7/28/2019 Breathing Ideas - Saxophone

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 BREATHING IDEAS 

1. Exhale all air. Close mouth and nose. Release. You will get a “puff” of air. This is a

demonstration of the automatic response of the diaphragm – the involuntary part.

2. Lie down on back. Breathe naturally. Then breathe with hand on abdominal area.

Then lie down on stomach. Notice back expansion.

3. Exhale all air. With good posture, inhale, collapse shoulders, and bend over. You will 

 feel back and abdominal expansion – all around body.

4. Sitting in a chair, bend over and clasp arms behind knees. You will feel back and abdominal expansion.

5. To help shallow or back breathing, stand, bend at waist, keep hand on abdominal 

area, inhale, exhale, and gradually stand. (Sometimes student will reverse to chest breathing as they stand.)

6. Support is both in and out.

7. Finger breath. Lower knuckle of first finger. Inhale. Will get low “wind” sound.

8. Breathing tubes, with or without ping pong balls, are the quickest way to move a

larger quantity of air.

9. Breathing bags enable you to SEE what the air does. Also good for articulation.

 EXERCISES USING THE BREATHING TUBE 

 Breathing Tube Exercise #1:

With the metronome set at quarter note = 60:

1. Breathe in for 4 counts, in eighth notes (8 breaths)

2. Breathe out for 4 counts, in eighth notes

3. Breathe in for 4 counts, in quarter notes (4 breaths)

4. Breathe out for 4 counts, in quarter notes

5. Breathe in for 4 counts, in half notes (2 breaths)

7/28/2019 Breathing Ideas - Saxophone

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6. Breathe out for 4 counts, in half notes

 Breathing Tube Exercise #2:

Breathe in and out 3 times, taking huge breaths

Go immediately back to horn and play