I'm 12 years old, and I've just started working on belting with my voice teacher on the song "Mama I'm a Big Girl Now". Sometimes I will feel like I'm forcing my voice, and the larnyx will move up. I know the larnyx is suppost to stay still; but how can I fix that? I dont want to damage my vocal cords!
2007-07-13 07:09:01 · 5 answers · asked by Anonymous in Arts & Humanities ➔ Theater & Acting
You should be asking your voice teacher, not us. You also may want to ask this in the performing arts section as well if you really want more input. If you're straining then back off. Your intuition is probably right and you could be damaging your voice. Talk to your teacher.
You know that when you belt you're using your chest voice, right? There shouldn't be much tension at all in your throat. Check out this information. I found it interesting :-)
Be careful with your voice!!!
Good luck!
2007-07-13 07:25:55 · answer #1 · answered by Marianne D 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Most people should not belt above an A. I belted at a G sharp once and it started to hurt. And if it hurts don't sing! Also, you may want to rest your voice. And age 12 may be to young to belt any how. Talk to your voice teacher and try it again when you are 13 or 14. Belting comes with time. When you get older you will be able to do it better. Besides, If your head voice is loud enough, people won't be able to tell if you are belting or not.
2007-07-14 07:35:31 · answer #2 · answered by Nic O 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Don't force your voice. The term "belting it" is actually a bad term, you really want to use your diaphragm, this is a muscle just below your lungs that controls your breathing. Even though it works automatically, you can control it. When you force your voice, you are forcing the air through your larynx and this gives you a bad tone. Try to imagine a glass of water. The water does not float at the top of the glass and trickle down, it falls to the bottom and works its way to the top. To truly "belt it" you need to have total breath control, and as you work, you will achieve greater lung capacity. The more air control and lung capacity you achieve, the longer, louder notes you will achieve. From one singer to another, I bid you good luck!
2007-07-13 07:31:28 · answer #3 · answered by Angel of Music 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Hopefully your teacher has taught / is teaching you to breathe correctly so that you can do magic with your voice.
Try this exercise:
Take a breath and start to hum. Then slowly open your mouth while still vocalising, so you go into something like mmmm-aaaaah. Keep up the vocalisation till you feel your abdomen tightening to push the last bit of breath out of you to sustain the "aaaah". When you want to sing, "remember" the tightening of your abdomen and deliberately induce it so that you can belt your voice with absolutely no demand on your larynx.
Hope this helps.
2007-07-13 08:36:25 · answer #4 · answered by rhapword 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Main rule: if it hurts, you are doing it wrong! So stop!
If you are feeling strained, it is probably not in your "belt" range, meaning you are "pushing" up your chest voice. You need to work on blending your head voice with your chest, so the transition doesn't sound weird.
You might just have to accept that your voice isn't suitable for that type of singing or that particular song. My voice is more suited for high soprano type singing, and operatic stuff.
2007-07-14 04:16:34 · answer #5 · answered by Mags 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋