Breath Focus

 

When beginning your practice session, firstly aim for a state of relaxed focus to ensure your work is effective and enjoyable. Following are outlines of breath-focussed exercises for different instruments.  You may be able to come up with one of your own or adapt one of these exercises to suit your instrument.  You may also wish to find classes on relaxation and meditation as these can be useful for you in music as well as other areas of your life.

 

For Piano

 

This exercise helps you to strengthen your hands and gain more co-ordination between your fingers.  The exercise should take no more than 5 minutes to complete.

 

• Place five fingers of your right hand on any consecutive five white notes above middle C and press down all the notes at once.  Your left hand should be relaxed by your side or on your lap.

 

• Focus on your posture and your breathing, sitting on the edge of your seat with your feet flat and firmly on the floor, so that your weight is on your feet.

 

• Relax your wrists and make sure they are in line with your hand and the tips of the fingers are resting on the notes as the weight of your arms help to press the notes down.  Fingers should be rounded and comfortable.

 

• Focus on your natural breathing.  Mentally check your body for any tension, purposefully relaxing any muscles in you neck, shoulders, arms, upper and lower body which may be tense.  Continue to do this throughout the exercise.

 

• When you take a natural breath in, lift up your 5^th finger (while all other notes are held down) about a centimetre off the key and when you naturally breathe out, press the key down again.

 

• Repeat this with the same finger two times and in time with your normal breathing.   Make sure you are watching your fingers the whole time and that no other notes are sneaking up!

 

• When you have done this, repeat the exercise, this time with the 4^th finger (this will be difficult at first).  Remember the 5^th finger should be holding its note down now too.

 

• Repeat the exercise through 3^rd, 2^nd and 1^st fingers and then do the same exercise over again but with your left hand, choosing notes below middle C and relaxing your right hand in your lap or by your side.

 

 

For Wind Instruments

 

Developing good breathing technique is vital for playing a wind instrument because it dictates the way notes begin (intonation), the sound quality of the note (tone quality), how long you can hold notes (sustaining), how loud or soft the notes are (dynamics) and how you get from one note to another (flexibility).

 

• Focus on your posture and your breathing.  Sit on the edge of your seat with your feet flat and firmly on the floor, so that your weight is on your feet, and the palms of your hands resting on your legs.   You can also stand, making sure your feet are at shoulder-width distance apart and you maintain a relaxed, yet grounded posture.

 

• Focus upon your natural breathing.  While doing this, mentally check your body for tension and purposefully relax any muscles in you neck, shoulders, arms, upper and lower body, which may be tense.  Continue to do this throughout the exercise.

 

• Breathe in through your mouth for two counts and be full of air by the end of this count then breathe out through your mouth for four counts, being empty of air by the end of it.  When you breathe out make an ‘s’ sound with your mouth (like a snake).  Make sure you push all the air out.

 

• Repeat this exercise at least ten times.

 

 

For Singers

 

 

If you are a singer, your whole body is your instrument so in the following exercise try to be aware of how your body feels in relation to your breathing.

 

• Focus on your posture and your breathing. Standing, make sure your feet are at shoulder-width distance apart and you maintain a relaxed and grounded posture, feeling the support of the floor.

 

• Place the palms of your hands just under your rib cage so that your fingers are just touching.  Focus on your natural breathing and notice how your fingers come slightly apart as you breathe in, and as you breathe out, they come together again.

 

• While doing this, mentally check your body for any tension and purposefully relax muscles in you neck, shoulders, arms, upper and lower body which may be tense.

 

• On your in-breath, through your nose, count that breath as ‘one’ and release it naturally through your mouth and adding a relaxed vocalisation.  Be aware the whole time of the movement of your diaphragm as well as relaxing your body.  Try to exaggerate the ‘out’ movement of your stomach, so that the air flows deeper into your lungs.  Then let the air out, making sure all air is expelled.

 

• Repeat this exercise ten times.

 

 

Drummers and Percussionists

 

 

Tension in the body and breathing are linked.  If you are able to focus on your breath, you will be able to purposefully relax your body.  It is important to be able to relax because tension can interrupt your ability to play when you are attempting new and more complex rhythms and/or soloing.

 

• Focus on your posture and your breathing.  Sit on the edge of your seat with your feet flat and firmly on the floor, so that your weight is on your feet, and the palms of your hands resting on your legs.   You can also stand, making sure your feet are at shoulder-width distance apart and you maintain a relaxed, yet grounded posture.

 

• Place the palms of your hands under your rib cage so that your fingers are just touching.  Focus on your natural breathing and notice how your fingers come slightly apart as you breathe in and as you breathe out they come together again.

 

• While doing this, mentally check your body for any tension and purposefully relax muscles in you neck, shoulders, arms, upper and lower body.

 

• Count your in-breath, through your nose as ‘one’ and release it naturally, being aware the whole time of relaxing your body and the movement of your diaphragm.

 

• As you breathe in, try to exaggerate the ‘out’ movement of your stomach, so that the air flows deeper into your lungs.

 

• Repeat this exercise ten times.

 

For string instruments – plucked or bowed

 

• Sit on the edge of your seat with your feet flat and firmly on the floor, so that your weight is on your feet. If you are a violinist or violist, stand in the appropriate posture, holding your instrument but be very aware of the weight of your body going down through your feet and into the floor.

 

• Beginning with your left hand, find a comfortable position on the fret board, placing each finger on a different note and holding all fingers down at once.

 

• Your right hand should just be relaxed and in a comfortable position by your side or resting.

 

• Focus on your natural breathing.  Mentally check your body for any tension, purposefully relaxing any muscles in you neck, shoulders, arms, wrists, upper and lower body.  Continue to do this throughout the exercise.

 

• When you take a natural breath in, lift up one finger (while all other notes are held down) about a centimetre off the string and when you naturally breathe out, press the finger down again.

 

• Repeat this with the same finger two times and in time with your normal breathing.   Make sure you are watching your hand the whole time to make sure that no other fingers are sneaking up!

 

• When you have done this, repeat the exercise with the next finger until you have exercised all fingers.

 

• Now hold your instrument in an open string position and focus on your right hand.

 

• Take a normal breath in and on your out breath strum your guitar, or bow the strings, tuning into the sound you are making, lift off the strings as you breathe in again.

 

• Repeat this five to ten times in time with your normal breath.

 

 

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