Definition of belting

The word "belting" in its modern usage refers to singing with a strong, powerful, and confident vocal style. The origin of this term can be traced to the late 19th century when belt musical theatre productions became popular. Belt shows featured dramatic, emotionally charged musical numbers that required singers to project their voices loudly and clearly to be heard by the audience. The term "belt" was coined to describe the vocal technique required to deliver these dramatic songs. In these productions, performers would sing with a distinctive tone, using a combination of chest voice and head voice to achieve a full, rich sound that could fill even the largest theatre. The technique of belting evolved from operatic singing styles, where singers would use chest voice for lower notes and head voice for high ones. The belt technique, however, combines both chest and head voice in equal measure, resulting in a more versatile and powerful vocal style that could better suit the demands of contemporary musical theatre productions. As the belting style became more popular in musical theatre, it began to be adopted by pop, rock, and country musicians, who used it to add power and energy to their performances. Today, belting is a widely accepted musical technique that is used by singers across many genres of music to deliver emotive and powerful vocal performances.