- Because the bassoon has an exceptionally long bore, deep, high-quality breathing is even more critical to successful performance than with other instruments.
- "Two-stage breathing" is a technique in which you first fill the lower lungs (expanding the abdomen), then continue inhaling to fill the upper chest all the way up to the collarbones, utilizing the full lung capacity.
- Having a sufficient volume of air allows for smooth tone production at the start of notes and makes it possible to maintain a full, rich sound throughout long phrases without the tone becoming thin.
When asked "Where do you breathe from?", many players answer "I breathe from my belly." However, anatomically speaking, air enters the lungs, and our lungs are much larger than most people imagine, extending all the way up to the collarbones. To fully resonate a massive instrument like the bassoon, it is essential to make maximum use of this lung capacity. When breathing is shallow, the onset of notes may be delayed, or you may run out of air mid-phrase, causing the music to break apart. In this article, we will explore in depth the "two-stage breathing" technique for efficiently taking in a large volume of air, as well as the dramatic improvements it brings to bassoon performance, interspersed with a Q&A section.
Steps for Applying Two-Stage Breathing to Bassoon Performance
The first step in mastering two-stage breathing is to inhale deeply until you feel your abdomen expand. This is the sensation of standard diaphragmatic breathing, but for the bassoon, this alone is insufficient. As the second step, from the point where your abdomen feels full, continue drawing air upward into the upper chest, all the way to the collarbone area. This fills the entire lungs with air, securing an overwhelming volume that pushes the internal organs downward. Even during a breath taken in a brief rest, maintaining the awareness of breathing "deep, then high" completely changes your preparation for the next phrase. Just as a fully inflated balloon shoots around with tremendous force, an ample supply of air becomes the driving force that makes the instrument resonate almost automatically.
How Breathing Affects Performance: Tone Quality and Phrasing
When the quality of your breathing changes, the first thing you notice is a difference in the "luster" and "brilliance" of your tone. When you have a sufficient supply of air, you no longer need to strain to force out sound, and the instrument begins to resonate naturally. Conversely, when air is insufficient, the tone becomes thin and loses momentum toward the end of phrases. Additionally, the clarity of articulation (attacks) also depends on breathing. By releasing the tongue while maintaining high air pressure, you can set the bassoon's long bore into resonance all at once. To play through long phrases with a rich, singing tone, it is important not only to increase lung capacity but also to develop the "exhaling" technique of delivering the air you have inhaled efficiently and steadily. Balancing both inhalation and exhalation is the key to improvement on the bassoon.
Mastering the Tenor Register: Q&A for Beautiful Tone and Stable Intonation
Q: Is shallow breathing the reason my tone becomes thin and my pitch unstable in the tenor register?
A: Yes, that is very likely. The tenor register requires greater air speed and support than the lower register. When breathing is shallow, you tend to compensate by controlling the sound with your throat, which results in a hard tone and unstable pitch. By filling your entire lungs with two-stage breathing and establishing firm abdominal support, you can keep your throat relaxed while producing a rich, resonant sound in the tenor register. Additionally, combining the fingerings and flicking specific to this register with a stable air supply is the most direct path to a beautiful tone. Always play with the image of a "column of air" penetrating all the way to the bell of the instrument.
