As with tone production, breath support requires use of the muscles. In order to use the proper muscles, a student will need to "practice" using them. This comes through playing long tones, scales, and long passages that help develop abdominal muscles. In addition, students will get a better sense of "how" to use the proper muscles by playing louder than what they are used to (in the beginning). This forces the muscles to work and not be lazy. Wimpy muscles produce wimpy tone.
What I usually have students do is play a scale as loud as loud as possible with a good tone. Most of the time, I have to ask to play louder. This often produces shocked looks. What students often consider loud (forte) is really only medium soft to medium loud at most! They do notice that when asked to play even louder, the abdominal muscles are working harder. At this point, most students begin to understand use of the proper muscles. However, going home and practicing in the same manner can be a difficult task. Therefore, no student leaves a lesson or rehearsal without being able to reproduce a good quality forte sound without being prompted.
In actuality, it takes more air pressure to play soft than it does loud. Wind players struggle with learning how to play well softly. On the other hand, it's easier to start by playing loud FIRST and learn to gradually get softer (via long tones). Only when a student can produce a consistent forte sound with good tone, do I begin the process of having the decrescendo on a single note (keeping the tone good). Students must understand which muscles to use and how to use them BEFORE pianissimo (soft) playing will sound good.
P.S.I. stands for "pounds per square inch." The muscles that are used to support the airstream require a high enough "P.S.I." to keep the air spinning fast enough which in turn, supports the tone. Think of a garden hose that's hooked up to a power washer. That stream of water could hurt someone! But, its intensity is often enough to clean a brick wall. Imagine how a higher P.S.I. of air could support tone quality? The higher the air P.S.I, the better supported the tone is. This then creates better tone quality.
The muscles that are used for supporting the air include ALL of the abdominal muscles (front, side, and back). Think of "abs of steel" like they use for workout sessions. These are the same muscles used in playing a wind instrument. For help in understanding how to work on proper breathing, listed below are some pointers.
Practice lying down on your back and singing. Feel what muscles are working. These are the same muscles used with proper breathing and tone production on a wind instrument.Another fun practice technique is to hiss with pressure for as long as possible (but don't pass out!). Create resistance and when you think the air is gone, push a little more. Do this as a breathing warm-up to remind your body what muscles need to be worked out.
Do you run? If so, practice breathing in for four counts, then breathe out for four counts, while running. The footsteps can act as a metronome. If four counts are too quick, change to either 5 or 6 counts. This can also be done with walking.
When working out in a gym, concentrate on exercises that specifically work the abdominal muscles.
While playing your instrument, see how long you can play without taking a breath. When you feel the air is almost gone, push a little more. Then, breathe in from the bottom (gut) area and practice keeping the shoulders down.
Play slow, slurred scales FORTE! Make the abdominal muscles work! Keep the sound as full as possible for the entire scale, start to finish. Then, do the same with other scales.
These exercises are a few of my favorites and really do help students comprehend what's required for proper breathing. Practice really does make perfect when it comes to breath support.
Happy Practicing!
Del Hungerford is a professional musician and educator in the Pacific Northwest. She's been a member of professional orchestras and chamber ensembles as well as teaching in the public schools. Currently, she teaches education courses and clarinet lessons at the university level. She holds a D.M.A. in clarinet from the University of Washington. For more information on Del's musical activities, check out her blog: http://delhungerfordmusicstudio.blogspot.com/
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