The Belt Voice in R&B/Soul Singing: Vocal Characteristics & Physiology
Tuesday 4th November 2025, 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM (London Time)
This course offers a deep dive into the vocal artistry and biomechanics of R&B/soul singing, with a particular focus on the belt voice—a powerful and expressive vocal technique central to the genre. Drawing from over 80 years of stylistic evolution, the course explores how R&B/soul singing has shaped contemporary commercial music and investigates the unique vocal traits that define its sound.
Through a blend of artistic analysis and scientific inquiry, this course examines the belt voice as a core characteristic of R&B/soul performance. The course presents findings from a global survey of industry experts and pedagogues who evaluated performances by five pioneering R&B/soul vocalists. These insights reveal that belting is not only a defining feature but also the most technically demanding aspect of the style.
Building on this foundation, perspectives from leading vocal coaches and performers are introduced, highlighting the distinct timbral qualities of R&B/soul belting compared to traditional musical theatre techniques. The final section delves into groundbreaking physiological research, including CT scans of vocalists during belted and comfortable pitches. These scans uncover critical data on vocal fold lengthening, laryngeal positioning, and pharyngeal wall mobility—offering a new understanding of the biomechanical demands of R&B/soul belting.
By integrating expert interviews, acoustic analysis, and advanced imaging, this course provides a comprehensive framework for understanding and teaching R&B/soul singing. It is ideal for vocalists, educators, and researchers seeking to master the belt voice while maintaining vocal health and stylistic authenticity.
🏷️ Price £30 (UK VAT inclusive)
🎥 Recording automatically sent to all who book (even if you cannot attend live)
▶️ Rewatch as many times as you like
📜 Certificate of attendance available
Dr Matt Allen
Dr Matt Allen is a professional singer active on the Australian music scene, having worked with renowned artists such as Guy Sebastian, Tina Arena, Drapht, and Christine Anu. He has toured nationally and internationally, performing at events like Canadian Music Week, the Americana Festival, and in the UK, New York, and Singapore.
Attend this course for as little as £22 as part of the Voice Professional Training CPD Award Scheme.
Learn MoreSorry, this is an archived short course...
We have plenty of upcoming short courses coming soon. See details of some of them below or look at the full list of short courses.
Tuesday 5th May 2026
2:00 PM - 4:00 PM
Tuesday 12th May 2026
2:00 PM - 4:00 PM
Tuesday 19th May 2026
2:00 PM - 4:00 PM
Tuesday 26th May 2026
2:00 PM - 4:00 PM
Tuesday 2nd June 2026
2:00 PM - 4:00 PM
Tuesday 9th June 2026
2:00 PM - 4:00 PM
(London Time)
Music Theory Fundamentals for Voice Pedagogues
Dr David Cane
Voice pedagogy has advanced significantly in the last decades in relation to knowledge of the vocal apparatus (anatomy and mechanics), acoustics, and performance psychology (to name just a few subfields) – this is a wonderful thing! Nonetheless, musicianship and the foundations of music theory are still relevant to the teaching and coaching of singers and this course aims to empower voice teachers and coaches with skills to support the fundamental musicianship development of their students.
Wednesday 10th June 2026
3:00 PM - 4:00 PM
(London Time)
In Conversation With… Amanda Flynn
Dr Amanda Flynn
Join us for the first event in our new public interview series exploring vocal health and sustainability in musical theatre performance. Free and open to all!
Friday 12th June 2026
3:00 PM - 5:00 PM
(London Time)
Learning together: group singing and choral pedagogy
Dr David Cane
The benefits of group singing are well documented and well known. Singing together can foster a sense of social connection and community as well enhancing wellbeing and mood. However, group singing is not only a shared cultural and artistic experience, but can also be a powerful site of learning. While many of the developments in voice pedagogy have tended to centre around the one-to-one model of teaching, this course with Dr David Cane explores the pedagogical (and potentially the political) potential of teaching and learning to sing collectively.