- Circular breathing on the saxophone is a technique where you store air in your mouth and push it out using your cheek muscles while simultaneously inhaling through your nose. It can be used in passages where taking a breath is difficult or where there is no appropriate place to breathe, allowing you to play continuously without interrupting the sound with a breath
- You can master circular breathing by following 7 progressive steps. Starting with becoming aware of the muscles used for exhaling, you then develop the sensation of holding air in your cheeks, learn to coordinate nasal breathing, and finally progress to practical application on the instrument
- The key is to master the sensation of holding air in your cheeks and coordinating it with nasal breathing. By creating a valve with the back of your tongue deep in your mouth to seal the air passage while your cheeks are inflated, you can exhale from your cheeks while inhaling fresh air through your nose
- The key to success is to perfectly master the circular breathing motion using only your mouth before attempting it on the instrument. By repeatedly practicing the action of inflating your cheeks, pressing the valve with your tongue, and exhaling using your cheek muscles without the instrument, you will eventually be able to perform circular breathing while playing the saxophone
In saxophone performance, circular breathing is an important technique that greatly expands your range of expression. It can be used in passages where taking a breath is difficult or where there is no appropriate place to breathe, allowing you to play continuously without interrupting the sound. While it may sound simple when you hear it described, it is actually a very challenging technique to execute. This article provides a detailed explanation of 7 progressive steps for mastering circular breathing, guiding you from understanding the concept to physically experiencing circular breathing in saxophone performance.
The Concept of Circular Breathing: Coordinating Cheek Muscles and Nasal Breathing
The basic mechanism of circular breathing involves storing air in your mouth and cheeks, then pushing it out using your cheek muscles while inhaling through your nose. In normal breathing, exhaling and inhaling alternate, but circular breathing is characterized by performing two actions simultaneously: pushing stored air out of your mouth from your cheeks while inhaling fresh air through your nose. By mastering this technique, you can sustain uninterrupted playing during long phrases and accompaniment passages in saxophone performance, broadening your musical expression.
Preparing to Experience Circular Breathing: Awareness of Exhalation Muscles
The first step in mastering circular breathing is to become aware of which muscles in your body you are using to exhale. This also serves as a way to change your awareness during regular instrument playing, so please try it even if you cannot yet perform circular breathing. Normally, we exhale unconsciously, but circular breathing requires consciously using your cheek muscles to push air out. Developing this sensation forms the foundation for mastering circular breathing.
Causes and Solutions
This section explains the causes of difficulty with circular breathing and their solutions. We will introduce specific approaches to overcome challenges such as being unable to keep air stored in your cheeks, failing to coordinate nasal breathing, and being unable to perform circular breathing while playing the instrument.
Problem 1: Unable to Keep Air Stored in Your Cheeks
The first major hurdle in circular breathing is being unable to keep air stored in your cheeks. Since we rarely consciously inflate our cheeks during normal breathing, the action of continuously exhaling while keeping your cheeks inflated can feel extremely difficult at first.
Solution: Perform training to keep air stored in your cheeks. It is important to be able to hold air in your mouth even without playing the instrument. By repeatedly practicing the action of continuously exhaling while keeping your cheeks inflated, you can develop the sensation of maintaining air in your cheeks. If you cannot grasp the sensation, try pressing your cheeks with your hands to push the air inside your cheeks outward.
Problem 2: Unable to Coordinate Nasal Breathing
Even if you can store air in your cheeks, you may encounter the problem of being unable to inhale through your nose, or being unable to inhale through your nose while exhaling from your cheeks. This is caused by the air stored in your mouth interfering with the nasal inhalation.
Solution: It is important to be able to breathe through your nose while keeping your cheeks inflated with air. By creating a valve with the back of your tongue deep in your mouth to seal the air passage, you can inhale fresh air through your nose without the air stored in your cheeks interfering with the nasal breathing. Be careful to prevent air from leaking from the back of your mouth during practice.
Problem 3: Unable to Perform Circular Breathing While Playing the Instrument
Even if you can perform the circular breathing motion using only your mouth, being unable to perform circular breathing while playing the instrument is a common problem. This is because the added action of playing the instrument makes it more difficult to coordinate cheek muscle usage and nasal breathing.
Solution: It is important to perfectly master the circular breathing motion using only your mouth before using the instrument. Repeatedly practice the action of inflating your cheeks, pressing the valve with your tongue, and exhaling using your cheek muscles without the instrument. Once this sensation is ingrained, begin practicing with the saxophone, and you will be able to perform circular breathing while playing.
- ① Become aware of your exhalation muscles: When simply exhaling, try to be conscious of which muscles in your body you are using. This sensation forms the foundation of circular breathing
- ② Keep air stored in your cheeks: Practice continuously exhaling while keeping your cheeks inflated. It is important to be able to hold air in your mouth even without playing the instrument
- ③ Learn to coordinate nasal breathing: With air in your cheeks and your cheeks inflated, learn to breathe through your nose. Create a valve with the back of your tongue deep in your mouth to seal the air passage, being careful not to let air leak from the back of your mouth
- ④ Exhale using your cheek muscles: With your cheeks inflated and the valve pressed with your tongue, exhale using the force of your cheek muscles. Also try pressing your cheeks with your hands to get the sensation of pushing the air inside your cheeks outward
- ⑤ Strengthen your cheek muscles: While breathing normally with air stored in your cheeks, exhale without creating a valve in your throat. This exercise works your cheek muscles, serving as a cheek muscle workout
- ⑥ Push air out while vibrating your lips: With the valve pressed at the back of your tongue and your cheeks inflated, practice pushing air out while vibrating your lips. This exercise helps you develop a sensation close to the actual circular breathing motion
- ⑦ Complete the circular breathing motion: While exhaling using your cheek muscles, inhale through your nose. Since you cannot inhale when your lungs are already full, make sure to inflate your cheeks, seal the valve in your mouth, and exhale once before attempting this
Practical Application on Saxophone: Practicing Circular Breathing with the Instrument
Once you have mastered all of the above, it is finally time to pick up the saxophone. Any note will work, but the easiest is middle G. Practice producing sound using the force of your cheek muscles on the note G. It is easier if you create a valve at the back of your tongue near the throat and exhale using your cheek muscles. Once you can do that, try circular breathing while playing a trill. Circular breathing is actually easiest while trilling. Because the notes move quickly, fluctuations in the sound are less noticeable, making this practice method more approachable.
Once you can do this, continue practicing by expanding your range. First master circular breathing on a single note, then practice with trills, and gradually expand the range. This will allow you to use circular breathing in various saxophone situations. By mastering circular breathing, you can sustain uninterrupted playing during long phrases and accompaniment passages, broadening your musical expression. By coordinating your cheek muscles with nasal breathing, you will be freed from breath constraints and achieve an unbroken sound.
