[DeUtCheaxelplaya]

im trying to learn circular breathing now that marching band season is over and i was wondering if anyone could give me any pointers. i know some basic things i can do to help with it because i researched it, but i still want to know more to make this as productive as possible. so if anyone can give pointers i would greatly appreciate it.

 

[clarnibass]

I don't know how to help except explaining how I learned it (on clarinet, but same on saxophone). First I tried to do it like some people explained to me and I couldn't do it. Gave up. A few months later I tried again, first just puffed my cheeks and took a breath through my nose at the same time of squeshing the air out of my mouth from the cheeks. After I got that I started with the straw and water and after a while (a few days) managed to do that. Then I came back to the instrument and wasn't even close to do it right. Gave up again. Then one day a local classical palyer who never uses circular breathing for some reason mentioned he can do it and he showed me. After I've actually seen it done a half a meter a way in front of my own eyes, I tried again and after a few tries it worked! It wasn't good at first but from the moment I managed to do it for the first time I felt what I was doing right this time. I practiced and after a few months I was able to do it for a while with some mistakes. Now (maybe a couple of years later) most of what I do has circular breathing and I don't even think about it.

Good luck!

 

[ismail]

with a didgeridoo, it should be easier and not so frustrating to learn.
the thing is, that it´s very difficult to maintain a constant tone or any tone at all on the sax while "breathing circularly".

i´ve learned it with a didg and now i´m fairly comfortable with it, but i do not yet apply it on the sax because i don´t feel the need for it.

i guess you know how it works technically???
then i would say give it some tries each day and you will be able to do it in a while!

 

[haptown]

I've tried it and tried it but I just can't seem to make it work.

 

[Smartyy]

hey...
A guy on Youtube asked this as well and I sent him my own instructions.. weather it helped it or not I don't know, he never replied.. but hopefully it'll help you
here it is:

Okay I can teach you the basics.. it's kinda hard without video or anything.
Basically, you need a cup of water, not full, and a straw.
The first thing to practice is blowing bubbles in the cup while breathing in through your nose. If you've ever spit water out of your mouth, you basically do the same thing.
Fill your mouth with air (and yes, it's good to puff out your cheeks) and close off the airway to your thoat with your tongue. Blow the air out of your mouth using only your cheek muscles, while doing this, your breath in at the same time.
If you can blow bubbles in the cup while breathing in pretty good, try it without the cup and do it again.
Once you get the hang of that, your essentially circular breathing. now to do it on a horn (assuming your learning this for an instrument, if you aren't, just do it in the air)
Breath out, and before you run out of air, fill your mouth up with air and then close off your throat, then do the breathing in and blow out at the same time.
Once you can do this,
CONGRATULATIONS!
you can circular breath.
This is usefull for just about an instrument, except the Tuba, since it requires a WHOLE lot of air.

NOTE: This is just a crash corse, a basic outline of what to do. If I ever get my camera working, I will make a video, but until then, just practice this

If you have any questions, please just ask.

-Smartyy!

 

[DeUtCheaxelplaya]

hey...
A guy on Youtube asked this as well and I sent him my own instructions.. weather it helped it or not I don't know, he never replied.. but hopefully it'll help you
here it is:

Okay I can teach you the basics.. it's kinda hard without video or anything.
Basically, you need a cup of water, not full, and a straw.
The first thing to practice is blowing bubbles in the cup while breathing in through your nose. If you've ever spit water out of your mouth, you basically do the same thing.
Fill your mouth with air (and yes, it's good to puff out your cheeks) and close off the airway to your thoat with your tongue. Blow the air out of your mouth using only your cheek muscles, while doing this, your breath in at the same time.
If you can blow bubbles in the cup while breathing in pretty good, try it without the cup and do it again.
Once you get the hang of that, your essentially circular breathing. now to do it on a horn (assuming your learning this for an instrument, if you aren't, just do it in the air)
Breath out, and before you run out of air, fill your mouth up with air and then close off your throat, then do the breathing in and blow out at the same time.
Once you can do this,
CONGRATULATIONS!
you can circular breath.
This is usefull for just about an instrument, except the Tuba, since it requires a WHOLE lot of air.

NOTE: This is just a crash corse, a basic outline of what to do. If I ever get my camera working, I will make a video, but until then, just practice this

If you have any questions, please just ask.

-Smartyy!

sorry to make you type all that, but i already know that method (as i said i researched this on the internet)..........basically i need more than the basics of circular breathing on this one (since i already know the basic concepts and methods to circular breathing). thank you anyway though........if anyone has maybe more advanced tips on circular breathing (not to cut anyone down) then that would be really helpful. i can do the circular breathing up to the point that i try to do it on my horn.

thanks for the help!!

~Thomas

 

[guedotkp]

I can circular breath and can say that it only works through practice. Think quick cycles of inhale and exhale on saxophone.

My big question is why do you feel the need to circular breathe? Music should be natural with breath and such. The best way to get the desired results from circular breathing is to build your lung capacity through breathing exercises and long tones, not using circular breathing. Playing music should be like speaking, take a breath occasionally and people will listen more intently. Circular breathing is a neat parlor trick, but has very little actual use in music.

 

[monteiromarcos]

How to Circular Breathing

It may sound silly, but I learned by doing raspberries with my mouth (like kids love to do). My wife got very annoyed with my practices, but the idea is to force yourself to expel air at the same time you inhale it. You're going to break the entire process in 2 smaller and easier achievable processes. 1) train yourself to blow out from you mouth at the same you inhale thru your nose. This may be easier to understand from some than others, but it's natural and once you have the idea it becomes a piece of cake. To accomplish I made raspberries with my mouth at the same time I kept breathing in air. You can concentrate on talking at the same time you breath in. Once you can separate the flow of air that comes in from the one that's pushed out is time for the next phase. 2) Now grab a glass of water and a straw. Start blowing in the straw to produce bubbles. The next exercise is to blow water in the cup at the same time you breath in air. Do small blows at the same time you inhale thru your nose (you'll need to push the air using your cheek muscles). Once you can do this comes to the most important part of the exercise, try to do a continuous blow, now you want to switch from the diaphragm (normal) respiration to the "cheek pushing" method you learned before, without stopping the flow of air. Assuming that you learned the previous exercise, now you are going to apply everything you learned so far at the same time. Do a continuous blow and before you run out of air switch to the "cheek pushing" method again, but this time you're going to inhale thru your nose. The inhalation must be done at the same time you do the switch. The inhalation should be done fast (this can be improved later). Now apply what you've learned in your horn (don't use only the mpc, because it makes more difficult). Remember 1 - you need to train yourself to inhale and push air at the same time. 2 - You need to train you cheek muscle to push air out. And, after you master these two principles put them together for circular breathing. Now you need to practice a lot. I hope this was instructive.

 

[Robert Dubrul]

Visit these links!
http://www.woodwind.org/clarinet/Study/CircularBreathing.html
http://www.petethomas.co.uk/saxophone-circular-breathing.html

I find it almost impossible with the volume of air required for tennor sax. Anyone able to do this? I know the soprano volume is much less!

 

[DeUtCheaxelplaya]

I can circular breath and can say that it only works through practice. Think quick cycles of inhale and exhale on saxophone.

My big question is why do you feel the need to circular breathe? Music should be natural with breath and such. The best way to get the desired results from circular breathing is to build your lung capacity through breathing exercises and long tones, not using circular breathing. Playing music should be like speaking, take a breath occasionally and people will listen more intently. Circular breathing is a neat parlor trick, but has very little actual use in music.

because it is something useful to learn so when i do need it its just there in the palm of my hand. things will be easier.

i dont see anything wrong with learning..............does anyone else?
and also i can say i am worthy for circular breathing........its not like this is way over my head im ready for it. but you are right about "playing music should be like speaking......"