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Question: What exactly is "belting", in terms of singing!?
Best Answer - Chosen by Asker:
when you sing really hard and jerk your diaphragm!. When you sing like that typically you sacrifice tone!. It also generally is applied to someone who is just singing loud, but you don't like it!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

Belt is something you hear all the time in popular styles of music!. It’s the sound in a voice that tells you it’s not classical!. Think of the loud Barbra Streisand sound or Ethel Mermen!. Mariah Carey, Celine Dion, Bette Midler and Bernadette Peters are a few more!. Not Charlotte Church!.

I would define belt as a high percentage of chest voice and a lot of umph, which is exactly why it can be dangerous, if not done correctly!. Incorrectly means plain old chest voice or anything that hurts!. (Taking chest voice higher and higher will likely cause pain!.) SINGING SHOULD NEVER HURT!.

Correct belting has a strong bright resonance sensation in the mask, a lot like classical, but not so much floaty or "up"!. It could even feel kind of brassy, nasal and nasty!. It's more like talking or shouting than what you might think of as beautiful singing!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

Belting is considered as faking a sound that is NOT natural to the voice, creating a push that can cause damage!. Belting means that you force the sound instead of sounding like your natural voice!. Belting should not be confused with chest voice!. Chest voice is fine, but belting is pushing!. Any push or force to the voice unnatural is what many people consider belting!.

Belters usually try to mimic a soulful loud sound and therefore they tend to overexerting their bodies physically to sing!. Belters vocal careers don't last long and the sound doesn't audibly sound natural after a certain point!.

Belting is dangerous!. Not everyone can do it!. That's why we all must judge and know our own instruments individually!. Some of us have soft lyrical voice!. Some have loud and powerful voice!. Others are in-between!. Neither voice should be forced to do something naturally it cannot do!. A person with a naturally powerful voice doesn't have to belt (let alone someone with a very very soft or tiny voice)!. It is effortless!. Belting is unnatural!. If you don't have it, don't do it!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

It's when you sacrifice tone and air to reach a not that is not in your natural range!. mezzo sopranos like myself are notorious for it since there aren't many famous songs for our range!.

often times less experienced singers will belt from their throat which results in an ache in that area!.

So basically it's letting loose and practically yelling a higher note resulting in some minor and temporary discomfort!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

Singing from the heart, mind, soul, and solar plexis!.
You know, as in; "belt it out, baby"!
{This comes to you from an amateur singer with a further helpful motto I like to live by:*** HOPE=
**Having Optimism, Perseverance, & ENTHUSIASM !! Www@QuestionHome@Com

Hector is correct!.

REALLY stupid video, but it gets the point across:
http://www!.youtube!.com/watch!?v=j07sVBlfo!.!.!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

Hitting those really tough notesWww@QuestionHome@Com