Breetheing Help

[flashofthunder]

I don't see how wheezing like an old man would do anything but reduce wind power. The wheezing sound comes from your throat being closed, which is the exact opposite of what you want it to do.

[FrankA]

No it sounds like an old man when you do it right. Your throat is open.

[tubajoe]

Some advice I heard. Try wheezing like an old man. It teaches you to breath with your throat open and it also give you a better tone.

It sounds like a misinformed version of resistance training.

...A bad version of using "shhhh" on the exhale or pressing down valves and hissing (all old bad drum corps techniques)

I am NOT a fan of resistance training. While it can get a young (or lazy) player to use more air initially, it has ruthlessly bad side effects, and creates very bad habits. I find it's better to teach folks to do it right from the get go.

Resistance training teaches the player to "feel" the air, and to overutilize the use of air pressure, which I believe should be at a minimum.

Feel is not a good feedback indicator, since all you are able to feel is pressure, and pressure is not what makes the lips vibrate.

(see previous post :))

[idontwan2know]

I'd be interested to hear what people have to say about "top up breaths".

IE....you haven't used all your available air but get to a convenient spot for a breath before a long phrase. Should you:

A) Not breathe,

B) Expel the remaining air and take another full breath

or

C) Simply inhale until you have a full tank again(topping off the tank, as it were).

Logic dictates that in the framework of a hornline you would train them to do B, since you want the breath to be identical and automatic every time to the point that it is simply a reflex action. I know the Blue Stars did something very similar to this for a couple seasons...expelling all the air in their lungs on count 3, inhale on 4, play on 1.

On the other hand, when I stopped to analyze my own playing I realized that I do C quite often with no discernible ill effects.

Thoughts?

[Dave]

In 2000 we would do that for the beginning of pieces and other critical breathing points to insure that we would take a full breath and come in together, but not for every single breath, just the ones we planned ahead of time, and especially at points where part or all the hornline came in together.

[aatlb25]

I'd be interested to hear what people have to say about "top up breaths".

IE....you haven't used all your available air but get to a convenient spot for a breath before a long phrase. Should you:

A) Not breathe,

B) Expel the remaining air and take another full breath

or

C) Simply inhale until you have a full tank again(topping off the tank, as it were).

Logic dictates that in the framework of a hornline you would train them to do B, since you want the breath to be identical and automatic every time to the point that it is simply a reflex action. I know the Blue Stars did something very similar to this for a couple seasons...expelling all the air in their lungs on count 3, inhale on 4, play on 1.

On the other hand, when I stopped to analyze my own playing I realized that I do C quite often with no discernible ill effects.

Thoughts?

B, you don't want to leave air in you, it is either in or out leaving it in you will lead to light headedness also.

[camel lips]

One of the best books out there for developing good strong air reserves in the body is Hessions sessions.

www.hessionssessions.com

I started this book 2 years ago and just using the first 4 AIR exercises in the book as part of my daily warm up routine has has helped considerably.

One thing he touches on in the book is the importance of how to use the air effectivly.

Playing in the upper register not only requires a lot of air but it requires you to be able to move the air FAST.

[Shadow_7]

B) Expel the remaining air and take another full breath

or

C) Simply inhale until you have a full tank again(topping off the tank, as it were).

Depends on the horn you play. On the larger bore instruments, I do C almost exclusively. Since air wise, I'm expending at almost a normal exhale rate anyway. On smaller bore instruments like french horn, I have to do B, or I'll pass out from afixiation(sp?).

[tubajoe]

I'd be interested to hear what people have to say about "top up breaths".

IE....you haven't used all your available air but get to a convenient spot for a breath before a long phrase. Should you:

A) Not breathe,

B) Expel the remaining air and take another full breath

or

C) Simply inhale until you have a full tank again(topping off the tank, as it were).

Logic dictates that in the framework of a hornline you would train them to do B, since you want the breath to be identical and automatic every time to the point that it is simply a reflex action. I know the Blue Stars did something very similar to this for a couple seasons...expelling all the air in their lungs on count 3, inhale on 4, play on 1.

On the other hand, when I stopped to analyze my own playing I realized that I do C quite often with no discernible ill effects.

Thoughts?

It always depends on the MUSIC.

For some reason, when we are young we are taught that we have to play from "point A" to "point B" without a breath.

It's simply not true... and it is bad training.

As a brass player, the more air quantity you spend, the better you will play, PERIOD.

That being said, there are two types of breaths (that I like to teach):

1.) initial breath -- take at least 4 counts -- (I dont like the "one count ready play" breath)

2.) a replenishment breath. Whatever you have to do to breathe while in the music, until you get to a place that you can have time for #1.

With regards to #2 -- take those breaths where you need to. Dont expel (while playing!) all of your air. Your sound will suffer below about 1/3 of your vital capacity. Keep as full as you can and use as much air as you can. When you get to a space where there is time, then you can exhale and replenish wtih #1.

Part of playing the horn (and being an artist in general!) is making your replenishment breaths PART OF THE MUSIC. The best players are able to not only disguise, but incorporate them into the phrase.

With a drum corps hornline, the situation is absolutely optimal because there are so many players on the same part, theoretically playing with the same sound etc. So, providing a line has good "stagger breathing technique" a player should (and be encouraged to) breathe as OFTEN as possible.

Dont turn breathing into rocket science -- as I said before, your body already knows how to do it much better than you can consciously control it to... rather work to get it to do MORE of what it already knows how to do so well.

Edited March 22, 2006 by tubajoe