Part One – Without the Instrument

When one thinks of playing a brass instrument, one tends to think exclusively in terms of range, finger velocity, articulation, and lip flexibility as being those things which make up brass technique. If we think for a moment about the nature of wind instruments we are reminded of the fact that one thing makes them different from most other instruments --- the element of air flow. Before any of the previously mentioned elements of playing can take place, a stream of air must be set in motion. It is this stream of air which is directly responsible for causing the lips to vibrate, the essential element of sound production. It only follows that learning to control this stream of air is of utmost importance in the development of brass technique.

Taking a Full Breath

It is extremely important that a full breath is taken. Imagine letting out all the air in a balloon. At first the air gushes out, but gradually as the balloon becomes deflated the air speed slows down. To keep the air flowing at the same velocity and force when the balloon is deflated, one would have to apply some type of force to the outside of the balloon.

The balloon here exemplifies how our lungs work when playing an instrument. If we take a full breath, hardly any effort is needed to make a fairly forceful stream of air. If our lungs are not full we have to use more effort to duplicate the stream of air made with a full set of lungs. Muscles which should be relaxed become strained and inevitably the sound suffers. Another reason for taking a full breath is that it leaves you much more flexibility in timing when you breathe. You are no longer tied to taking a breath because you’re desperate for air, but can now breathe in the places that it makes the most musical sense.

Many articles have been written on the subject. Some suggest a downward pull of the diaphragm. Some recommend raising the chest. Perhaps the most logical approach is to concentrate on having as much air pass through your mouth as possible when taking a breath. If four litres of air pass through your mouth, four litres of air will end up in your lungs. All you need to remember is to stay relaxed and not tense any muscles not required for breathing: e.g. raising your shoulders. It is common for the throat to tense while inhaling. Thinking of the syllables “oh” or “aw” should help keep your throat relaxed as you inhale.

Letting it Out

Now that we have lots of air in our lungs we must concentrate on controlling an air stream. It is most important that this column of air flow smoothly from our lungs to the end of our instrument. We must therefore eliminate everything that might impede this. One obvious area is our posture. If we slouch or have our neck bent downward we are actually kinking our air passage, like kinking a garden hose. Strive for good posture without being uncomfortable by being too rigid;.

Secondly, we must look to see if other extramuscular activity is interfering with our air stream. The most common culprit is a tense throat. Stay as relaxed as possible.

Thirdly, we need to make sure our mouthpiece and instrument is clean. This is often overlooked by many players.

Suggested Exercises

These exercises should be ‘practiced’, aiming for improvement through rehearsal. I strongly recommend doing them before playing your instrument for the first time in the day.

1) Take a deep breath, concentrating on keeping all parts of your body relaxed. Hold it for a moment while keeping your throat relaxed, then exhale.

2) Do the same thing as above, except that as you exhale, audibly count to ten. Your voice should sound completely natural, not tense or strained.

3) Take a deep breath, but this time while exhaling whistle a note. Try to keep the tone steady and even. Try to hold the note for as long as possible, keeping relaxed as possible.

4) Stand about six inches away from a wall. Place a small piece of paper against it. Take a full breath and then try to hold the paper against the wall with your breath only, while exhaling. To do this you will need to refine the air stream by making it pass through a smaller area between your lips. How far away can you stand and still accomplish this? Can you feel the extra work it takes when your lungs are becoming empty?

5) Try to follow the following graphs by increasing or decreasing the column of air, while exhaling and counting beats. Remember to keep your throat open and relaxed. Beside each graph are the musical equivalents.

- written by Norman Garcia



Major Norman Garcia is a Canadian Salvationist currently serving as Corps Officer at Old Orchard Beach, Maine, alongside his wife Lois. He is known just as much for his humor as well as his musicianship. He served in The Canadian Staff Band for a number of years, as a soloist as well as a band member.

Go to Breath Control: Part Two