction.
In the two examples mentioned above, larynx level differences are obvious. Kaufmann’s suprahyoid muscles are clearly stretched to their maximum length, indicating the hyoid bone and, consequently, the larynx are lowered. Karimloo, on the other hand, shows no stretching of the suprahyoid muscles. The area between his chin and larynx looks the same in singing as it does in silence, indicating the neutral position of the larynx. His “Adam’s apple” is clearly visible in the middle of his neck. Note that Karimloo does not raise the chin, as would be necessary if his larynx were elevated. He is not in a state of hyperfunction. Protrusion of neck veins is visible in both singers, though more so with Karimloo in these examples. Contrary to the belief of many voice teachers, neck vein protrusion can be seen in many of the very best of male singers, in both musical theatre and opera, and is not necessarily an indication of hyperfunction.
In belt production, we know that the more shallow laryngeal position requires a wider mouth opening for ideal resonance. This gives the sound its characteristic bright timbre, with energy in the acoustic signal in the area of 4,000 to 4,500 hertz. In the examples mentioned above, differences in mouth opening shape are obvious. Kaufmann’s mouth opens considerably further, involving hyperextension of the temporomandibular joint, as can be seen from the side view from the protrusion of the coronoid process. Also, the opening is more vertical, including extreme lip protrusion, exposing both upper and lower teeth. Karimloo’s mouth barely opens beyond what would be expected during normal speech. There is no hyperextension of the TMJ, no exaggerated lip rounding, or exposure of the upper teeth. And his mouth, which has a horizontal orientation when closed, maintains a horizontal orientation when opened for singing.
We also know that in belting, the ratio of duration of glottis closure to openness per phonatory cycle, called “closed quotient” (CQ), is significantly higher than in classical head voice singing. This results in a slower breath flow rate and higher subglottic pressure levels. CQ differences between male musical theatre and classical singers have not been measured, but experience in the studio, both with students and in my own singing, has demonstrated a tendency for the classical sound to consume more air than what I now consider “male belt.” The belt sound is very economical in terms of breath flow. Consequently, most males can sing a longer phrase in a belt than in a legit sound. This suggests to me that the CQ in male belt is higher than it is in legit.
Probably the most obvious difference in our two examples is the use of vibrato. Kaufmann demonstrates consistent vibrato. It is present even on short notes and during portamento. Karimloo, on the other hand, allows vibrato only at points of musical resolution, such as the second “one” in “one by one” and the second “on” in “on and on”—and also toward the end of sustained notes, such as the word “fly.” This is an element of style that plays into technique significantly.
In contemporary musical theatre, and indeed most forms of CCM (contemporary commercial music), the element of tension and release inherent in the music is highlighted by the application of vibrato. For example, a long note will often be sustained on a straight tone, relaxing into vibrato at the exact point in the music in which the underlying harmony resolves from, say, V to I. This vocal gesture is ubiquitous in CCM and it is very important in training CCM singers to teach them to time the onset of vibrato to correspond with musical resolution. If the vibrato arrives to soon, or not at all, the effect is ruined.
The musical tension inherent in the vibrato-less tone is a manifestation of the physical tension required to hold the tone straight, the release of which results in vibrato. Whereas the classical, or legit, sound strives to be free of any such tension at all times, the belt sound embraces this tension and applies it to enhance the musical effects.
So we have a legit sound in males in which the larynx is in the lowered position, the mouth opening is vertical, CQ is probably relatively low, and vibrato is consistent. This contrasts with the other sound we have discussed here in which the larynx is in the speech-level position, the mouth opening is horizontal, CQ is probably comparatively high, and vibrato is only allowed at points of musical relaxation.
Regardless of the dominance of TA over CT in both (although I suspect registration in male belt is lighter than it is in legit), I’d say we have enough differences in both technique and sound, and enough similarities between male CCM singing and female belt, to go ahead and call what male CCM singers do “belt.” It is certainly better than calling it “illegit.”
