 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Lisa L
Date: 2001-09-07 02:22
hello all,
has anyone heard of breathing bags (to help build breathing capacity)? if so, does anyone know where to get one??
thanks!
lisa
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Author: William
Date: 2001-09-07 02:37
Ever fly in an airplane??? Just a thought.......Hospitals have breathing devices for resperatory theropy, but I have never heard of clarinetists using special breath develpement devices. Try long tones.
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Author: susannah
Date: 2001-09-07 03:03
I have seen brass players use these; esp. lower brass, but I have no idea where to get them. Also, a big part of having 'more breath' is the control of the breath. Long tones will both help you to get more breath in, and more importantly to control it.
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Author: jbutler
Date: 2001-09-07 03:08
I use the "Breath Builder" that is offered through WW&BW as well as other music stores for about $15. I think that they are wonderful to get students to think about proper breathe support. I especially like them for young flautists. I have not used the breathing bag, however.
John
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Author: Daniel
Date: 2001-09-07 04:54
My flute teacher is a is a strong advocate of breath builder and breathing bags.
Breath builders are a plastic cylinder with three holes of varying sizes in the top, and a rubber tube leading into to the container into which you blow. Inside the cylinder is a ping pong ball. The idea is to use a strong burst of air at the start to get the ball up,then to keep it at the top of the cylinder while you inhale and start exhaling again. the object of the breath builder, isn't so much to build your long capacity, as it it to teach you to make a faster, and proper exchange of air.
There are other uses that take too long to go into.
She only has gone over the uses of the breathing bag a few times, and i never could fork out the $30 to get one. But they're basically the rubber bags from iron lungs (the machines that help people breath when they are paralized or otherwise incapacitated and can't breath for themselves).
If you ever hear of Keith Underwood coming anywhere near your hometown for a masterclass, i recommend going even if you are not a flutist. My teacher studied with him for a few years and incorporated his ideas and developed some of her own methods with the two devices. So much of what i've learned from both her and Keith, on flute, has helped my clarinet and saxophone playing as well. Alot of what they teach is helping deminish tension that causes us to unconsiously hold our breath.
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Author: DS
Date: 2001-09-07 16:32
Hi Lisa!
International Musical Suppliers (IL) sells these bags. I've been using mine for almost ten years and it has really helped improve my breathing. I think the 4 liter bag (which is fine for clarinetists) is under $20.00. A trumpet professor recommended it to me. Hope this helps.
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Author: Kat
Date: 2001-09-07 20:59
Get a trash bag. I think the one-gallon size. Then find at a hardware store a length of plastic tubing. The tubing should be about an inch in diameter, with about 1/8-inch walls. Attach the bag to the tube with a rubber band. To use, fill the bag about 2/3 of the way with air. Breathe in and out through the tube. You won't hyperventilate because of the bag. Be sure to think of the vowel sound "O" while breathing in. The shape of your throat used to produce that sound will allow the most air to enter your lungs when you breathe. (When you play, though, be sure to use the "EEE" shape for a focused sound!)
I'm not sure why, but it does work!
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Author: Lisa L
Date: 2001-09-09 13:42
Has anyone seen results with the plastic tube with the ball in it (also used for breathing)? I have one and have not used it in years.... Somehow I thought the breathing bags would be more useful.
Are there any more devices anyone can recommend?
Thanks!
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Author: David Pegel
Date: 2001-09-09 16:31
Some hospitals have special devices used to measure air flow, but those might not be that useful.
You could always take up tuba...
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Author: Lisa L
Date: 2001-09-12 01:08
hello all again,
i have tried long tones (in the low register) w/ practicing my breathing techniques, and i find i still get light-headed and therefore cannot breathe for very long!! has anyone had these problems before??
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Author: Lisa L
Date: 2001-09-12 01:17
i've noticed that more air is required in playing high notes than playing low notes (to make the high notes sound good).
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