Coming up for air....

Of course, all this might fail to provide an answer. I have been in the situation where there is absolutely no way to take a breath between two phrases. What did I do? Well, I just took a much larger breath before the first phrase and practiced until I could take in enough oxygen to play through both. Many times, I have strained myself until red (or blue) in the face to maintain the coherence of a phrase. It is work, and sometimes it ends in gasps, but the better you can maintain the integrity of the phrases (through finding proper breathing places) the more the audience will follow and enjoy the piece of music you are playing.

So remember, plan your breaths carefully. But never forget to take them. Because a saxophonist without air, is someone who will probably faint. And fainting is bad because the fall can damage your instrument! Breathe!

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