Vocal Styles
Today’s musical theatre industry demands tremendous versatility of singers. Wendy D. Legorgne and Marci Rosenberg coined the term “Hybrid Singer”, referring to the vocal athlete who is highly skilled performing in multiple vocal styles, possessing a solid vocal technique that is responsive, adaptable, and agile in order to meet demands of current and ever-evolving vocal music industry genres. The three primary styles a well-rounded musical theatre singer will need to learn are Legit, Mix, and Belt.
Legit
Legit singing (sometimes also called Musical Theatre Classical) is a vocal stylization based on open vowels, distinctive chest and head voice, a generous vibrato and significant classical and operatic influence.
Much of what you will find in the music of the “Golden Age of Broadway'' will best be performed in a Legit Style. Examples of musicals written with primarily Legit vocalization include music by Rodgers and Hammerstein (Oklahoma, Cinderella, The Sound of Music, The King and I, etc.), Lerner and Loewe (My Fair Lady, Camelot, Brigadoon, etc.) and others from that era (The Music Man, West Side Story, etc.). Although more rare in today’s musicals, some newer musicals have a more classical influence (Phantom of the Opera, A Light in the Piazza, Natasha, Pierre, and the Great Comet of 1812).
Mix
Many contemporary musicals are written with a pop / rock influence and require different vocal styling than more traditional broadway shows. This is where the Mix and Belt sounds are utilized most often. There can be some confusion about the differences between a “Mix” and “Belt.” Although some consider Mix and Belt styles to be the same, most contemporary musical theatre vocal instructors agree that they are two distinct, yet complementary vocal styles.
A Mix is the go-to vocal sound for many contemporary singers, and there are incredible vocalists out there who have mastered this technique. The mix voice is a seamless blend of the lower and upper vocal registers. A skilled mixer can effortlessly transition from the chest voice (lower register) to the head voice (higher register), eliminating any breaks or shifts as they move between registers. With practice, the dynamic range of a mix voice can be very exciting and versatile. However, a Mix style does have dynamic limits.
Belt
While proficient belters usually have a solid mix foundation, belting is a unique technique characterized by a strong, powerful, speech-like vocal placement typically used sparingly for dramatic or emotional effect.
Much of today’s music scoring for female vocalists is composed well above a B5 and is written with a belt voice in mind. For most female singers, extending chest voice above a B5 can fatigue the voice quickly, increase recovery time, and even cause vocal damage. Chest voice utilizes a low larynx and generally big vowel shapes, shortening the vocal tract and often overworking the top of the vocal folds. There is less stability in the laryngeal muscles and often more glottal collision of the vocal folds at high dynamic levels.
With a true belt sound, however, the larynx is slightly elevated compared to Legit or Mix technique and the vocal folds are closed more often. The sound is more solid and less breathy than with a mix, and the smaller, brighter vowels can give the sound a more nasal quality, although the sound is not actually in a nasal placement. Generally, less vibrato is used than with a Mix or Legit styling.
Additionally, in belting there is a tremendous amount of energy and engagement in the abdominal support areas of the body. This helps build up air pressure that will stabilize the vocal folds from underneath. The stretching of the lips forward helps to lengthen the vocal tract, and combined with the higher tongue in the middle of the mouth, stabilizes the vocal folds from the top. The collaborative effort of these two actions creates a synergistic amplification and harmonic resonance without overusing laryngeal muscles.
In terms of sensation in the vocal tract, there should be no strain in the laryngeal area. Correct belt technique reduces vocal fatigue and provides more predictable vocal stability. This results in a healthier outcome and greater longevity to sing higher and longer for a rigorous Broadway schedule of 8 shows per week.
It's essential to remember that belting is meant for powerful, emotionally charged moments within a song, rather than the entire performance. It should be used selectively for maximum dynamic impact. Its selective use is not because it is unsafe for the voice (au contraire!), but when contrasted with gentler, mixed parts of a song, a performer utilizing the belt technique has the potential to deliver an emotional intensity that is harder to convey with a mix alone.
As a certified vocologist, I like to geek out about the science of vocal production. If you are new to these styles and want to better understand the difference between a mix and a belt, listen to the comparisons in the videos below. The first video for each of the two songs is a demonstration of how the songs were originally written according to the techniques of their eras. As better understanding and discovery of belt technique became more widely used by vocalists in the industry, the shows were adapted and improved with these new possibilities in mind. “Hybrid”, versatile, athletic singers are now the normal expectation in professional theatre.
At the Ballet - A Chorus Line
Mix original cast - https://youtu.be/USZipy6VzgA
Belt revival cast - https://youtu.be/oLshCV89M54
Part of Your World - The Little Mermaid
Mix original movie - https://youtu.be/wgWRinQYlak
Belt broadway cast - https://youtu.be/V6cZus0SV1Y
Can you hear the difference?
Learning to mix and belt gives musical theatre singers so many more dynamic options for performing. Mastering these techniques can help them step into a new level of performing with better connection to the audience and more emotional energy.