# Circular Breathing **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [December 20, 2002, 8:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/circular-breathing/144098 "2002-12-20T20:27:28Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 19\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Tia3child](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/54ee81/32.png) [@Tia3child](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tia3child)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2002, 8:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/circular-breathing/144098/1 "2002-12-20T20:27:28Z")
Okay I heard this from the same guy who wanted to know about the echoing of a duck’s quack. Thanks for the answer’s by the way. Okay my friend says that horn blowers practice a technique called Circular Breathing. Which, he says, is being able to inhale and exhale at the same time, therefore allowing to horn blower to keep a note for long periods of time. He said that it was proven by Dizzie Gilespie once when he held a note on hos horn for 3 minutes. I checked a few places before asking this question to you guys. I may be wording it wrong or this may be a whole lotta hoey. Has anyone ever heard of this??? ---
**Author:** ![Revtim](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/revtim/32/1042_2.png) [@Revtim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Revtim)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2002, 8:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/circular-breathing/144098/2 "2002-12-20T20:34:34Z")
A Google search found many pages, including this one: [http://www.woodwind.org/clarinet/Study/CircularBreathing.html](http://www.woodwind.org/clarinet/Study/CircularBreathing.html) > [@](#): > > The procedure involves four distinct stages: > > 1. As the performer begins to run low on air, the cheeks are puffed. > 2. Air from the cheeks is pushed with the cheek muscles through the instrument and used to maintain the sound while inhalation occurs through the nose. > 3. As the air decreases in the cheeks and sufficient air is brought into the lungs through the nose, the soft palate closes and air is again used from the lungs. > 4. The cheeks are brought back to their normal embouchure position. ---
**Author:** ![Nametag](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nametag/32/406_2.png) [@Nametag](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nametag)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2002, 8:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/circular-breathing/144098/3 "2002-12-20T20:36:22Z")
It’s possible to inhale quickly through the nose while using the cheeks as “bellows” to maintain a note. I’ve never tried it, but a number of music teachers claim to do it. It is impossible to simultaneously inhale and exhale with the lungs, however. ---
**Author:** ![racer72](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/racer72/32/3075_2.png) [@racer72](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/racer72)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2002, 10:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/circular-breathing/144098/4 "2002-12-20T22:49:32Z")
[Kenny G](http://www.smoothjazznews.com/archives/september2000/cs0900.html) held a note on his instrument for over 45 minutes by using circular breathing. Because he could not swallow during that time, his throat dried out and he damaged his tonsils. Now [someone else](http://www.recordholders.org/en/news/news052.html) is claiming they broke the record by playing a note for an hour and a half. ---
**Author:** ![squid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bbce88/32.png) [@squid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/squid)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2002, 10:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/circular-breathing/144098/5 "2002-12-20T22:58:40Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by racer72 \* > \*\*[Kenny G](http://www.smoothjazznews.com/archives/september2000/cs0900.html) held a note on his instrument for over 45 minutes by using circular breathing. Because he could not swallow during that time, his throat dried out and he damaged his tonsils. Now [someone else](http://www.recordholders.org/en/news/news052.html) is claiming they broke the record by playing a note for an hour and a half. \*\* Does that mean no more Kenny G? PTL:D ---
**Author:** ![Silentgoldfish](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e36b37/32.png) [@Silentgoldfish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Silentgoldfish)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2002, 11:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/circular-breathing/144098/6 "2002-12-20T23:00:46Z")
It’s the only way to play a digeridoo. I can do it, sort of, but the air coming out is probably not strong enough to play any instruments. ---
**Author:** ![zia\_nova](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/bc79bd/32.png) [@zia\_nova](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zia_nova)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2002, 11:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/circular-breathing/144098/7 "2002-12-20T23:38:39Z")
I can do circular breathing. I found out I could when I was blowing the flame of a candle and seeing how long I could blow without actually blowing the candle out, as you do. I doubt I could play a digeridoo but I can blow a candle flame with the best of them! ---
**Author:** ![MC\_Master\_of\_Ceremonies](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/bb73d2/32.png) [@MC\_Master\_of\_Ceremonies](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MC_Master_of_Ceremonies)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2002, 12:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/circular-breathing/144098/8 "2002-12-21T00:10:21Z")
Circular breathing is very possible and most good horn players (and ALL good digeridoo players). As to how to do it, I couldn’t tell you as in my trumpet playing days I never really got excatly how it was done. ---
**Author:** ![drachillix](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/48db29/32.png) [@drachillix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drachillix)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2002, 12:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/circular-breathing/144098/9 "2002-12-21T00:42:50Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Tia3child \* > I checked a few places before asking this question to you guys. I may be wording it wrong or this may be a whole lotta hoey. Has anyone ever heard of this Old DCI drum corps kid and many years of marching/concert band. I have only met 2 people (at the time) who could do circular breathing. Its not easy by any stretch of the imagination. **Revtim** ’s link pretty much covered what was explained by me. ---
**Author:** ![brad\_d](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/50afbb/32.png) [@brad\_d](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brad_d)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2002, 3:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/circular-breathing/144098/10 "2002-12-21T03:00:20Z")
I’ve tried to do it (on tuba), but never had any real success. I can almost do it blowing air on my hand, but there’s a perceptible break in the airstream when I re-engage my lungs, so to speak. I’ve heard a number of professional wind players do it, on a variety of instruments - it’s kind of freaky, for some reason (_When’s he gonna breathe!?!?_). Sam Pilafian, formerly the tuba player with the Empire Brass, stated in a clinic I attended a few years ago that he used the technique quite a lot. David Payne, then the tuba instructor at Texas Tech, cautioned me once about over-using it. He said that he’d seen some players become dependent on the technique once they’d learned it, and their playing suffered because they never took “real” breaths, even when it would be more musically appropriate. (It’s difficult/impossible to take as deep a breath this way as you could in the usual fashion.) There are some orchestral tuba parts where it would be convenient. 🙂 Mahler’s First Symphony has the tuba holding a single note with no breaks for some forty-odd measures IIRC - there’s no way anybody could do that on one breath. Many (most?) players quickly sneak breaths where it’s unlikely to be noticed, but I’ve heard that you can win points in an audition by circularly-breathing the whole passage, should it happen to come up. (Gene Pokorny of the Chicago Symphony makes joking reference to this in his orchestral excerpts CD.) ---
**Author:** ![hyjyljyj](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/0ea827/32.png) [@hyjyljyj](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hyjyljyj)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2002, 3:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/circular-breathing/144098/11 "2002-12-21T03:35:13Z")
In correspondence online with one of his former band members, I learned that the acclaimed saxophonist and singer Edgar Winter used to amuse the guys and while away the miles on the road by holding a sustained note for two or three minutes at a time, imitating the sound of the tour bus’s air conditioner–with his VOICE. Now that’s amazing. Some sort of circular breathing while singing. I can’t imagine how it’s done, and I’ve known the source for a long time to be extremely honest and reliable. As it happens, Edgar is cordial and forthcoming with his fans, and if & when I get to meet him again I will ask about this phenomenon. ---
**Author:** ![martin\_ibn\_martin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/8baadc/32.png) [@martin\_ibn\_martin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/martin_ibn_martin)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2002, 4:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/circular-breathing/144098/12 "2002-12-21T04:56:13Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Silentgoldfish \* > \*\*It’s the only way to play a digeridoo. I can do it, sort of, but the air coming out is probably not strong enough to play any instruments. \*\* I “play” Didjeridoo, without the circular breathing. I’ve yet to really sit down and work it out, but the exercise I was taught involves putting a straw in a glass of water and keeping a constant stream of bubbles going. It rocks to hear someone who can do it right. I just make rude noises into tubes. Martin ---
**Author:** ![Silentgoldfish](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e36b37/32.png) [@Silentgoldfish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Silentgoldfish)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2002, 6:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/circular-breathing/144098/13 "2002-12-21T06:23:08Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by martin\_ibn\_martin \* > \*\*I “play” Didjeridoo, without the circular breathing. I’ve yet to really sit down and work it out, but the exercise I was taught involves putting a straw in a glass of water and keeping a constant stream of bubbles going. It rocks to hear someone who can do it right. I just make rude noises into tubes. > > Martin \*\* How? It sounds like what you’re describing is circular breathing anyway. ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2002, 6:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/circular-breathing/144098/14 "2002-12-21T06:35:24Z")
The technique is also used for some primitive pipes. There are some double reed pipes where the reed is exposed, sticking out of one end of the pipe. The player puts the end of the pipe with the exposed reed into his/her mouth. I understand that this type of pipe relies mainly on circular breathing (but I’ve never seen it myself, just read about it). ---
**Author:** ![Steve\_R](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/58956e/32.png) [@Steve\_R](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Steve_R)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2002, 3:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/circular-breathing/144098/15 "2002-12-22T15:43:43Z")
the classic method of practicing circular breathing is similiar to above only you fill you mouth with water. As you expell it through a thin straw using your cheek muscles, breath in through your mouth. ---
**Author:** ![antechinus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/fbc32d/32.png) [@antechinus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/antechinus)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2002, 4:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/circular-breathing/144098/16 "2002-12-23T04:18:35Z")
When I play didge, my circular breathing involves grasping quick breaths of air through the nose as my cheeeks push air into the instrument. You can thus create a constant stream of air indefinately. This is not that dificult to learn. Blowing bubbles via straw into glass of water is a good start. martin\_ibn\_martin you are circular breathing. ---
**Author:** ![psychomonkey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/dec6dc/32.png) [@psychomonkey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/psychomonkey)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2002, 4:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/circular-breathing/144098/17 "2002-12-23T04:40:47Z")
Just had to pipe in as another didg player. Carry on then… -PSM ---
**Author:** ![handy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b5a626/32.png) [@handy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handy)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2002, 5:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/circular-breathing/144098/18 "2002-12-23T17:42:58Z")
Didnt Dizzie Gilespie blow out his cheek muscles & that’s why they look so weird? ---
**Author:** ![dorkusmalorkusmafia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dorkusmalorkusmafia/32/7266_2.png) [@dorkusmalorkusmafia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dorkusmalorkusmafia)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2002, 7:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/circular-breathing/144098/19 "2002-12-23T19:45:03Z")
Woot, we can start a didj society or something. Yet another didjeridoo player. It isn’t too hard really if you have a modicum of resistance in the exhalation airflow. If you don’t have that resistance you are likely to exhale to fast and lose the breath.