Acting in Plays, Singing/Belting and head voice.

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Expert: - 8/11/2008


Question
Hey Sean. If you're reading this thanks so much for taking time to answer my question. I never had a vocal coach/trainer and I'm basically self tought so that's why I'm asking some questions.

I'm 14 years old and I've been singing for about 2 years. I don't really know my register since I've never had a teacher but I can hit some high notes within my chest voice.

Now my question is is it bad to belt your voice up? I can belt my voice where it tightens up and I cannot sustain a note for longer then 1 measure. Once I reach that note I just feel like my vocal chords are tight and then after I let go of the note my throat starts to hurt.

The note I hite is a F#4 I believe I belted up to it. If it's not then its a F#3. But I didn't use falsetto or anything I just tryed going as high as I can and once I hit the note my throat just started to hurt and I could feel my vocal chords tightening.

If you have any advice on how to belt propery or I if I should belt at all please tell me.

Answer
Hi, Dan –

Thank you for the question.

Belting should not be confused with "forte" (or "loud", the dynamic marking – f).  At fourteen you should be more concerned about your entire singing range, not just with what happens on a few notes in a certain area of your voice and with lots of volume.  Can you sing this same High F# (5th-line in treble clef) with moderate volume (marked as mf – mezzo-forte)?  And not slip into falsetto?

My job as a professional vocal coach is to determine your true vocal category, i.e., tenor, baritone, bass, etc.  Then it's about expanding your existing range, and developing and maintaining it.  All my tenors, baritones, and basses sing a High-F#.  Its the sound of that note, where and how it occurs, in any piece that distinguishes vocal categories.  That's what training is all about.

Get involved in your school and community organizations.  There are all kinds of ways to learn about music, vocal literature, and to acquire good sight reading skills.  Before you start taking on a whole lot of bad vocal habits, do a lot of research on famous and respected singers – from the past to the present.  Explore opera, Broadway, film music, standards, jazz, blues, etc.  The more you listen the more you will understand about men's voices and how they develop.

I remember exactly how I sounded at 14 and my favorite songs that showed off my natural efforts.  But by that age, I was really informed about lots of different music and the individuals who had sustained a career or were developing one.  Five years later and after six months with a wonderful vocal coach, I got my first paycheck to sing.

Work hard, but work smart.  Learn how to sing scales with the same concentration and consistency as you would when playing the same scales on the instrument of your choice.

I am a professional singing teacher and vocal coach in San Francisco.  To book an appointment, contact me through Craig's List – http://sfbay.craigslist.org/sfc/lss/800277192.html I am also the fine arts critc for SanFranciscoSentinel.com.  All my articles and interviews provide a link to my personal e-mail.

Take a look at my You Tubes:
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Seán Martinfield

Acting in Plays, Singing

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Sean Martinfield

Expertise

I am a professional vocal coach in San Francisco. In addition to answers from a previous web site (Askme.com - where my "tag" was "VocalCoach") I have published over 2000 responses related to vocal training - particularly as it relates to Musical Theatre and Opera. I have 24 years of experience as Personal Trainer to singers and actors in the San Francisco Bay Area. I sang professionally for 20 years and know what it means to live the life of a musician. I can determine your voice category, i.e., Tenor, Baritone, Bass, Soprano, Mezzo-Soprano, Alto, Alto Belter, etc., and how to broaden and strengthen your range. Need an audition song for a Broadway Musical? I will give you suggestions that are appropriate to your vocal category and to requirements specified in the audition notice. I have also created a vocal methodology, "The Belter`s Method". It will enable those in Musical Theatre to practice more efficiently because it focuses on the demands of professional performers as well as to those auditioning for school and community productions, and as University and Conservatory performing arts majors. If what you want is a better voice and more control over your career moves and choices, contact me. Also, as the Editor of SanFranciscoSentinel.com, it is my privilege to review productions at the San Francisco Opera, Ballet and Symphony, as well as Broadway National Tours booked into San Francisco's Orpheum, Golden Gate and Curran Theatres. I also review works by A.C.T (the American Conservatory Theatre) and Magic Theatre. I cover select films, tributes and retrospects, and various international film festivals – particulary those booked into The City's opulent Castro Theatre – including the LGBT Frameline Festival, International Film Festival, Silent Film Festival, Jewish Film Festival, etc. For private vocal instruction, I can be contacted through SanFranciscoSentinel.com. Look under: Seán Martinfield, Sentinel Editor and Publisher.

Experience

As a vocal coach, I work primarily with singers and actors throughout the San Francisco Bay Area. My students range from absolute beginners to working professionals, from pre-schoolers to senior citizens. The vast majority of my clients come to me through recommendation. I know how to identify any singer's vocal category, i.e., soprano, tenor, alto, baritone, etc. I know how to muscle-up every singer's vocal range and to expand it beyond conventional definitions. I have developed a vocal methodology for those who want to know how to belt, THE BELTER'S METHOD. As a singer who spent half of his career doing Bel Canto, I know that classical or Italian methodologies do not work in Standard American music. Bel Canto cannot be "adapted" to meet the needs of contemporary American music, including the demands of the Musical Theatre. There are a number of major components to my work as a vocal coach. The first is to identify the client's vocal category and to strengthen and maximize the vocal range accordingly. Then it's about teaching a reliable vocal workout that will enable the client to gain better control of their musicianship. That includes scale work to expand the vocal range and to improve placement, breath control, and diction. Then we work on material for the audition portfolio, the immediate job or assignment, a recording session, etc. My task to is to better equip singers and actors who are hoping to or relying upon their performance skills and vocal endurance to maintain a career in the Performing Arts. My clients regularly appear in cabarets and musical productions throughout the San Francisco Bay Area. Some have worked in New York and gone on National Tours. For more information, Contact me at: Broadwaybelters@yahoo.com

Education/Credentials
San Francisco State University – BA in Theatre Arts; graduate work in Theatre, Philosophy, and Comparative Reiligion. Pacific School of Religion, Berkeley – Graduate work in Ethics

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