Breathing Exercise for Saxophone

So in this next exercise, we're doing the same thing again, but this time I'm positioning my hands so the palms of my hands are on my back like so.

Breathing Technique

• Breathe In:

  • Again, I should feel that my hands are being pushed out.
  • This is a little bit more difficult to feel for some people.

• Feel the Breath:

  • You should feel that you're breathing into your hands.

Reflection on Learning

When I first started playing the saxophone, I was always down at the library seeing if I could find any books that would help me understand better what was going on.

A Memorable Book

I remember finding a book called "The Foundations of Singing" by Franklin Kelsey.

• Background:
  • This was a book written in the 1920s.
  • Franklin Kelsey recommended that when you sing, you imagine that you're breathing in through two holes in the back of your waistcoat.

Of course, that was an age when all gentlemen wore waistcoats, but that image really stuck in my mind.

Visualization Technique

So, you imagine you've got two holes just here, and you're actually taking the breath in through those two holes.

And actually, that really works for me. I can really feel that it's as if I was breathing in through my back. Let me demonstrate that for you just one more time.

1. Breath In:

   • Taking the breath in again through the mouth, feeling the hands pushed out.

2. Sound Production:

   • Then making your loud, whispered R sound.

Encouragement

And don't be discouraged if when you start doing this, you can't hold your sound for as long as I can. Don't forget, I've been doing this for over 40 years, so I've got pretty good breath control. But you'll get there. Just keep at it. Stay with the exercises.