For members of a band's brass or woodwinds section, air production is a crucial component to creating sufficient sound. As such, breathing exercises can be pivotal in improving individual and group sound within any band. Not only do these exercises strengthen air production, they help musicians gain control and focus of their breathing.
Fundamentals
Breathing exercises are best performed as a warm-up to rehearsing or performance. To get the most out of them, proper posture is necessary. Whether seated or standing, the musician's back should be straight, shoulders down and not locked in place, upper torso loose and throat relaxed, with no stress exhibited in the face. Furthermore, the musician's breathing should be constant without stopping, even across the course of the exercise, and focused to produce a smooth tone.
Warm-up
Warm-up exercises are essential to maximizing the full potential of breathing exercises. These exercises should be done slowly to a metronome, such as 50 beats per minute. One such warm-up routine starts by emptying the lungs completely and then filling them completely in two beats, using the mouth and not the nose to inhale. Then exhale over the course of four beats, making an "S" sound until the lungs are again completely empty by the end of the fourth beat. Repeating this exercise at least six times will help warm up the lungs for more intensive exercises.
Medium Breathing
Medium breathing exercises expand on the warm-up by requiring the musician to add a certain amount of beats to the exhalation portion of the routine. These are also performed at a slightly faster rhythm, such as 72 beats per minute. Medium breathing routines start by emptying the lungs, then filling the lungs for two beats followed by exhaling over the course of six or eight beats. Air production on each exhalation should be smooth, even and sustained.
Expanding Exercises
Expanding breathing exercises require the musician to expand lung capacity, even when they already feel full. This exercise works by first emptying the lungs and then filling them over the course of eight beats. The musician holds her breath for two beats, then inhales a fast breath over one beat and holds for one beat. The fast-breath, fast-hold method should then repeat an additional three times, each time expanding the musician's lung capacity, until a final eight-beat exhalation.
Breathing Bag
Using a breathing bag, such as a large bread bag, can enable a musician learn to regulate the volume of inhaled and exhaled air. Setting the metronome to 112 beats per minute, this exercise begins by emptying the lungs and then inhaling for four beats, filling the lungs. Then breathe into the bag for four beats so that the bag is filled by the fourth beat. Inhale the air from the bag over four beats so that the bag is empty by the fourth beat. Repeating this exercise can help the musician perfect air regulation. Since the musician will be breathing his own carbon dioxide, light-headedness can sometimes occur. Stop the exercise if this is the case.
Advanced Breathing
Advanced breathing exercises require the musician to fill her lungs completely in just one beat before slowly and evenly exhaling over several beats. For instance, one advanced technique requires filling the lungs in one beat and slowly breathing out through the mouth over the course of 16 beats, with the metronome set at 112 beats per minute. She should double the velocity of her wind production between beats 13 and 16. This technique requires her to save enough breath between beats one and 12 to accomplish the higher velocity.
