 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Paul Aviles
Date: 2014-08-29 13:20
This is hopefully more of a survey type question because after a brief survey of my own the answers seem to vary quite a bit.
Here is what prompted this question. One particular student was gulping in air and getting less and less out of each successive intake. It was all too obvious that what was occurring was that more and more "used air" (carbon dioxide) was being left in the lungs with each successive desperate attempt for more oxygen.
It took this near suffocation event to make me recall my own desperate attempts to make breathing work. What I finally arrived at for myself is what I am to believe is the technique used by oboe players (since they must push air as much as we do BUT so little actually moves out that tiny aperture). I take in a full tank of air, and when I get to a breathing point (wherever that is) I release the remainder of what is in my lungs and take in a fresh full tank all in one go. This way there is no guess work or calculation as to how much air I will need; I am always ready for the next breath. Also, the times where I am consciously barely making it to the next breath are very few and far between (perhaps only 2% of situations).
So, do you take in a full breath (and release) all the time, or do you kinda take what you think you need at any given moment?
............Paul Aviles
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Author: sfalexi
Date: 2014-08-29 21:16
Given the music allows, I exhale and inhale fresh anew.
While marching, I don't do this. I will actually intentionally leak as I play passages so that when I'm ready to breath in I don't have to waste time breathing out first.
But I always bring a full breath in, and prefer to exhale before bringing in fresh air.
Alexi
US Army Japan Band
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Author: sax panther
Date: 2014-08-29 22:04
I always try to exhale and get a completely fresh load of air in where time allows - I've been talking about this with one of my pupils recently. Trying to work with her on taking planned, high quality breaths...she has a tendency to take a really panicky sounding breath, as if someone's just told her that they're going to push her into a swimming pool!
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Author: BartHx
Date: 2014-08-29 23:38
I tend to do as others have described here. The only difference is that, because of asthma, I probably do it more frequently.
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Author: TJTG
Date: 2014-08-29 23:40
Sometimes I plan out how big to make my breaths in a piece. "small breath" "big breath" and even sometimes I write "exhale". Then I practice it that way to see if it works, and adjust accordingly. I used to be an endless inhaler as well; its a habit I'm glad I got away from.
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Author: Roxann
Date: 2014-08-30 01:20
Thank you for posting this. I've never given it any thought until recently. When I have a passage with a 1-2 beat rest followed by a 1-2 beat note to play, repeated several times, I've found I'm gulping, trying to replenish a little bit of air with each rest. I'm going to pay attention today to just HOW I do breathe! I don't think I've ever consciously (or unconsciously, for that matter) exhaled before inhaling.
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Author: kdk ★2017
Date: 2014-08-30 01:26
Another approach to be used at times is to deliberately skip obvious breaths when they come closer together than necessary, so the next planned breath is taken when the lungs are closer to being empty.
I do normally exhale before a fresh inhalation if there's time.
Karl
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Author: Ed Palanker
Date: 2014-08-31 17:46
Lorin Kitt, principal in the Nat'l Symphony, once told me he takes as much breath as he needs for what he's playing, That's my feeling too. Let the musicial phrase dictate where and how much air to take in. You never want to have to release too much old air in order to take in fresh so just pace yourself to the phrase.
ESP eddiesclarinet.com
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Author: ruben
Date: 2014-08-31 21:23
Sax Panther: What you've described is certainly the healthiest thing to do. One qualification that you added was: "when time allows". It allows more often in chamber music and orchestral playing, in which we regularly have rests, than in playing études, in which we play pretty much continuously and sometimes find ourselves gasping for air.
rubengreenbergparisfrance@gmail.com
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Author: Clarineteer
Date: 2014-09-01 09:40
Grover Washington Jr. died as a result of circular breathing which gave him a heart attack. Very risky technique.
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Author: mnhnhyouh
Date: 2014-09-01 11:15
@Clarineteer, do you have a source for this information?
Circular breathing has a long history in Australia and I have never heard it linked to heart attacks. Heart attacks are caused by fatty deposits blocking the arteries that supply the heart muscle with blood and oxygen.
h
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Author: Ralph Katz
Date: 2014-09-01 17:11
I try to stay on the high side of air capacity. Yes you may have to expel air, but the exchanges which occur in your lungs work more efficiently this way. The longer the passage, the greater the advantage of this. But this can be to your advantage even for short passages.
Look for postural/structural reasons for lack of air capacity. While there may not be time, in terms of posture and approach, each breath should at least have indicate readiness for a full intake.
Take in air freely and expand in all directions: rib cage (out and up), abdomen, shoulders (small rise), back.
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Author: Paul Aviles
Date: 2014-09-01 21:21
Ralph,
Yes, capacity is a part of the equation. However, if you are just taking more air on top of old, the capacity of old air can be quite large and that amount though impressive will not help.
As for circular breathing:
I don't fully understand how the circular breathing technique can be in any way harmful. You are breathing 'normally' with circular breathing, it just happens while the packet of air in your mouth is doing the out-put.
................Paul Aviles
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Author: Slowoldman
Date: 2014-09-01 21:30
My "day job" is as a cardiologist (over 30 years). I have never heard of any type of maneuver such as circular breathing causing cardiovascular problems. I also can't think of any mechanism by which it could do so. Seems like a bit of misinformation to me.
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Author: MSK
Date: 2014-09-02 02:33
I really try to exhale first, but have played some awkward solos where it wasn't possible. I frequently play transcriptions in church that don't have good places to breath. Yesterday I played a piece with only two quarter rests in the entire piece. I definitely felt a little oxygen starved by the end.
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