What is Belting?
You've probably tried to belt before. Maybe it felt strained, or you ran out of breath, or it just didn't sound like the singers you admire. Maybe someone told you belting would hurt your voice. Or maybe you can belt sometimes, but it's inconsistent – some days it's there, some days it's not.
Here's the thing: belting isn't actually hard. It's just misunderstood.
In this course, you're going to learn what belting really is, why it's been taught wrong for decades, and how to do it in a way that's sustainable and reliable. Whether you want to sing musical theatre, pop, rock, R&B, or even add some brightness to your choral singing – this is the technique that unlocks those sounds.
Let's start with what belting actually is.
What Makes a Belt a Belt?
Belting is a loud, bright, brassy vocal production that sounds like amplified speech or a controlled yell. It's the sound you hear when Cynthia Erivo powers through "I'm Here" or when Ethel Merman commanded a Broadway stage without a microphone.
But here's the thing that most singers don't realize: there are actually two different techniques that both get called "belting."
True Belt
True Belt is the original belt sound. It's thyroarytenoid dominant (TA-dominant) – your vocal folds are thick and short, similar to chest voice. This is the Ethel Merman sound: powerful, brassy, and speech-like.
For most female singers, True Belt works well up to around C5 (the C above middle C). For male singers, the ceiling is typically around A4 or lower. Above these pitches, your vocal folds physically can't maintain that thick, short configuration anymore.
High Belt
So what happens when you hear someone belting above C5? That's High Belt – a different technique entirely. High Belt is cricothyroid dominant (CT-dominant), meaning the vocal folds are longer and thinner (like in head voice), but you're adding brightness and Twang to keep that brassy belt quality.
The key insight: True Belt and High Belt sound similar, but they're built differently. This course will teach you both, and how to know which one you're using.
A Brief History
Belting emerged on Broadway in the early 20th century. Before microphones were standard in theatres, performers needed to be heard over orchestras. Singers like Ethel Merman developed this powerful, speech-like production that could fill a theatre acoustically.
The term "belting" originally described female musical theatre singers using chest voice in their higher range – as opposed to "legit" singing which used head voice. This is why you'll sometimes hear people say men don't belt. That's not accurate. Men can absolutely belt; it's just that since men typically sing in chest-dominant production anyway, the technique wasn't given a separate name for them. The coordination is the same.
For decades, classical voice teachers viewed belting with suspicion – they called it "forced" or "dangerous." That changed when voice scientist Jo Estill began studying belters in the 1970s. Her research showed something surprising: healthy belting involves maximum engagement from the body and minimum force at the vocal folds themselves. It's not yelling. It's coordination.
Today, belting is a legitimate, trainable technique. The key is learning to do it efficiently – which is exactly what we're here to do.
Hear the Difference
True Belt – Ethel Merman, "There's No Business Like Show Business"
Notice how speech-like and brassy her sound is. She's staying in her True Belt range, below C5.
High Belt – Cynthia Erivo, "Defying Gravity" (Wicked)
Listen to the climactic "flying" moments. She's belting well above C5 – this is High Belt, with that CT-dominant, mixed production, but she's maintaining the bright, brassy quality.
Your Path Through This Course
Here's what we'll cover:
- Prerequisites Check – Making sure you have the foundation to be successful
- Belting is Easy – Your first belt (it's simpler than you think)
- Simple Patterns (True Belt) – Building consistency in your lower belt
- High Belt – Understanding the CT-dominant production
- Finding Your Transition – Where does YOUR voice switch?
- Simple Patterns (High Belt) – Building consistency up high
- Back and Forth – Smoothly transitioning between True and High Belt
- Applying to Songs – Taking it into real repertoire
- Artistic Considerations – When and how to use belt expressively
The first three sections you can work through in one sitting. After that, each section gives you material to practice for a week to a month before moving on. This isn't about rushing – it's about building real skill.
Related Concepts
Questions?
If anything in this course is unclear or you're feeling stuck, bring your questions to the Academy Q&As. That's what they're there for.
Ready to get started? Next up: a quick prerequisites check, and then you'll produce your first belt.