 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: jacoblikesmusic
Date: 2010-05-03 04:44
Have you found the need for circular breathing anytime? Is it a useful technique or is it more of a showing off thing?
If you have any instrumental books or websites that you found useful to develop your circular breathing please post it below.
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Author: USFBassClarinet
Date: 2010-05-03 05:16
I find it useful for extended solos or pedal notes, being most on bass.
I extensively used the search button on the Sax on the web forum since those saxophones seems to like doing it as well.
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Author: clarnibass
Date: 2010-05-03 05:35
First question, yes, I use circular breathing very often. Reason is the ideas I use it for would be impossible without it i.e. playing longer without stopping. It's the same as any technique in that without it you can't play ideas that require it. I think your description of "finding the need to use it" is very good, possibly beyond what you meant by it. That's exactly how it was, it was a deep feeling that I need to use it. Maybe more accurate to say, I felt the need to play ideas that require it. In the same way many years ago I felt I wanted to play clarinet and needed to learn the technique to play clarinet.
I've never seen any books about this. All I read was about practicing with straw in a glass of water. This helped a little but not when I actually did it on the clarinet. Most helpful was to see someone do it on a clarinet in front of me. He wasn't even very good actually but it still helped a lot to see it.
Post Edited (2010-05-03 05:40)
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Author: skygardener
Date: 2010-05-03 08:26
I use it all the time, even in Mozart. Some sections are too long for me to do in one breath.
Also CB is great for finger practice. When you go over a passage again and again you can do it 20, 30, 40 times without stopping. With regular breathing you can only go 4~5 times before you need to breathe.
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Author: salzo
Date: 2010-05-03 11:30
The only time I felt the need to circular breath was when I went on a field trip to a glass blowing shop.
Glass blowers need to circular breathe, musicians do not.
The only thing that sounds worse than a violinist who does not breathe when they play, is a clarinetist who does not breathe when they play.
Music is supposed to breathe.
Spend more time working on breath support, and phrasing, and leave the tricks and stunts to circus performers.
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Author: 2E
Date: 2010-05-03 13:59
How about Martin Frost playing Ave Maria? The way the music is arranged allows the clarinet to phrase - musically breathing, without physically breathing. Beautiful stuff
2E.
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Author: Joe B
Date: 2010-05-03 17:38
Yes, there is a book out on circular breathing. It's called 'Circular Breathing for the Wind Performer' by Trent P. Kynaston. It is published by Alfred Publishing Co., Inc.. The Alfred number is SB37. ISBN 0-7692-3070-5. Price $10.95. The book is 20 pages. I hope that helps.
Joe
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Author: concertmaster3
Date: 2010-05-03 19:59
Learning to circular breathe is a great technique, and it isn't as hard as most people make it out to be, but the hard part is to still be musical when you do it. Still making phrases end and begin at the same time is where most people fault in it. As an oboist, I used it a lot (Strauss Oboe Concerto has no breaths/rests until the 3rd or so line on the second page where you get an eighth rest on either side of 3 eighth notes) but before that point, I made sure to have cadences, even though I didn't take breaths. That is where the real magic of circular breathing is.
I will say it is harder on any other instrument to do than oboe, but learning it on oboe made it a lot easier for me to pick up the concept on clarinet (and everything except flute). I've actually found it to be easier in the upper register and during runs, rather than long notes, others may say differently though.
Ron Ford
Woodwind Specialist
Performer/Teacher/Arranger
http://www.RonFordMusic.com
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Author: Old Geezer
Date: 2010-05-08 16:32
Robert Spring has a book out;
"Circular Breathing: a method"
Acually he presents two methods. Really the last word on it.
Michelle Gingras demonstrates circular breathing on Youtube.
Those of us who can, think it's a neat technique; those who can't, think it's just showing off.
Clarinet Redux
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Author: clarnibass
Date: 2010-05-09 04:00
>> Those of us who can, think it's a neat technique;
>> those who can't, think it's just showing off.
I don't think so. Some people can't do it and don't think it's showing off. They completely understand when it is a necessary technique. Those who think it's showing sometimes don't understand the ideas that require it. Not understanding the ideas of the music, it leaves them with nothing but seeing the technique. Other times it might actually be showing off, if there is no idea behind it, though in reality it doesn't really show anything other than the lack of idea from the player.
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Author: Ed Palanker
Date: 2010-05-09 19:48
I think circular breathing would be a useful tool at times, especially in some contemporary music but as an orchestra musician it isn't necessary to know. It could come in handy at times but most of us get by just fine without it. Don't forget, the music has to breath so if you can circular breath you still need to phrase many times as if you weren't. I think if I could have learned to do it back in my school days when just about no one even heard of it, I would have but I've managed to get along just fine without. My advise would be to anyone that has the desire to learn it, as well as double tonguing, to go for it, just don't allow either to become a crutch. You still need to learn to breath properly first and you still need to learn to single tongue properly first too. ESP http://eddiesclarinet.com
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