How to Do Circular Breathing | Saxophone Lessons

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The concept of circular breathing is kind of a tricky one to explain. It's kind of like riding a bike in that when you know how to do it, you're going to know how to do it forever. It's quite tricky to actually get there. The concept basically in a nutshell is to form a pocket of air in your mouth, like that, and to close off your throat so you're not breathing. You're not connected to your lungs anymore. The air in your mouth is not connected to your lungs. And you just push it out like that. While you're doing that, you breathe in through your nose and refill your lungs. Sounds really tricky, but if you can slow down the time it takes for the pocket of air in your mouth the empty, it gives you more time to breath and start the air flow again smoothly. That gives you a good amount of time.

The best way to practice this away from a didgeridoo is to sit yourself down with a scotch glass and a straw and some water, and just try to keep the bubbles consistent by doing that. That can go on forever. When we get to the saxophone, we take something that we already know like long tones and just try to keep the tone consistent. That's how you circular breathe.

[JasonTylerRicci]

This, to me, is one of the most amazing feats that a human can do.

[cruzan]

Circular breathing is extremely easy to do. I was shocked by how easy it was to learn. I walked around for about two weeks practicing how to puff out my cheeks and squeeze air through my mouth . Circular breathing works better on the alto or soprano sax. Middle C is the best note to first try circular breathing on.

[ajcutes]

its like he has an unlimited oxygen refilling station in his lungs

[StreangestdreaM]

"And that's how you circular breathe." This is fantastic, Thanks!

[Firebrand]

An excellent How To; short, informative and to the I still can't do

[Queeze]

Battery percussionist here, ready to breathe circularly

[ActuallySophie]

Its 2 am and i don't even play sax what am i doing with my life

[fbnhadebe]

i think this is one of the hardest things to learn when pleying the wind instrument.

[micheleravegrassani]

Ok, finally after lot of practice I'm able to do that taking the straw at the beginning of my lips, but when it goes in the mouthpiece position, with the straw positioned under the upper teeth, no way, I'm not able to have the same air pressure in the checks and something goes wrong in the throat closure.... any advice? Maybe is because I have a tongue piercing... I've no idea....

[Giveupbit]

I nailed it and my band teach threw a sharpie at me 😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂 she doesn't like when we make noise like that 😂😂😂

[GlitchedSkill]

I've been doing this technique my entire life out of habit and i am only now learning it's a real technique

[astridwiesinger]

thanks for this way of explaining! ...the charm you bring in with your humour makes it easier to access and brings motivation! : )

[nicholasgacharich]

If you practice this.... You could be A GOD

[StarWarsFan-bkuo]

Thank you howcast, I finally know how to do it

[chrisklest]

I was reading the Kenny G wiki article that said he won the world record of holding one note for like 45 minutes. That eventually linked me here. Cool technique. I play bamboo flute, so I'll have to see if my mouth alone would provide enough air for this.

[marselmusic]

i can circular breathe, but my tone doesnt sound great. do i keep just doing it? thanks for your time and for helping me

[QuestionableAsian]

Hope they patch this in the next update

[alansneedii]

This is gonna be difficult but worth a try

[JohnSmithULIR]

What kind of sorcery is this~!

Haha jokes XD Thanks for this awesome and helpful tip! I'm a starter sax player and I'm learning all the stuff, this is really helpful!

[epic]

Whenever I push the air out of my cheeks into my sax it doesn't even make sound, you can hear the air but it doesn't create a sound, any advice?