breathing

[JeffBanyots]

Yes, all of that right there, except you forgot the part where the note should be cut off by ripping the horn off your face.

Is there any other way?

[TerriTroop]

You might do yourself some good by asking a brass caption head about this. I'm assuming you're looking for ways to work on phrasing and control, etc.

Being a vocalist and vocal educator and not a wind player, I can't answer your question with any specifics. I can say that I've found that regular and sustained cardiovascular exercise has helped me with my ability to sing with better control, color, intensity, etc. simply because I had to learn how to relax and utililize deeper breathing in order to perform well. This translates well for singing. Breathing properly has to become second nature, so that's the first thing I teach my ensembles. (it's very simple, but it's not something we're used to in our normal day-to-day living.)

Lastly, while "exercises" claiming to strengthen the breathing mechanism might not be appropriate or effective, there are breathing exercises that I use for vocalists that help students understand what the breathing mechanism should feel like when used well for singing. Most people don't realize how much work the diaphragm does, how the ribs and surrounding musculature will feel, etc. Instead, they try to control tone via false means by pushing from the larynx which leads to poor tone quality, pitch issues and can ultimately damage the vocal folds. I would assume there are similar issues in any wind or brass instrument if something as fundamental as good breath support is not completely understood by the performer.

The whole point of all of this is that despite some of the teasing you've received here, there may be answers for you if you can talk to someone in person. Your question needs some fleshing out, basically.

[Dave]

Actually, Terri is right on about a lot of that (although the diaphragm actually doesn't do any work--it's an involuntary muscle that can only move to expand the lungs). Singing and brass playing have quite a bit and common, so much so that many singers took lessons from Arnold Jacobs, who's considered the father of modern brass playing. A book everyone should read is Brian Frederiksen's Song and Wind, which is about Jacobs' teaching and is good at digging into the subject matter. The overall idea is to get the things that are a part of the playing process--your breathing, what your mouth is doing, the physical stuff in general--on the subconscious or, as Jacobs calls it, the "computer" level of your brain so that the actual active thinking can be devoted to making music. I would recommend taking some lessons as well, if for no other reason than it's good to get someone to evaluate your interpretation of all that information as well as your overall playing.

[BillH]

Yes, all of that right there, except you forgot the part where the note should be cut off by ripping the horn off your face.

Nah. Stop the note by fimly placing your tongue into the aperture of the embouchure!

[TerriTroop]

Actually, Terri is right on about a lot of that (although the diaphragm actually doesn't do any work--it's an involuntary muscle that can only move to expand the lungs). Singing and brass playing have quite a bit and common, so much so that many singers took lessons from Arnold Jacobs, who's considered the father of modern brass playing. A book everyone should read is Brian Frederiksen's Song and Wind, which is about Jacobs' teaching and is good at digging into the subject matter. The overall idea is to get the things that are a part of the playing process--your breathing, what your mouth is doing, the physical stuff in general--on the subconscious or, as Jacobs calls it, the "computer" level of your brain so that the actual active thinking can be devoted to making music. I would recommend taking some lessons as well, if for no other reason than it's good to get someone to evaluate your interpretation of all that information as well as your overall playing.

The diaphragm is partially involuntary. You can control it for a time until the nervous system tells it to do something else because your body is feeling distressed. But in general you don't really want to "control" breathing, as you said. You want the right breathing for singing/playing to become so habituated that you don't have to think about it.

[bccadet09]

I always learned that with breathing (as well as anything else you do in marching band, drum corps, concert band, etc...), it has to be done with the least "tension" possible.

I also learned that tension occurs when you use more than necessary to complete a task....

...which means that if you use your shoulders to breathe, you are creating tension.

The only muscles required to breathe are your heart and lungs (as well as a few other muscles), but otherwise, breathing does not require anything else other than the muscles that help engage breathing.

That is....or should be....the overall objective of breathing exercises.

[BillH]

Actually, Terri is right on about a lot of that (although the diaphragm actually doesn't do any work--it's an involuntary muscle that can only move to expand the lungs). Singing and brass playing have quite a bit and common, so much so that many singers took lessons from Arnold Jacobs, who's considered the father of modern brass playing. A book everyone should read is Brian Frederiksen's Song and Wind, which is about Jacobs' teaching and is good at digging into the subject matter. The overall idea is to get the things that are a part of the playing process--your breathing, what your mouth is doing, the physical stuff in general--on the subconscious or, as Jacobs calls it, the "computer" level of your brain so that the actual active thinking can be devoted to making music. I would recommend taking some lessons as well, if for no other reason than it's good to get someone to evaluate your interpretation of all that information as well as your overall playing.

Beat me to it. I second the recommendation of Song and Wind and any articles you can find by or about Arnold Jacobs. The really important thing to understand is to get your head OUT of trying to control ANY aspect of the physical actions in breathing. Rather, you need to simply work to stay relaxed and ask your body for the desired result. Jacobs was also a master at using external devices to demonstrate the effectiveness of your air flow, both in and out. things like a piece of paper in front of the mouthpiece to see steadiness of air during buzzing. A very worthwhile investment may be an incentive spirometer, which allows measurement of airflow. I think you can find them at Hickeys.com. It is a medical device used in respiratory therapy/rehab. You can use it to work on relaxed, maximized inhalation and with some creative application of clear PCV tubing and electrical tape, you can also use it as a more clear demonstration of airflow as you buzz.

Buy the book, you won't regret it. And, as others have pointed out, do not listen to the frequent well-intentioned but physiologically mis-informed advice of those asking you to "use your diaphragm", push air, or a myriad of other counter-productive and tension-creating approaches.

[bmroth1]

I'm amazed you guys have completely forgotten about the need to bend backwards as far as you can till your back almost touches the ground while blowing out as much air as humanly possible.

[Dave]

The diaphragm is partially involuntary. You can control it for a time until the nervous system tells it to do something else because your body is feeling distressed. But in general you don't really want to "control" breathing, as you said. You want the right breathing for singing/playing to become so habituated that you don't have to think about it.

True, I don't mean you can't control inhaling, I just mean that you can't control the flexing of the muscle like you can your arms or legs. It's like blinking, I can close my eyes or open them, but otherwise my mind has unconscious instructions for my eyelids.

[ninjaturtle]

Check out "The Breathing Gym" by Patrick Sheridan and Sam Pilafian. Both former students of Arnold Jacobs, and arguably 2 of the best players/teachers alive today. There's 1 book and 2 dvds; one of the DVDs just won an emmy for 'excellence in information/instructional production'. A good majority of corps today use The BG or some variation of BG exercises.

there's a small sample clip on that tube site, if you want to check it out. Highly recommend getting the original book at the very least.