 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Garth Libre
Date: 2012-04-28 21:14
Is it absolutely necessary to breath through the corners of the mouth, rather than the nose when we need a breath? Sometimes, when I time it wrong, I get a snort out my nose because I'm still breathing in when the music demands I blow. Also, sometimes I find I just need new air, or I feel I do, mostly because the air seems stale. This results in me trying to quickly release air and then just as quickly inhale some new air in a brief rest. Perhaps, if I relaxed a bit more the whole breathing thing would just come more naturally. Long tones don't seem to help because when the music get complex, the breathing and the need to breath and the ability to breath becomes more difficult. Some music doesn't seem to take into account at all that the clarinetist has to breath.
Garth, 305-981-4705. garthlibre@yahoo.com
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Author: Buster
Date: 2012-04-28 22:11
Garth,
Discussing breathing matters can only complicate a situation for the reader unless deftly handled, so I will not attempt to delve into great specifics and add a dangerous level of self-introspection into the situation...
However, this sensation you wrote of, the feeling of needing "new air...mostly because the air seems stale" can be physiologically explained.
What you are experiencing is what vocalists commonly call "breath-stacking." Simply put, new, oxygenated air is being inhaled without the oxygen-depleted air already in the lungs having been exhaled. Eventually, the amount of oxygen-depleted air (or air rich in carbon dioxide) present in the lungs can grow to a high volume and cause the feeling of breathlessness.
This causes the brain to tell the body "We need oxygen!" and leads you to sense the need to inhale- regardless of the volume of air that is already present in your lungs.
--Now what could you do to remedy this?
You spoke of perhaps relaxing being the solution to the whole matter as it would naturally take care of itself. Well, relaxation is a tricky term to define; or it has many applicable definitions.
Physically relaxing any said portion of the body (the specifics which I will not speak of here) may not actually solve any issue for you.
"Relaxing" your racing mind, so you can accurately/rationally address this issue, is perhaps a much more beneficial usage of the term.
--To pragmatically get to the heart of your malady, there are a few possible tactics to consider.
1. When feasible, exhale the air present in your lungs before inhaling new air. Unfortunately, as you wrote, this is at times simply not possible in the midst of playing due to the composition at hand.
2. Stop the "breath-stacking" issue from occurring. Take in the only amount of air you will need to play any given passage. Filling the lungs to their maximum capacity can be equally as condemning as inhaling too little air... Of course, this will require some exploration before public premiere for your own comfort and sense of confidence.
Best of luck
-Jason
Post Edited (2012-04-28 22:12)
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Author: kdk ★2017
Date: 2012-04-28 23:03
It's really easy to over-think things when what we do as players runs headlong into what our bodies do naturally by way of autonomic responses. What should be a natural process gets interfered with, sometimes in really destructive ways, especially when we start making "rules" about what *must* be done or not done to service more conscious needs like playing a woodwind instrument.
To answer your leading question directly, the only real reason for breathing "through the corners of the mouth, rather than the nose" is that in general you ought to be able to get a less obstructed breath that way. Breathing in hard tends to pull the nostrils closed. So, when teachers work with beginners, the advice is to breathe through the mouth.
But nasal breathing in situations where only a little air is needed quickly can have the advantage of not forcing you to move your embouchure, taking less time than a mouth breath. So, as it is to so many other questions about absolutes in clarinet technique, the answer to your initial question is "no," depending on conditions, context, reasons, etc...
Circular breathers breathe in through the nose while forcing air out of their cheeks.
There have been lengthy posts written about breathing that you can find by searching the BB. But I think, putting aside the physical descriptions of the process itself, the most crucial thing is to know where the musical places to breathe are and plan accordingly. That means finding (or manufacturing) a place to breathe somewhere before you expect to run out of air. It may mean planning to take a breath where you may not need it in order to avoid running out before the next musical opportunity comes up. In some contexts you need to plan and practice where you'll breathe to avoid those panics when you end up using your last drop of air or having to breathe somewhere really unmusical.
Learning to maximize both your breath intake and the efficiency of your sound production can be important. But that's where you'll find much of the discussion and disagreement when you search the archives.
Karl
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Author: Paul Aviles
Date: 2012-04-29 03:16
I don't exactly know why we feel we need to just rely on 'corners.' I just leave the mouthpiece in place with respect to my UPPER teeth and open my mouth as much as needed to gulp air. As stated above, the quick expulsion of "the remainder of the tank" is part and parcel to the whole breathing thing.
................Paul Aviles
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Author: Ed Palanker
Date: 2012-04-29 13:30
I agree with Paul on this. Most players I know breath through their mouth not their nose. I'm sure there are many exceptions. I used to teach with someone that always criticized other teachers students at their juries for opening their mouths to take a breath even though 95% of his students did the same thing year in and year out. The secrect is not to have to reset your entire embouchure when you breath via your mouth. Sometimes, while playing bass clarinet, I do open my mouth wide to take a "big" breath while playing just to get through a long passage. I've never had a problem with the next entrance because of it but generally it is best to try to keep your top teeth on the MP if at all possible while breathing. ESP eddiesclarinet.com
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Author: mihalis
Date: 2012-04-29 23:04
I agree with Paul and Ed.
Please give a look at this Charles Neidich video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sQDAOfrE2WE
Mike.
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Author: Paul Aviles
Date: 2012-04-30 01:54
PRECISELY !!!
When he takes a normal breath, he just opens up his WHOLE mouth. No corners there.
................Paul Aviles
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Author: eac
Date: 2012-05-02 14:13
Video clip was great! But aren't two related issued being addressed here?
One, the volume of air for a given breath and the second, keeping the upper teeth/lip part of the embouchure intact while breathing? I'm just starting to try to do this and find keep the top teeth on the mouthpiece incredibly difficult. As I understand it, the goal is really to keep the embouchure stable.
Liz Leckey
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Author: Nessie1
Date: 2012-05-02 16:28
Something that I have sometimes had to do to avoid "breath stacking" is breath OUT at one brief rest in the music, play the next phrase (a short one obviously) on "nothing" which is perfectly possible and breate IN at the next short rest. This is something which my teacher taught and, when planned for in the preparation of a piece, can work quite well.
Good luck
Vanessa.
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Author: Paul Aviles
Date: 2012-05-02 17:41
There should be no 'trick' to it. If you think about it, the clarinet balances upon your right thumb weighted more toward the bell. So the clarinet should be stable against your upper teeth when you open your mouth (as in the video). Your upper teeth are keeping the clarinet from spinning forward off of your thumb.
....................Paul Aviles
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