circular breathing

[dmeacham5]

i tried searching on past threads but my question wasn't answered, my question is, how do you circular breath?

[SousaWarrior9]

If I remember correctly, you need to build up enough air in your cheeks so that you can push the air out while inhaling through your nose. I've yet to master this, however.

[David Richoux]

There are quite a few lessons on Youtube - search: circular breathing

but I have never been able to do it very well, especially on tuba. Here is one success by some guy http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TOVv_A7JIGQ

[jsmn4vu]

If I remember correctly, you need to build up enough air in your cheeks so that you can push the air out while inhaling through your nose. I've yet to master this, however.

This, but tuba is the hardest wind instrument for doing this, because of the volume of air required (as compared with, say, the oboe).

[MaryAnn]

Some of the best circular breathing videos I had found a while back had to do with playing the didgeridoo. One guy in particular appeared to have a tuba embouchure, and he demonstrated some really neat stuff with free buzzing.

I can circular breathe; it wasn't really all that horrible to learn BUT the transition between cheek blowing back to lung blowing is still pretty rough; the sound continues but there is a distinct timbre change, which is not a problem on dij, in fact, it is used as part of the desired output. Lots of people do it....I think it's just a matter of time and patience, no harder than other things you do on the tuba. You do have to start slowly, go in steps, and then later speed it up (unless you have more talent than I do.)

MA

[PhilGreen]

Here's a great example of how it can be done effectively on tuba.

[eupher61]

Two words: Don Harry.

[MaryAnn]

Here's a great example of how it can be done effectively on tuba.

Yeah but:
He is playing a very articulated piece; it is much easier to do circular breathing on a piece like this; what is hard is to play a sustained note with circular breathing and not be able to hear any difference. I've seen it done on a very high note on the (french) horn, in person, up close, and the only reason I knew he was circular breathing was because I could see his cheeks go out and hear him sniff in at the same time. There was zero difference in sound quality, and no breaks. That takes some skill.

I'm surprised more people haven't chimed in on this, because I would consider it a mandatory technique to have on tuba.

MA

[itai]

It took me ages to learn the concept of circular breathing. No matter any explanation/guidance on how to do it, it just didn't work. Apparently, while I was trying to pass the time on a boring guarding duty, I finally understood the method by thinking about the physical logic. Simple as it is.

Once you can do it, even barely, but as long as you know the cheek-nose-blow combination, simple try it on the tuba. Start with the higher register, on the mid-low register the sound will get distorted much more due to more air and free embouchure. I am not trying to sound like a smartass, but time and patience, like anything unfortunately, is the key.

The only time I recall circular breathing being an essential need for me was when I played Tchaikovsky's Romeo and Juliet (on that sudden mid B when you are roughly alone), but it is sure a fun show off.

Mr. Hershko is a genius!

[PaulTkachenko]

I found practising blowing bubbles in water with a straw to be useful to get the concept.

[Rick F]

My favorite classical trumpet player, Serge Nakariakov, is the best circular breather I've ever seen. In his playing of Bach Air you can hardly see his cheeks puff out and can't hear any bumps or dips. This is on his big bore flugel horn (or soprano tuba).

Bach Air, Sergei Nakariakov

[pwhitaker]

I attended a master class taught by Chester Schmidt about 30 years ago in which he played a Bach Cello Suite (I don't remember which one) on an F tuba circular breathing throughout the entire piece. It was very impressive.

[Alex C]

Two repeated words: Don Harry.

[jeopardymaster]

I learned the basics over Winter Break my sophomore year, but it took another year or so to get to where I was passably proficient. Just on a sustained notes, though, harder in extreme registers, and most trustworthy at mezzo forte or softer dynamic. Generally speaking, how I did it: 1) I got proficient at sniff breathing (both in and out); 2) I learned how to make a decent sound sealing the back of my soft palate with the back of my tongue; 3) I learned how to control a pitch using air stored in my cheeks for just a short period on a sustained note; and 4) coordinated those 3 skills into a technique. Clark Terry was a master, by the way. Once at a clinic I asked him about how he could do it while blowing phrases, and he looked at me like I was crazy. I explained that I was having trouble circular breathing through phrases on tuba, and he said he couldn't help me. Maybe someone else knows how to circular-breathe moving notes on tuba, but I hit a barrier more than 30 years ago, and never broke through. But on sustained notes? Great tool.

[eupher61]

I'm going to try it today, in my baritone, with my CPAP mask on and running...brainstorm!

[eupher61]

The CPAP really doesn't help. Maybe, just maybe, if the pressure were down really low, like 4in/H20, it may be possible. I don't feel like changing the setting on my machine just now to try it.

The problem, as I suspected the more I thought about it, is in opening the airway from the nose into the throat. I frequently do it passively to help clear sinus gunk a bit (it SEEMS like it works, whether it actually does I dunno), but doing it while actively blowing is a different animal. The physical opening and closing of the palate is what the CPAP is intended to influence...and it really doesn't work while blowing to play.

Durnit.

I've seen somewhere a picture, maybe a patent application, for a machine to pump extra air for playing a wind instrument. I was told a story about Sibelius 2, that at the US premier, the tubist used a pump and hose to play the Bbs in the 3rd movement. I have never seen any validation of that specific story.