Breathing Techniques for Sustained Bassoon Playing: 7 Tips for Beginner Bassoonists

Why Proper Breathing Technique Matters

Before diving into the tips themselves, it’s important to understand why mastering breath control provides bassoonists with a range of musical and technical advantages:

Prevents Embouchure Overuse or Injury

Proper breathing technique takes the pressure off the embouchure, lowering the risk of muscle strain or lip/facial tissue damage. Bassoon embouchures require tremendous precision and endurance to produce notes across a wide pitch range.

Without strong breath support, beginners grip the reed too tightly and overuse embouchure muscles. This causes injuries like:

• Chapping/cracks in lip tissue
• Jaw tension/soreness
• Facial muscle spasms
• Nerve damage

These painful issues can disrupt playing for weeks or longer. Some even require surgery to treat. That’s why good breathing habits early on prevent injury down the road.

Allows Sustained Note Playing

Deep efficient breaths allow beginners to play notes longer without uncomfortable lightheadedness or gasping. As covered earlier, I used to struggle with any notes over 5 seconds!

But through better breath control, I can now reliably sustain notes for 12+ seconds. This allows me to play pieces with longer phrases without disruption.

As a beginner, don’t get discouraged if you can only maintain notes for brief seconds. Building capacity takes months of daily practice. Set incremental goals like adding 2 seconds to your max sustain time each week. Progress will happen slowly but surely.

Supports Controlled Dynamics

The quality of bassoon tone stems directly from airflow control. With strong breath support, bassoonists can execute smooth, gradual crescendos and decrescendos.

Beginners often unintentionally fade out or lose steam at the end of long notes. Or they apply too much air pressure initially, causing an uncontrolled burst in volume.

Mastering steady, regulated breathing prevents these issues and unlocks expressive, nuanced dynamics.

Produces Better Tone

The foundation of beautiful bassoon sound is a focused, consistent airstream. Efficient breathing technique makes your tone clearer, more stable, and better controlled.

Conversely, poor habits like shallow chest breathing or fast air expulsion impart “noise” into the sound. The pitch wavers, the timbre thins, and the tone loses resonance.

That’s why adopting proper breathing methods vastly improves the listening experience for audiences and the musicians themselves.

Makes Playing More Enjoyable

On top of musical improvements, good breathing skills prevent frustration, anxiety, and discomfort while playing. Beginners especially may dread long passages due to physical strain or lightheadedness.

Strong breath support flips the script completely. Now you can relax into beautiful phrases without distraction or suffering. Playing bassoon transforms into a rewarding, inspiring experience.

Making breath technique a priority early on ensures beginners avoid developing bad habits that will hinder them later on. Plus, it unlocks their ability to play a wider range of bassoon repertoire.

Assess Your Current Bassoon Breathing Technique

Before diving into specific breathing tips for sustained bassoon playing, take an honest inventory of your current strengths and weaknesses. Analyzing your breathing method is difficult without an experienced teacher guiding you. But here are a few key aspects to consider:

Posture

• Do you stand up straight with your shoulders relaxed? Slouching restricts lung expansion.
• Is your bassoon held properly to allow unobstructed breathing? The angle of your arms, head tilt, and torso alignment impact air intake.

Inhales

• Are you taking full, deep inhales using your diaphragm/belly? The lower lungs should fill with air.
• Do you feel tension in your neck, jaw, or upper chest when inhaling? This signals shallow breathing.
• Can you sense your abdomen expanding on the inhale? If not, the breath is too shallow.

Exhales

• Are your exhales controlled and steady? Or do you expel air too quickly?
• Can you exhale smoothly for 10+ seconds while playing? Most beginners run out of steam sooner.
• Do you maintain core engagement while exhaling? Or does the posture collapse?

Core Engagement

• Do you actively engage your core muscles and diaphragm when breathing? Or are inhales/exhales passive?
• Can you maintain core activation for extended periods? Or does focus lapse?

Analyzing these aspects of your breathing can help identify problem areas to improve. Now let’s get into specific techniques and exercises.

Tip 1 – Optimize Your Posture

Posture alignment impacts breathing capacity. When the spine is misaligned or the shoulders hunched, it restricts full oxygen intake.

Stand tall with your:

• Ears stacked over shoulders
• Shoulders down and back
• Chest lifted
• Pelvis tucked slightly

Actively press your head toward the ceiling to elongate the spine. Engage your core by drawing your belly button toward your spine.

When holding your bassoon, avoid collapsing your upper body over the instrument. Maintain length in your neck and keep your head balanced over your torso.

Also, pay attention to arm position. Holding your bassoon too close or far from your face alters air intake. Experiment to find your ideal grip so you can take complete breaths without obstruction.

Tip 2 – Take Full, Deep Belly Breaths

Shallow chest breathing hinders air intake. For maximum oxygen absorption, utilize diaphragmatic breathing to fill the lower lungs:

1. Inhale slowly through your nose for 4 counts, directing the breath deep into your belly. Feel your abdomen – NOT your chest – expand gently with air.
2. Pause for 2 counts.
3. Exhale steadily for 6+ counts through either your nose or pursed lips.

Place one hand on your chest, and the other on your stomach. The lower hand should move more. Your chest should have minimal expansion.

Use this belly breathing method both on and off the bassoon any time you inhale. With regular practice, it will become second nature not just when you play, but in everyday life also.

Inhale Through Your Nose, Exhale Through Your Mouth

An additional best practice is inhaling slowly through your nose (unless playing bassoon of course), then exhaling through pursed lips. Nasal breathing filters and warms the air before it enters your lungs. Exhaling through the mouth allows you to control the rate of airflow.

This further optimizes oxygen absorption while enabling smooth, steady air release. Adopt this as an everyday habit.

Tip 3 – Exhale Slowly and Steadily

While inhaling fully is critical, controlled exhaling is equally as important for bassoonists to master.

Ideally, aim to exhale for at least 6-8 seconds when playing. This sustains your air supply longer, allowing you to extend notes. Smooth, steady exhales also prevent your tone from wavering.

Attempt to exhale for one full count per second. I visualize a second hand sweeping around a clock face to stay on pace.

A helpful mental cue is imagining you’re slowly deflating a balloon. If air escapes too quickly, your sound and breath capacity diminishes.

Building exhale stamina takes regular practice. Work up gradually from 6 seconds toward goals of 10, 15, or 20+ seconds over weeks and months. You’ll be amazed at how long notes you can sustain with greater control.

Add Physical Resistance

Want to take your long exhales up a notch? Add light physical resistance:

• Purse your lips into an “O” shape as you exhale to slow airflow
• Exhale through a straw to make air escape harder
• Exhale while squeezing a ball to add abdominal resistance

This strengthens critical breathing muscles to extend capacity further.

Tip 4 – Actively Engage Your Core and Diaphragm

Core engagement and diaphragm activation stabilize breathing technique. They prevent air leaks while enabling controlled inhalation/exhalation.

Your core refers to the muscles surrounding your torso – abdominals, obliques, lower back, pelvic floor, and hips. Contract them gently in an inward lift to provide stability. Avoid squeezing too forcefully.

Your diaphragm is a dome-shaped muscle below your lungs separating the chest from the abdomen. It drops down when inhaling, allowing the lungs to expand. Then it presses up into the chest on the exhale to expel air.

Actively engaging both your core and diaphragm takes concentration initially. But with regular practice, it becomes subconscious. This coordination is crucial for efficient breathing that maximizes airflow.

Without core/diaphragm activation, posture collapses, inhales turn shallow, and exhales release too quickly. Musicality suffers without this stability.

Strengthen these muscles further with:

• Yoga
• Pilates
• Balance exercises
• Resistance band training

As your core/diaphragm gets stronger, your musical endurance will increase exponentially.

Tip 5 – Breathe From Your Abdomen, Not Chest

As covered already, relying solely on your chest to breathe reduces overall air intake. You miss out on utilizing the lower lungs.

Yet chest breathing persists as a stubborn habit among woodwind players. Break this by consciously directing inhales into your abdomen using your diaphragm.

Place one hand on your chest, and the other on your belly. Focus on keeping the top hand still while the bottom hand only expands about an inch. Exhales follow the same path in reverse back down through the abdomen.

This hand placement trick ensures you breathe “into your gut” properly. Do it routinely when practicing bassoon and throughout your daily life.

Signs of Chest Breathing:

• Shoulders/upper chest rise dramatically when inhaling
• Gasping, urgent inhales
• Frequent lightheadedness
• Inability to exhale slowly

Changing this chronic habit takes diligence. You’ll still occasionally revert to chest breathing unconsciously. But with consistent mental cues and exercise, deep belly breathing will become natural.

Tip 6 – Practice Breathing Exercises Daily

Don’t limit breathing training to just your bassoon practice sessions. Devote 10-15 minutes daily to targeted breathing exercises for building lung stamina, breath control, and endurance. This strengthens the muscles over time.

Here are two straightforward, effective drills to practice routinely:

1. Belly Breath Hold

• Inhale slowly through your nose for 4 counts into your abdomen.
• Hold your breath for 8-10 counts.
• Exhale steadily for 10+ counts through pursed lips.
• Work up to holding for 20 seconds as you get stronger.

2. Hissing Exhales

• Inhale fully then exhale slowly through your teeth making a hissing sound, like letting air out of a tire.
• Control the exhale so you can sustain the hissing for 15+ seconds without strain.
• Focus on steady airflow and abdominal engagement.

Once these become easy, try advanced exercises like exhaling through a straw to increase resistance.

Set concrete goals for breath hold duration and practice times. For example:

“This month I will work up to holding my inhale for 25 seconds and exhaling steadily for 18 seconds.”

Measurable goals keep you progressing vs just mindlessly practicing.

Additional Exercises:

• Inhale fully then hold your breath while walking across a room
• Exhale slowly while twisting side to side with a resistance band around your waist
• Inhale through nose for 4 counts, hold for 4 counts, exhale through mouth for 8 counts
• Sip through a straw to practice slow steady inhales/exhales

Mix up your routine to prevent boredom. Even 5-10 minutes of dedicated breathing training daily builds tremendous lung capacity over time.

Tip 7 – Seek Private Bassoon Lessons

Videos, articles, and books provide excellent general breathing guidance. But nothing substitutes personalized feedback from an experienced bassoon teacher.

In-person training allows a teacher to observe, assess, and correct the following:

• Posture alignment
• Air leaks
• Tension patterns
• Inhale/exhale control
• Lung capacity
• Core engagement

You simply can’t get the same level of customization practicing alone. Investing in weekly private lessons accelerates your breathing technique progress dramatically.

What Makes In-Person Lessons So Powerful?

Precision Feedback

A teacher can provide instant verbal cues and tactile adjustments to fix subtle issues impossible to see yourself:

• “Engage your lower abs more as you exhale”
• Gentle tap on the spine to lengthen posture

Accountability

Committed lesson times ensure you actually do focused breathing practice. Without a teacher expecting progress, improvement is slower.

Motivation

Lessons provide a sense of momentum as teachers share tangible evidence of your growth week-to-week:

• “Your inhales are much deeper than last month!”
• “You had excellent diaphragm control today.”

This inspires you to persist through plateaus.

Reassurance

Teachers remind you breath mastery is a years-long endeavor requiring patience. Their guidance keeps you confident in your long-term trajectory.

If in-person training isn’t feasible, online bassoon lessons still offer enormous value through video chat. But make sure your teacher can watch your torso and posture to provide optimal feedback.

Additional Breathing Tips for Bassoonists

Beyond the core 7 techniques outlined already, applying these supplemental practices further boosts breathing skills:

Maintain Straight Airway

Proper head/neck alignment is crucial for unobstructed breathing. Ensure you:

• Hold the bassoon at a level that keeps the head balanced above the spine without tilting
• Don’t just chin out or crane your neck forward
• Keep throat relaxed, not squeezed

Think “tall spine, long neck, low shoulders.”

Humidify Airway

Dry airways hinder smooth breathing, especially when playing double reed instruments. Protect yourself:

• Drink plenty of water
• Use a humidifier at night
• Suck on medicated cough drops pre-practice
• Apply dabs of vapor rub under the nostrils

Moist passages reduce restriction, irritation, and inflammation.

Watch Breathing Live

Study musicians with excellent breath control during concerts. Observe their posture and how steadily their musical line lasts.

Analyze details like:

• How slowly/smoothly do they inhale?
• Where is most expansion occurring?
• How long can they sustain exhales?
• Do they utilize their full lung capacity?

Then attempt to emulate these breathing benchmarks in your own playing. No substitute for seeing strong technique in action.

Adjust Breaths Strategically

When approaching a lengthy musical phrase, plan your breaths in advance:

• Mark places in the music where you’ll inhale
• Avoid breathing right before crucial musical moments
• Quickly inhale during natural rests in the melody

Strategic breath placement prevents unnecessary disruptions in the musical line.

Scale Breath Volume

Inhale faster, bigger breaths for technically demanding passages requiring more air. Take slower, smaller inhales for simpler sections.

Tailoring breath speed/volume for specific musical needs prevents oxygen waste and instability from excessive inhaling.

Conclusion

Mastering proper breathing techniques is crucial for all bassoonists to achieve smooth, sustained notes without strain. By implementing these 7 research-backed tips into your daily practice routine, you can dramatically improve your breath control and overall playing.

Optimizing posture, taking full belly breaths, exhaling slowly, engaging your core and diaphragm, breathing from your abdomen, practicing targeted exercises, and seeking guidance from a qualified teacher will help you build efficient breathing habits. These techniques extend phrase capacity, prevent injuries, improve tone quality, enable controlled dynamics, and make playing more enjoyable.

Remember that developing proper breathing skills takes patience and persistence. Assess your current strengths and weaknesses, set achievable goals, and celebrate small victories along the way. Supplemental practices like maintaining a straight airway, humidifying passages, observing skilled musicians, planning breaths strategically, and scaling breath volume will further refine your technique.

By prioritizing breath control from the beginning of your bassoon studies, you lay the foundation for expressive, masterful playing that will benefit you for a lifetime. Embrace the journey and enjoy the incredible musical progress that dedicated breathing practice unlocks.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long should a beginner be able to sustain a note?

For most beginners, playing a single note for longer than 5-10 seconds is very difficult without running out of breath or developing tension. Work up gradually in increments of 2-3 more seconds at a time over regular practice. 12+ seconds is a reasonable goal to work toward.

How often should I practice dedicated breathing exercises?

Devoting just 5-10 minutes daily to targeted breathing drills (not including bassoon practice) builds tremendous capacity over time. But even 2-3 times weekly is hugely beneficial.

Which muscles should be engaged when exhaling?

Focus on keeping your core muscles (abs, obliques, pelvic floor) gently contracted as you exhale. Avoid squeezing too tightly or it will restrict airflow. Your diaphragm will naturally press upward into the chest.

Can I improve my breathing without a teacher?

Yes absolutely. Articles, videos, books, and targeted exercises offer great guidance for self-teaching. However private lessons accelerate progress tremendously through personalized feedback.

Is there equipment I can use to strengthen my breathing?

Yes! Breathing trainers, incentive spirometers, resistance bands, yoga props, and straws all help build breath control by increasing lung capacity.

How soon before playing should I do breathing exercises?

Doing 5-10 minutes of dedicated breathing drills in your warm-up right before playing is ideal. Muscles are freshly activated and oxygenated.

What are signs I may be chest breathing?

If your shoulders/upper chest rise first when inhaling, frequent lightheadedness when playing, inability to exhale slowly, or gasping breaths, you may be chest breathing.