Flute Breathing Techniques?

Question

I've been playing the flute for three years now and haven't had much of a problem with breathing but lately I've been running out of air much quicker. Is there any techniques to expand the amount of air used?

I've been trying to hold my breath for a period of time and then slowly exhaling but it hasn't helped much.

Answer 1

Are you trying to increase the amount of air you take in? That can be increased gradually over time.

You can do this lying on the floor, to feel the back of your lungs expand more. Breathe in slowly, be consciously aware of filling up bottom of your lungs, the sides, and don't forget to fill your upper lungs (the chest - we often forget to do that). Suck in 3 more breaths, like a fish gasping in air. Then slowly let out air with a flute embouchure. Don't do this more than 3 times a day.

To control your rate of exhalation, try placing a taper candle an arm's length away. Try to make the flame flicker, but not go out.

Practicing whistle tones also helps with control.

Also, try placing the tip of your tongue against your bottom lip. This raises your tongue and increases the speed of your air. This restricts how much air is being let out, and makes it easier to maintain a good sound for a longer period of time.

Finally, check to make sure that at least 1/3 of your embouchure hole is uncovered. If you're covering too much, you have to blow harder for a big sound...and then you're out of air!

Answer 2

I don't think holding your breath is going to do much good because it will make you so tense! I do a couple things:

1. Play a phrase of music and mark where I need to take a breath, then play it again and try to go a couple more beats without the breath, and repeat this until you slowly work your way up to playing a long phrase with no breath.

2. This one sounds strange, but it works wonders! With a plastic drinking straw, blow air into it and articulate the way you would on the flute. You can REALLY hear when your phrases die when the air passes through the straw. My playing has changed so much because of the straw technique.

Answer 3

Try the site below, it seems to have some helpful tips. I found it by searching "flute breathing exercises".

Answer 4

No, that won't work...

Stop smoking!
Start swimming, this will help tremedously...
Hold a piece of paper against the wall using only your breath (with a steady stream of air).

Good Luck

Answer 5

i have that problem sometimes, too. it may seem silly, but breathe in from your diaphram.
also, when playing a note, try to release the air in a slow, and steady stream. it might get hard to do that once you hit like, the third octive A and such, but lower than that, its pretty good.