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RE: Breath Support

Author: Hiroshi
Date: 1999-07-23 08:17

Since your question is very difficult to explain,no people seem to try answering.I will try it.
1.What:
You posted a very difficult question to answer.I will try.You have to understand diaphragm breathing and air colulm also to understand breath support.These are all interrelated.
(1)Diaphragm brathing:this is what every baby does quite naturally.We have to understand physical anatomy.The diaphragm is located just under breast bone cage.This is connected with the back bone by a muscle.If you inhale air the mucle shrinks and diaphagm goes down.At this time your stomack muscle just opposite side should be relaxed.Then when you exale air the diaphragm goes up.At this time your stomack muscle should be used and the muscle connecting the diapharagm is relaxed.This is the basic anatomy of diaphragm breathing.Many people misunderstand air is taken into stomack.No.In the lung.Stomack is where eaten food exists.This breathing is the essential condition for breath support.
(2)Breath support is an abilty to keep air going out at a pressurized state and is an essential to have good air column.
(3)The far you exale air,namely the longer air column,the better your clarinet sounds and the better projection.Very good players tones reach very far even when they play in pp.This is the meaning of projection.
As to diaphragm breathing,there is a good explanation by a proffessional flutist in this page:http://user.uniserve.com/~lwk/faq-1.htm#219
As to air column famous flutist elaborates here: http://www.oberlin.edu/~mdebost/ (Click 'flute talk')
Also there is a good page 'Some Ins and Outs of Breathing' by a French hornist at this place: http://www.whc.net/rjones/brassrsc.html
2.How:
(1)Of course long tone practice is the first way to have good breath support.
(2)There is another method to train yourself used by singers.In squat position with both knees half bent,(The reason for bending knees is to disable foot support for breathing muscles.Inhale air slowly and very deeply,and then exale small amount of air at a constant speed by constantly pressurinzing my stomack muscle.Measure how long you can exale.By daily practice,your time will become 5-10 times longer in a year.

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