Breathe deeply...

You’ve just put your saxophone together. You stand, like Dr. Frankenstein, in front of a piece of music. No, the piece of music; the only one that matters to you at this instant. You are about to create life through your song. You check your reed, nod to the accompanist, and then....

YOU BREATHE!

Now, the question to ask yourself is this: Did I take a proper breath? Or are you just using a tiny part of your reservoir of wind? Did you feel your shoulders raise up a little? Shame on you! You must take Breathing 101. Read on...

If you felt your shoulders lifting you are probably only breathing with a small percentage of what your lungs will allow. We’ve all done this, and it is a hard habit to correct. Taking the quick, short breath becomes all we know how to do eventually. But all is not lost. Let’s examine two pictures of your lungs.

Picture 1 (on the left) shows a poorly drawn example of your lungs without air in them. Notice how the top part is pretty skinny, but the bottom expands out. Now, look at Picture 2 (on the right). This is another poorly drawn example, but this time it is of your lungs full of air. Notice how the top part is still pretty skinny, almost the same size as it was before. But the bottom! Oh, the bottom is full and bulging. See how much your lungs can grow and fill if you breathe properly?

To practice proper breathing technique, one needs only to recline on one’s back. Take a deep breath. Put your hand over your bellybutton. Feel how much your lungs fill up there? That is the big, lower part of the two pictures. It is from here that you should fill your lungs up, not just the skinny upper section. When you are not thinking about what you are doing, you breathe using your entire pair of lungs. When you concentrate on taking a breath before playing, you normally short change yourself by only filling up the small upper portion of your lungs.

Now stand up, keeping your hand on your bellybutton. Breathe like you did while you were on your back. It is a little more difficult than you think! Begin by filling up the lower part of your lungs, and then fill the top part (and exhale by emptying the top and then the bottom). Now stand before a trusty long mirror. Begin to play in front of it. If you see your shoulders move up, and your belly stay the same - stop! Try again. Do not let yourself play without taking a proper breath. Even if you have to start over and over, you will learn if you practice. Whoever thought something you do naturally would take so much practice to control?

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