AIR FLOW!
Myself, I play the Clarinet and piano. On the Clarinet, I am currently being taught by Marie Lloyd at the RAM and David Campbell at school. Both of them keep on commenting about air flow but not to only me, but also their other students. This blog is for mainly woodwind players, but for Brass players, tell me what you think - Lucas
Air flow benefits your legato playing and gives your phrases a rounder shape and helps to improve going 'across the break'- a term used by clarinettists when they cross the registers. If your teacher says you need to play smoother or think in longer phrases, air flow is the way to go! Your diaphragm is a muscle which contracts when you breathe in and relaxes when you breathe out. Breathing is the key to wind playing - the name says it all! It is important that you fill your chest up with air. Beginners tend to raise their shoulders to get the biggest breath - but this only uses up 1/3 of your lung's capacity. Instead, relax and take a big breath, and when playing, support from the diaphragm. If you touch your toes and breathe in and out, you can feel what it should be like. Then try doing it standing. This will not only give you a nicer tone, but mean you can play long notes - a key thing to practise on a wind instrument. Your phrases will feel longer, and improve your playing by about 10x!
Now onto the topic of air flow, not breathing, think of your playing as a long curved arrow like this and play out! Also, in each phrase include a crescendo and a diminuendo. This will make sure your audience will stay interested and it will improve our General Musicianship. Now, breathe as above and bear in mind what I have just said, and remember to use it in performances AND practisesRemember to comment and tell me what you would like to see next
-Lucas
