How to Circular Breathe

[Master9805]

Well that explains Dizzy Gillespie

[cristianG70]

Thanx just another trick up my sleeve to surprise my teacher

[KuvaPefo]

nope.. still doesn't make any friggin sense... I can't get it. So frustrating.. F it... Yer all some kinda double breathing mutants XD

[horserider717]

@earspasm: does it only work for wood winds??? can it work for trumpet??

[earspasm]

@horserider717 yep -- Wynton Marsalis (for one) does it.

[horserider717]

@earspasm thanks

[Threeleggedyoyo]

Is it normal that when I try to do this my cheeks hurt a LOT? :/

[earspasm]

@Threeleggedyoyo

No -- it shouldn't hurt at all.

[Threeleggedyoyo]

@earspasm Huh... yeah it's weird. It feels like the back of my right cheek's skin like separates from the back of my jaw as the air pushes back there. Hurts like crazy. I must be some kind of mutant. :(

[ianrkav]

Best explanation of circular breathing I've come across!:-)

[maniacpwnageking]

Anyone else notice those ZERO dislikes!

[airhead1400]

I'm going to take your bass because I want it.

xD

[matthewabouttime]

Mythbusters.

[zebrastripesandcandy]

Ahhhh!! I can't doo it!! This is frustrating!! :( i can do it with my cheeks, but when i put my clarinet in my mouth, i fail miserably.

[POLITICUSA]

NICE !

[itsnobologna]

I play bass clarinet and I love to see that you are exposing it to youtube in such a great way! I feel its an under appreciated instrument :)

[MollyXD124]

wow, i was trying to practice circular breathing while watching this video (obviously), but i am in class, so i got a lot of weird looks. haha.

[Peenis69]

First video in which you specificly tell what to do,

finaly I can do it! thanks!

[andromedarr]

Wow, no i can do it :D I make weird faces to change smoothly between lung and mouth air^^

[koolkat104]

I only have one problem with circular breathing, and that's getting the air through my instrument and making a sound (alto saxophone). It just kind of puffs out and doesn't make noise through the saxophone. Any tips on that one? Or is it just with practice?

[rickydeeman]

This is sooo hard for didge... I feel like my cheeks are too small to get enough air through it to make a sound when I'm taking my breath. Your tutorial was super helpful though, I won't give up!

[selmerpwns]

A problem I have, wich I can't really figure out, is that my toungue automatically goes up and drops the air during the cheek-part!...

Any thoughts or hints og what I'm doing wrong?...

[earspasm]

@SuperMaddi97 I almost never circular breathe on long notes -- it's too obvious. I usually circular breathe in faster passages because any change in the sound is masked by the fact that you're playing lots of notes. Try practicing circular breathing on scales and you'll see what I mean.

[howly486]

OH MY GOODNESS. thank you SO much for making this! i really want to learn to circular breathe and have found the basic idea, but no details or tips on it. thank you for making it, it's really helpful! :D

[magicmistic]

Thanks, Mike. Back when I was in high school, the guys always said circular breathing involved one's ears. hehehe

[Jrod842]

Bass clarinet I like the alto clarinet more but that's me

[ChristinaMarie217]

@toasterocket its just a bass clarinet i think

[toasterocket]

What kind of clarinet is that? Or is it something different?

[MegaPieMuffin]

Ahhh!!! I CAN'T GET IT!!!

[NeuronRage]

Man this is hard. My teacher tells me to keep my cheeks pushed in as I play clarinet... Tough transition

[Omeganitros]

When you circular breathe normally like at 2:25, how long does the stored air in your mouth last? Does it last the same amount of time as when you only play with stored air like at 2:53?

[i0nPuNk182]

better explanation that how kenny g taught it to be honest :P it's true though, it's not recommended to circular breathe on a long note when you are first learning it... it can really ruin the dynamics and tone

[bamboosa]

It took me two weeks once I figured it out. Now I teach didgeridoo. A great way to practice is to fill a cup about 1/4 full with water. Do what Mike says with a straw in the water and blow bubbles in the water. Should take about a day using this method. You are aiming for a steady stream of bubbles in the water. Then transfer this practice to a closed wind instrument. Simple. (Quick sniff through the nose - do NOT fill lungs completely. The cheeks store the connecting out-breath.)

[poptartpencil]

so it is basically breathing through your nose?

[Fuenteclarinet]

I've got a problem, how can I join both stream of aire without interrupting the sound? I always cut the stream, can you tell me how can I improve it?

[eveDjakku]

I don't even play a wind instrument and finding all this fascinating!

[daroid121]

I'm sorry but I don't quite get how to keep it going.

So, i breath out my air. i puff my cheeks and blow out while inhaling in my nose. but then my lungs are full so i cant inhale again.

how do you make the air from your nose (through your lungs) go to your mouth so that you can keep doing it?

[earspasm]

@daroid121 That's the hard part - you have to then take that air in your lungs and blow *it* out. Then, once it's almost gone, you just do it again. (puff cheeks, inhale while breathing cheek-air out). Simple right?

[sazra12345]

i understand how you can do this on a clarinet and i tried it on my didjerydoo (spelling?) and it worked really well, but im struggling to do it on my french horn. is it even possible for brass?

[edgarcoruco]

Thanks!! Nice video!!! i'm gonna try it!! i'll tell ya later what happen'!

i got a flute teacher that make circular breathing with no puffin' cheeks... i'm gonna investigate how can he do that!!

[substanchalicious139]

i was doing this while watching the video lol

[xxh4ny0uxx]

tip: it helps alot when you practice if you use your tongue when pushing the air out of your cheeks

[rvasquez6089]

thats fucking amazing dude. thanks for the info =D

[JenniferDeee]

Thanks a lot. I play clarinet and ever since I saw a teacher doing it I have been amazed and ur video helped so much

[p3rf3ctl1ght]

thanks this instructional videos are great! do u think u can upload one on double tonging on a single reed instruement

[cjay974no2]

thnx it really helped me out!!

[jackypink12]

AWESOME

[starfinalwin]

the problem is that when playing a woodwind... or any air instrument that it's bad to puff your cheeks.. please respond?

[earspasm]

Yes, puffing cheeks is, in general, bad. But only because it affects your embouchure and sound production. IF you're doing it quickly (like when circular breathing) it's not a big deal.

[ksamuraibear]

umm i have a question

say u do circular breath on a long note, how do connect it better, or make it more smooth? =P

[earspasm]

In a word: practice. It takes time.

[Riceball512]

i play flute and i really needed to learn thx and thx for puting this up it really did help alot

[iTieBreaker]

awesome. this is the first thing I found taht actually helps. Thanks :)

[Pilavusa]

During a concert I accidently started to breath like this, I was playing baryton sax, then afterwards I tried to repeat what I had done but I couldn´t. Never had since.. Your exercise is good to practise inhale while exhale, thanks!

[shaylen911]

you were playing WHAT KIND OF SAXOPHONE?!

did you mean BARITONE?

[ShortyStack2]

it was a bass clarinet... not a saxaphone.

[bingo495]

ok this works

[awkwardmaniacs]

i play the didj, and i can do it without the didj bunot with it. any tips?

[Tastyichigo]

Heres a little trick that worked for me. I used ur method but it even now is difficult for me to get it correctly. However what i tried doing is Puffing my Cheeks the pushing the air out repeatedly while breathing in and out with my nose at the same time. I dunno if that works or not but it made it easier for me.

[earspasm]

HArd to say for sure, but most likely you have one of three problems:

1) your mouthpiece is too cloase

2) your reed is too soft

or

3) you are biting a bit too much when you're performing the air-swap.

[V3893]

I play saxophone and when i try to push the air from my cheeks into my sax, the mouthpiece squeaks. What can i do?

[Crittijr]

thanks man. i play the bass clarinet also

[anticommon]

I always thought it worked like this, but then sort of figured it would be much more complicated. Good thing for me it isn't. :)

[PSPGENIUS714]

OOMGG I GET like the point lol....but uhmm yeah this is gonna take a while to perfect (like you said =)

[Fransizzzzzzle]

when i do this not on my instrument, i practice by doing the puff the cheeks thing, is the bump i get caused by my tongue blocking my airway?

[WorldSuperLegend]

Hey does allowed advantages with singing, as in holding a note for like minutes?