To play a wind instrument, you take a breath in and then exhale into your horn. But the exhale is more than a sigh, isn’t it? It’s a directed breath, a supported breath. In the same manner in which you push air out of you when blowing up a balloon, you push air into your instrument. And the diaphragm – that muscle below your rib cage – is a major participant in this process.
Take a moment and focus your attention on your breath right now. Is it shallow or deep? quiet or noisy? fast or slow? short or long? are you breathing through your mouth or your nose? Now attend to your posture. Are you slouched? leaning back? sitting forward? up straight? Are your arms resting in your lap? down at your sides? propping up your chin?
In the normal course of your day, we usually don’t think about our breath and breathing. However, come time to play and breathing is front and center of your attention.
I’d like to share with you a couple of exercises that will strengthen your breath and improve control of your air.
Stretch and Breath
This exercise loosens stiff muscles and warms my body in preparation for playing. Yoga practitioners will recognize parts of the Sun Salutation (a series of yoga poses) in this sequence of breathing and body movement. Perform all movements gently. Do not over stretch or move to the point of pain. The goal of this exercise is simply to move the body and move the breath. Read through the instructions completely to familiarize yourself with the order of movements.
Begin in a standing position. Feet placed about hip-width apart. Arms at your sides. Gaze straight ahead.
Take a deep breath in as you raise both arms up over your head.
Exhale as you stretch a slight bend in your back, moving your arms back with your torso.
Inhale and come back to center.
Put a slight bend in your knees as you exhale and fold forward from your hips.
Inhale as you bend your knees and slowly come down into a squatting position. Stay here for a few breaths, then stand erect on a deep inhale.
Continuing to hold the arms overhead, on an exhale lean to the right stretching the side body. Inhale back to center.
Exhale and lean to the left, stretching the side body. Inhale back to center.
After going through this simple series of gentle stretches and breathing, you can approach your practice session in a more relaxed manner. You may find that this stretch not only loosens stiff muscles and warms your body, but also helps bring focus to your music practice. Through awareness of your breath and your body you become more present and attentive. You will notice a difference in the level of enjoyment of your practice.
Pinwheel Breathing
This exercise helps me build control and strengthen my breath. You’ll need a prop for this activity – a pinwheel. Read through the instructions completely to get an overview of the exercise.
You can do this activity either standing or sitting. Hold your open hand in front of your face about four inches away from your mouth. Purse your mouth and exhale onto your hand. Take note of where on your hand your breath is hitting. Replace your hand with the pinwheel, positioning the pinwheel in the same area where your breath is directed.
Take a deep breath in through your mouth. Purse your mouth and direct your breath onto the pinwheel.
What happens to the pinwheel when you exhale all your air quickly? What happens when you puff gently? How long can you make the pinwheel spin continuously? Does the side or the face of the pinwheel spin more smoothly?
Try it again, this time take a deep breath through your nose. What is different? Can you exhale longer?
Variations: Move the pinwheel closer to your mouth. Move the pinwheel further away from your mouth. Experiment to find what combination gives you the most control of your breath. Use different postures – sitting up straight, lying on your back, leaning back in an easy chair or couch, leaning forward from the edge of your seat. Make a game of it!
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