Belting.....supposed to be pretty?

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Belting.....supposed to be pretty?

Posted: 7/6/05 at 1:27am

So.....today I got in a huge argument with my family over this. I was trying to explain to them that belting is not supposed to be "pretty"....that is what a head voice is for....Belting can sometimes sound pretty, but the overall sound that a person is trying to achieve when using a chest or belting voice, is not supposed to be pretty......Am I correct?

re: Belting.....supposed to be pretty?

Posted: 7/6/05 at 1:30am

I think its an oppinionated topic. I think that if its done right, then it CAN sound good. But now HAVE heard it done right, but just not sound good at ALL!lol!

"I've always secretly longed for an actress to get to the top of the cherry picker and projectile vomit all over the guards below."- Wonderwaiter in the "Defy Gravity?" thread. ~~~~~~~~My dream? Sutton Foster as Cassie in A Chorus Line

re: Belting.....supposed to be pretty?

Posted: 7/6/05 at 1:33am

I think it shouldn't sound strained. There are those times where you might wanna push your voice, and normally, it's not considered very healthy, and you shouldn't really do it at all, but I hear women like Shoshana and Stephanie J. Block do it occasionally. It should sound like what your belt voice sounds like, pretty, ugly, fat, thin...whatever. But you shouldn't be hurting yourself while you're doing it.

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re: Belting.....supposed to be pretty?

Posted: 7/6/05 at 1:36am

thats not the question, guys, lol. Is belting supposed to be "pretty" or do you agree that is what a head voice is for..

re: Belting.....supposed to be pretty?

Posted: 7/6/05 at 1:39am

What do YOU think belting should sound like? Then I'll tell you what I think. I DO, however, think that your head voice can be used to make something pretty.

re: Belting.....supposed to be pretty?

Posted: 7/6/05 at 1:41am

A head voice is used to access your upper register, and also to create that "mixed" tone most people use as a belting sound. A head voice can be used just as "fiercly" as a belt sound and a belt sound can sound just as pretty as a lovely soprano tone.

I don't know what you define by "pretty", but if your belt voice sounds pretty, go for it. Don't change your voice to make it sound like some quality that it doesn't have, because it's not natural that way. I think a belt sound should be natural sounding.

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re: Belting.....supposed to be pretty?

Posted: 7/6/05 at 1:42am

I think belting should be used for emphasis and on songs like "Defying Gravity" or "Don't Tell Mama" like, those types of songs.....You use head voice for like TLITP or Phantom or those types of music....You don't belt that...Because those are supposed to be in a pretty head voice.

re: Belting.....supposed to be pretty?

Posted: 7/6/05 at 1:44am

I DEF. agree with that! I HATE HATE HATE to imagin PIAZZA being belted like that!UGH!

re: Belting.....supposed to be pretty?

Posted: 7/6/05 at 1:45am

...

Well, that's a given. "Defying Gravity" and "Don't Tell Mama" are both MEANT for that belt sound. They were written that way so they're expected to be sung that way.

The female roles in Piazza and Phantom were written as a higher register, and a more "operatic" feel than that poppish-rock sound Wicked demands. The tone of your voice should differ with the media and genre you sing, as long as it is still your voice, because that's what's gonna land you that role.

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#10

re: Belting.....supposed to be pretty?

Posted: 7/6/05 at 1:46am

Well... i don't think its supposed to be pretty. your head voice can be whatever you want it to be. my head voice sounds AWFUL. but then again, i'm a guy. lol

#11

re: Belting.....supposed to be pretty?

Posted: 7/6/05 at 1:49am

I think pretty is not a word to associate with "belting".

#12

re: Belting.....supposed to be pretty?

Posted: 7/6/05 at 1:50am

Okay, but my whole deal is my sister was telling me that belting is supposed to be pretty......I just wouldn't use pretty as the word to describe it.

#13

re: Belting.....supposed to be pretty?

Posted: 7/6/05 at 1:52am

There's no adjective you can place on either register. The tone quality differs from the material that you are given. You're not going to belt out the Prelude to La Traviata, and you're not going to sing "And I'm Telling You..." in a soft head voice. Belting can sound pretty, depending on the song. Head voice can sound harsh, depending on the song.

There are a lot of things that come into play when discussing this, but it's impossible to fix an exact adjective such as "pretty" to a specific register.

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#14

re: Belting.....supposed to be pretty?

Posted: 7/6/05 at 1:53am

I would think of belting more powerful than pretty... kind'a the difference when you're talking about a guy being handsome or cute.

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#15

re: Belting.....supposed to be pretty?

Posted: 7/6/05 at 2:11am

I really don't think this question is even valid. It's totally opinion.

I agree with Aigoo. I think that chest and head voice can both sound either pleasant or angry...or menacing...or seductive. It's really all about what the material is.

If you think that head voice is all about being pretty, go listen to Clara's Tirade in the middle of "Octet" from TLITP. Yes, Kelli O'Hara is singing in her mix and head voice, but she sounds far from pretty. She sounds furious..and petulant, like a little kid. It really depends on the material being sung.

Yes, a belt can sound pretty. However, that is my opinion and you have every right to disagree with me.

#16

re: Belting.....supposed to be pretty?

Posted: 7/6/05 at 2:30am

I had a teacher who once said belting is fancy yelling...
and also that singing in head voice is also fancy screeching, so it's all based on how fancy the singer can make their yelling or screeching, really.

#17

re: Belting.....supposed to be pretty?

Posted: 7/6/05 at 2:54am

I think when done in soprano belt..it's the most gorgeous thing ever

such as Stephanie J. Block or Jenna Leigh Green....wow

and all that I could do because of you was talk of love...

#18

re: Belting.....supposed to be pretty?

Posted: 7/6/05 at 3:48am

Belting is supposed to be brassy, my voiceteacher once said.

I don't think you can define it with the word pretty, because it is an opinion based adjective that makes an argument like the one it seems you are having with your family a bit hard to end / continue into anything other than name calling or off-topic comments.

Try using other adjectives like strong, dainty / delicate, or whatever else comes to mind. Maybe talk about the situations / songs that they think are pretty and see if that helps with the argument?

Hope that helps!

"If you can talk, you can sing...if you can walk, you can dance." - T.K. Greene

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