[Harp-L] Advice for Breathing Technique

[David Fertig <drfertig@xxxxxxxxx>]

Todd,ÂÂ you're experiencing what I call automatic breathing, where, in a blow or draw run, you find yourself venting or grabbing air through your nose or mouth as needed, more or less unconsciously, while playing.ÂÂ 

I consider this an important step in one's development of playing harp, inasmuch as one is not merely wheezing through the harp, inhaling and exhaling and finding notes that work to keep you breathing, now you're playing music with less regard for whether you have enough air to play a given sound, and your body somehow gets the air. 

I first found myself doing this unconsciously, too!

Later as I got better at air management I sometimes wondered if I was circular breathing, but no, just lots of venting and grabbing air, including blowing or drawing with my mouth (with closed airway). 

Everyone's airways and musical mind works differently, (thank goodness!) but harp playing is all about air management, and - often - music, blues in particular, is about not letting your brain get in the way, so it seems like you're on track!

-Dave "if you play while walking, try playing while skipping too!" Fertig
--- On Sun, 10/17/10, harp-l-request@xxxxxxxxxx <harp-l-request@xxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
[Harp-L] Advice for Breathing Technique
        	Saturday, October 16, 2010 5:36 PM
        	
            
            
            From: 
            "todd allen" <soundguyaudition@xxxxxxxxx>
            	
            	
            	
        	To: 
        	harp-l@xxxxxxxxxxxâm having a problem with my breathing and looking for advice on ârunning out of 
breathâ. When Iâm practicing a riff or rhythms with mostly draw notes like âOn 
the road againâ I slowly start drawing about half the air through my nose before 
running short of breath and I realize that Iâm doing it. 

Is there a certain amount of air that you could typically let in or should I not 
be wasting any air through my nose at all? Is this bad practice or do I just 
need to control how much and when? 

It happens little or not at all if playing cords. 
I'm still a newby learnig mostly here and on the net.
Thanks
Todd