OK, I’ve accepted that there’s no teachers within driving distance. So I’ll ask you guys.
I love playing a Low D (Overton). And I do it horribly because I’m always short of breath. Can anyone recommend any type of breathing exercise that might help me build up my capacity, or barring that a way to work around it?
Chuck, Are you having blowing hard enough, or simply long enough?
Okay, I know that sounds bad, but I don’t have the time to come up with better phrasing…
Loren
Chuck: Ensure that you are breathing in fully when you take a breath. No Half Breaths Allowed… It is amazing how many people breathe from their ‘chests’, only. If your belly goes ‘out’ when you breathe, you are doing it correctly.
Best.
Byll
Practice. 
No, seriously, practice is key, but practice the right way. Deep breathing exercises (e.g. inhale very deeply, hold, slowly exhale) help. Also, make sure you use your diaphragm. That is very important to getting enough air on an instrument that requires it. When you practice deep breathing, consciously move your stomach out as you inhale. If you are moving your shoulders and upper body more when you breath, you aren’t using that diaphragm. Try to maintain good posture either sitting or standing and your upper body still. If you aren’t used to doing that it may seem weird at first and take getting used to, but it will be very satisfying to be able to play longer passages with some expression as you improve your breathing.
When applying the breathing exercises to your whistle practicing, I’d try holding out a note as long as possible and time yourself. Maintain good posture and use the diaphragm. Play some tunes and try to plan out when you’ll take a breath then work toward that as your goal. You should note improvements as you work at it over a period of time and it will take conscious effort. It will take a bit to develop the lung capacity, but you can do it.
Breath in… Breath out…
Breath in… Breath out…
Okay, just keep doing that, that’s the best advice I can give you. In fact, it’s probably the best advice anyone can give you, because if you don’t follow that advice you won’t be around long enough to follow any other…
John
Here is what we used to do when we had to play in the upper elevations.
Rules of this exercise:
Take a deep breath (all the way in) and blow into a balloon for 4 slow counts. (Remember, you are now completely out of air.) Now, without missing a count, inhale fresh air all the way in for 4 counts, while you let the air out of the balloon. Now, blow into the balloon for 8 counts, then slowly inhale fresh air for 8 counts. (You’ll learn how to time this.) Then exhale into the balloon for 12 counts, and inhale fresh air for 12. Then 16 & 16, 20 & 20, etc. Don’t give into the temptation to catch your breath while you do this. And use a metronome so that you don’t speed up the beat. Sit down, while you do this, in case you accidently pass out. Over time, you should be able to increase the time it takes to inhale/exhale. In a couple of days, you should have more air, and better control. And in the meantime, lay off the Sugar Frosted Flakes before going to bed.
JP
[ This Message was edited by: JohnPalmer on 2002-10-03 00:33 ]
On 2002-10-02 20:04, Loren wrote:
Chuck, Are you having blowing hard enough, or simply long enough?Okay, I know that sounds bad, but I don’t have the time to come up with better phrasing…
Loren
Actually, Loren, it’s a very good question and goes right to the heart of the problem. In order to get all the way through even a relatively short phrase, I wind up rationing the air - which makes for some terribly weak volume and major problems getting above the second E. If I blow with any volume, three bars and the last note generally fades away.
I’m really not sure that it is entirely an air volume thing, though that’s part of it. It’s more like when I’m playing I can’t get a deep enough breath to replenish the reserve - kind of like an old piper I knew who got to the point of blocking his drones in order to provide adequate air to the chanter.
Don’t know how aerobically fit
you are, but swimming laps,
long walks, and/or jogging
helps, too.
Hey Chuck,
Best breathing advice I can give:
DON’T STOP!!! 
Seriously, as Byll said, when you inhale, you stomach should expand. Your shoulders should NOT rise. Try it each way then practice making your stomach expand without your shoulders moving.
Vinny
“Grace . . . It travels outside of Kharma.”
[ This Message was edited by: Vinny on 2002-10-03 09:43 ]
Good advice so far on breathing from the diaphragm (stomach rising, but not the shoulders & etc.)
I would only add what I have learned in my experience with my Goldie Overton low D.
All the best.
Ian
Chuck,
What has helped my playing a big-O like yours ;o), has been watching my posture. I have to make sure my back is straight and I’m sitting up tall before I start. If I’m gooffing off and slouching, then I don’t have enough wind. I also occasional practice standing up. This helps me breath more from my gut (diaphram) and belly than from my shoulders. Also standing, its easier to take really quick inhales.
Hmmmm… might have to do with the size of this 50 year old’s ‘gut’. As I run out of air the gut rides up into my chest, with the size of my gut, gravity working for me is a definite plus. A quick inhale lets gravity bring the gut back down before my pants fall off. If I’m leaning back in a chair, gravity is definitely working against me in the inhale.
So think posture, how to cheat using gravity, and how to keep your pants on - all to …
Enjoy Your Music,
Lee Marsh
[ This Message was edited by: LeeMarsh on 2002-10-04 09:45 ]