How to Breathe While Playing the Clarinet

Moisten clarinet reeds in your mouth to prepare for playing.

The way you breathe plays a big part in many acitivites, including sports, singing and playing musical instruments. Being able to control breathing is the first step to becoming an advanced clarinetist. The clarinet is a woodwind instrument that requires air to be pushed through to make a sound. Beginning clarinet players must learn about proper embouchure, which is how to position the mouth on the mouthpiece and how to breathe appropriately to create sound.

Instructions

1. Stand up straight and relax your body. Hold the clarinet at a 45-degree angle from your body, with the left hand resting on the top set of keys and the right hand resting on the bottom set of keys.

2. Fold your bottom lip over your bottom row of teeth and place the tip of the clarinet's mouthpiece against the lower lip, resting it there instead of pressing it into your lip. Let the upper row of teeth rest gently against the top of the mouthpiece, but tighten your upper lip over the mouthpiece almost as if you were smiling.

3. Inhale slowly at first. Let the air fill your lungs, then use your diaphragm to push the air from your lungs, up through your trachea, out of your mouth and through the clarinet. Because you must use your mouth to play wind instruments, you must learn to breathe through your mouth instead of your nose, even if it feels less natural.

4. Take in sharp, quick breaths in between notes so you do not lose your timing. Instead of taking these notes in through your nose, relaxe your lips momentarily and suck the air in through the sides of your mouth. Tighten your mouth to push the air back out through the clarinet.

5. Take longer, slower breaths if you have a measure without notes or if you have several resting notes. Take the time to fill your lungs with air. Do not put your clarinet down or take it out of your mouth at these intervals. Instead, leave the mouth piece in your mouth, but simply breathe around the mouthpiece, through the sides of your mouth, rather than through it, which will cause it to make noise when you should be silent.

Tips & Warnings

• If you sit down to play your clarinet, sit on the edge of your chair. Your chair should be high enough so that your thighs are slanted down towards the ground instead of up into the air. The latter will cause your diaphragm to be constricted and will decrease the amount of air you can push through your clarinet. Stay relaxed while playing to increase concentation.

References

• The Clarinets: Correct Embouchure