How do I use a breath builder?

[ImNotIrish]

Here's something Paul McGratten taught the advanced flute class in the Catskills a couple of years ago- Take a deep breath in, hold the air, and while
holding the air try to push the air toward the front of your chest. Exhale. Repeat, pushing the air toward the sides of your lungs, then once more toward the back of the lungs. He seemed to swear by this exercise. Hope this helps.

[Lambchop]

Really, you should just play more-that way you get the fingerins as well as breathing right. I don't mean to offend anyone with this, and I must note that more pipers than flute players are guilty of this, but there seem to be alot of people who, though they have invested the cash and inital effort in learning the instrument, after a few tunes resort to playing with idiotic gadgets, surfing websights devoted to the subject, and generally doing everything but improving and playing their instrument. So...get off the computer and play some tunes!

This is typical of learning ANYTHING. You wouldn't have to LEARN it if it was easy to do. After all, if it's easy enough that you can do it without any training or learning, it's just unskilled labor.

The more skill required, the more challenging it is to learn. More effort is required. This is usually a somewhat painful process, requiring either mental effort or physical effort. Much of this involves repetition and repetition and repetition, and practice to get closer approximations to an ideal.

While this is going on, you have a distinct sense that you suck at whatever it is. This can be painful and frustrating. In the corner of your mind, there is always the thought that there must be an easier way.

It's so difficult to do this that many students resort to pseudo-learning activities, like buying reference books. They make flashcards as a prelude to studying, not realizing that if they'd spent the time studying they wouldn't need the flashcards. They spend hours "organizing" things, like driving to Kinkos to have the spine cut off paperbound texts and holes drilled for 3-ring binders. They develop intricate color-coded underlining and highlighting techniques to organize study material . . . instead of actually studying it.

They don't want to read the book, write the salient facts down on paper, and memorize it--that's painful. Instead, they engage in pseudo-learning activities.

I spend a good bit of my teaching time campaigning against this sort of activitity, to little avail. (The students do it anyway, thinking I'm just a crotchety windbag who wants them to do everything the hard way. Which is true, since it's the only way that works.)

I spend a good bit of my personal flute-learning time campaigning against my own avoidance maneuvers with even worse results.

Turns out I can recognize this sort of thing because I'm a master at it, myself.

It's a lot easier to think that a gadget will help us learn something. It's easier to think that spending hours in front of the mirror examining our embouchure will help us develop it. Far easier than making the painful effort to develop lung capacity and embouchure control by actually playing the flute.

[Cynth]

Yep. I'm an expert at pseudo-learning.

Yesterday, after a poor practice session, I told my husband that I sucked (a word I rarely use) on the whistle. His response: "Aren't you supposed to be blowing?"

[glauber]

Does anyone know how to use this thing?

Carefully.

[andrewK]

Glad to see you back, Glauber. I was beginning to worry about you.
When did they let you out ?

[Eldarion]

I think using a breath builder isn't exactly the best way to go about it. A lot of beginners get the misconception that it takes a lot of air to play the flute. Truth is, more of it is due to embouchure control. When you have a lousy embouchure, you'd naturally use more air because of wastage and lack of focus. It's more important to work on developing your embouchure - the lung capacity will come by itself without having you to bother too much about it.

[glauber]

Glad to see you back, Glauber. I was beginning to worry about you. When did they let you out ?

I mostly lurk now. I decided that the benefits of being an active member of the community were outweighed by the time requirements and the constant provocations from right-wing USians. Sorry for being off-topic.

Back on topic: i don't believe in those breath builders, much. If you want to build breath, buy an alto or bass flute (or ask Daniel Bingamon for his contrabass low-D whistle). After playing one of those babies, your flute will feel puny.

Volume and projection on flute are very psychological. I think most beginner flute players are afraid of running out of breath. They need to build confidence and really move air through the flute. It will never sound as loud as a trumpet, but with confident playing you can project your sound and be heard. One way to build confidence is to learn the tunes very well.

[headwizer]

Hi everyone, when I posted this, I had no idea that so many people would weigh in against this type of breath control aid. Before buying it, I saw a recommendation for this device by Joanna G'froerer, a principal flutist with an orchestra in Ottawa. It only cost me $14 (on sale), so it was not a huge investment. In case I ever got a Pratten-style flute, I wanted to have the lungs to play it.

I ordered the Breath Builder along with my first metronome (a tiny and versatile Boss DB-12). I have to believe that most of you would not think a metronome to be a poor use of funds. It has really helped my playing in the few days that I've had it.

[Cynth]

Whatever improves your playing, that is good. If you blow in that thing at times when you can't practice, it ain't gonna hurt and it might help. I think they just mean don't blow in that thing when you could be practicing your flute.

[bang]

glauber mentioned an extreme bass whistle, but low whistles generally can be good for breath strength training. not having started on whistles, i was surprised how much air a newish low E Burke whistle needs. playing it makes me use my lungs more, and also helps work on keeping a solid rhythm while getting enough breaths in.

enjoy! /dan

[mcdafydd]

I'm surprised no one has yet mentioned learning the digeridoo. It only costs as much as a length of 1 1/2" PVC ($3 or $4US) pipe and a little beeswax to melt on the end. Fun sounds, great breath work, meditative, and a much easier route to learn circular breathing then a flute (ala Robert Dick).

There's plenty of 'net info about how to get started..

[s1m0n]

When I first started fluting, I found some lessons on diaphragm breathing, and then I went around for weeks, practising blowing a steady stream of air through an embouchure-sized hole in my lips--walking along the street, waiting for the bus, sitting in class--wherever I was. It almost became unconscious. I'd try an blow as long as I could without choking, and then smoothly inhale from my diaphragm and start over.

I don't think there's any shame in doing exercises.