Klarinet Archive - Posting 000110.txt from 1994/11

From: Martin Brown <martinb@-----.AU>
Subj: Re: Circular Breathing
Date: Mon, 7 Nov 1994 08:31:04 -0500

I bought an excellent booklet on circular breathing a while ago. After
a few hours of the exercises he describes, I was able to make a
reasonable effort at circular breathing on the bottom notes. I'm now
working on extending it up the instrument. I've got to about bottom D
so far. If I can remember, I'll bring the book in tomorrow and post
the details.

I haven't actually used it beyond its show-off value yet but I'll get
up the courage to use it under fire soon.

The exercises that he describes in the book should be done in
sequence, practicing each one before moving on to the next. Basically:

1. Ballooning the mouth and slowly squeezing the air out. (No
instrument yet.)

2. Doing 1 but breath in through the nose at the same time.

3. With water in the mouth, repeat 1.

4. With water in the mouth, repeat 2. (This is the tricky bit, trying
not to drown in the attempt.)

5. Add the intrument (no water this time) and just do one breath out
from the ballooned mouth with one breath in. (Playing a bottom E.)

6. Do 5 but add one change from breathing in through the nose to
breathing out through the mouth and intrument. This takes a lot of
work to get the transition smooth.

7. Do 5 but add one transition from breathing out through the
instrument to ballooning the cheeks, to breathing in through the
nose (without breaking the sound).

8. Put it all together and keep the sound going as long as possible
with minimal change in the sound when the transitions occur. Try
not to sound too much like a didgereedoo.

The book has a lot of other tips to help you out. So I'd advise you to
get it instead of using the above.

I hereby deny any responsibility for people drowning while following
the above instructions!

^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^ Don't give up the day job ^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~
Martin Brown, Telectronics Pacing Systems
Sydney, Australia
Ph: (61 2) 413 6973 Email: martinb@-----.au