Wind Topics: Increasing Breath Support

One of the hallmarks of a strong wind player is their ability to sustain a beautifully sounding note for a ridiculously long time. But...how does one increase their ability to sustain a note?

In this post, I will discuss breathing exercises you can practice anywhere -- within reason, of course -- some exercises might get you some weird looks if you're in public. Consider this your warning!

Some of my favorite breathing exercises come from my studies in flute, but can be applied to any wind instrument! Two in particular I learned at a workshop hosted by Jill Felber, professor of flute at University of California - Santa Barbara. If you're a flutist, I highly recommend checking out her Extreme Flute Makeover, which is available to view on YouTube.

Square Breathing

The most basic way to increase your lung's capacity is a technique called "Square Breathing". This technique has become popular in other forms of practice, one in particular I've noticed is in meditation.

In order to practice square breathing, keep track of time with a clock with a second-hand or a metronome. Start with the metronome set at 60bpm, equivalent to a second. Begin by emptying your lungs of all air completely, then breathe in for 4 counts, or seconds. When your lungs are completely full, hold the air for 4 counts. Next, exhale completely, again, for 4 counts. This is the tricky part, with your lungs completely empty, hold once again for 4 counts. Repeat this cycle and trace the shape of a square with your finger if the visual helps. Imagine that your inhale is the side of the square that ascends, exhale is the side that descends, and the hold on either side of the breath is the top or bottom of the square, respectively. Refer to the diagram below for reference:

Once you've mastered this exercise, challenge yourself by slowing down the metronome or adding seconds or counts to each "side" of the square. For example, slow down to 55bpm, then 50, and so on. Or, increase to 5 seconds for each breathing sequence, then 6, etc.

To then translate this exercise into playing your wind instrument, what you can do is break the square sequence. Inhale and hold the breath for 4 counts, and increase the exhale to 8 counts, then 12, 16, etc. Challenge yourself to see how you can maximize your breath economy. Allow yourself to go straight into the inhale after the exhale if the hold is too much. Bonus: the deliberate slow inhale allows for a less tense sounding phrase. When you breathe in too quickly, you can create tension in your shoulders, limiting the economy of your breath.

"Puppy Panting"

The next exercise is one that I recommend you approach with caution. Firstly, be aware of who you are around, as this is an exercise that might make you look a little silly. Secondly, this can be a very intense exercise the first time you do it. If you become light-headed while attempting this exercise, be sure to give yourself time to catch your breath before trying again.

In order to perform this breathing exercise, open your mouth like a dog that is panting to cool down and audibly breath loud enough that you're actually panting. If you don't know what this looks or sounds like, or if you've never had the pleasure of hanging out with a dog, check out this video playlist.

Make sure you're fully breathing in and out with each breath. To get the most out of this exercise, feel your abdominal muscles engage and contract with each breath. The goal is to do this for a minute. That might not sound like a lot of time, but 60 seconds of this exercise will feel like an eternity the first time you do it! After you complete your minute, or as much of a minute as you can, rest. After you catch your breath, repeat this exercise as much as you would like.

This exercise will help your ability to engage your abdominal muscles to sustain long phrases and also help you with producing air with intensity, for example playing a note that is forte (loud) or accented (with emphasis).

Which of these exercises is your favorite? Do you have breathing exercises that you use to increase your breath support? Let me know in the comments! Thanks for checking out this post on increasing breath support for wind players. I hope it helps.