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Re: Breathing tips

Author: GoodWinds ★2017
Date: 2012-08-27 21:17

Oboe playing IS really good for asthmatics. Having to breath OUT before one breathes IN is really, really good discipline: you can actually train yourself out of an asthma attack by practicing oboe well and often.

I know there are some teaching differences out there as regards 'backwards breathing' (that's what I call it when teaching my students): some advocate expelling most/all of the leftover air and then inhaling, at ton spot in the music, while others recommend letting out a little, taking in a little, at different spaces in the music. There are advantages and disadvantages of each.

The first can result in what Drew calls breathing in 'on top of' used air; thus, you don't get rid of the CO2 and get dizzy. But I'm finding that not every 'spot' in the music allows for a full out-in breath so I find that lately am using this technique more often.

The second, the 'whole' breath, results in a really good air column and support for a long phrase but can backfire if you do it so often that you're hyperventilating (that's actually having TOO much 02 on board).

The other exercise that's really good for breath-building (besides just playing a lot) is floating in a pool of water: you have to keep your lungs full to stay buoyant, but let out the CO2 from time to time. If you can float comfortably by 'holding' your breath and then quickly exhaling/inhaling every 30-60 seconds, it does help with the oboe breathing.

All that is from an advanced amateur who (unlike others on this board) hasn't studied oboe formally for years at a go, but who is an RN and keen to see no students passing out during practice or performance.

GoodWinds

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