breathing techniques 1

7/18/2019 Breathing Techniques 1

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Breathing Techniques• Good breathing only happens with good posture.

• Make sure you are sitting straight and at the end of your chair. The neck,

throat, shoulders, chest, and arms must be free of tension

• Proper breathing does not raise the shoulders. Inhale downward, drawing air

toward the waist. The feeling for a deep breath can be developed by taking a

sudden inward gasp, with the fingers positioned to feel the expansion of the

lower back and stomach.

• Think of blowing the air through the horn, through the stand, and through

the wall.

• Avoid tense throat muscles. Symptoms of a closed throat include raised

shoulders, tense neck muscles, a pinched sound, etc.

• The first exhale following a slow inhale should be like a sigh. The inhale

should be silent (as any noise indicates tension in the throat or mouth) and

the sigh should expel all the air in a second or less.

• One of the signs of an incorrect exhale is that the belly is not bouncing.

Exercises: (Inhalation)1. With hands on the waist just below the rib

cage, thumbs in front and fingers in back, one can feel movement in the

lower torso when breathing properly. If the diaphragm draws the maximum

amount of air into the lungs, the lower torso will expand in the back as well

as the front.

2. Imagine stepping into a cold shower on a hot day. The result is a

sudden gasp as the air rushes deep inside, seemingly to the stomach

3. Imagine taking an unmannerly “slurp” of soup. Actually make the

sound, and then duplicate the sound silently

4. Sit in a chair and lean forward with the chest touching or almost

touching the knees and the arms extending beside the legs to the floor.

Breathe as deeply as possible. In this position it is difficult to inhale

incorrectly

5. Inhale several short breaths in sequence. For instance, before playing a

whole note, inhale on the four preceding counts.

6. Stand with the heels and shoulder blades touching the wall. Inhale



without moving the shoulders or chest.

7. Lying on the floor, inhale slowly, the small of the back touching the

floor

Exercises: (Exhalation)1. Hiss in imitation of a teakettle (being careful to make sure that the

sound is produced by air rushing by the tongue and not produced by a tense,

tight throat.

2. Blow up a balloon

3. Whistle a note in a comfortable register and sustain it as long as

possible without diminuendo

4. Place a piece of paper against the wall. Let go and try to keep it in

place with your airstream.

5. Slow, four count, relaxed inhale followed by blowing out 16 separate

candles ("hooing") and observing the belly bouncing.

More Exercises: 1. Inhale as though yawning and exhale by sighing to promote relaxation

through both the inhale and the exhale

2. Inhale as in a relaxed gasp.

3. Inhale rapidly

4. Pretend to blow out the candles on the birthday cake at your one-

hundredth birthday

5. Inhale while the teacher counts aloud to four and then exhale hot air in

four counts at the same tempo

6. Inhale while the teacher counts aloud to four and then exhale cold air in



eight counts

7. Inhale while the teacher counts aloud to four and then exhale while

hissing for twelve counts

breathing techniques 1

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