21-Day Breathing Guide
Overview
Time required each day -5 minutes
Length of course - 21 days Number of different exercises - 16 Start all exercises with the full breath
(exception - the shallow panting breath)
Don't overdo it for the first few days!
We want to strive for a natural gradual
growth
.
After each day's session try to use the exercises and knowledge you acquired in your
actual instrument practice. Try to think of the practical application of the breathing
exercises in the different types of music that you play.
Object: To develop super lung power to handle the extreme high range of the
instrument and to handle the tremendous volume required for much of today's modern
music as well as to develop super breath control to execute the intricate dynamics of all
music with ease and precision.
Do each day's exercises in the order listed, the number is the total number of times
the exercise is performed.
Day 1
Deep panting breath
Take a full breath. Blow out immediately and immediately take another deep breath. Breathe deeply in-out-in-out etc. as vigorously as possible just as if you were panting for
breath after you have run a mile. Do approximately ten inhales and ten exhales and stop.
Resume normal breathing. Repeat process twice.
The gentle breath Take a full breath. Do not hold but immediately blow the air out as
gently as possible. Exhale for 30 seconds. Expell remaining air. Resume normal breathing. Repeat process three times.
The held breath
Take a full breath. Do not release but hold. While still holding the breath try to relax
without tensing the diaphragm. Hold the breath for 30 seconds. Release air forcefully and
empty lungs.
Resume normal breathing. Repeat process three times.
That's all for today. Now when you play your instrument today be sure to start every
phrase with a full breath.
Day 2
Deep panting breath: 2 times
The gentle breath: 3 times - exhale 35 seconds
The vigorous breath
Take a full breath. Do not hold but immediately blow the air out as forcefully as you can.
Empty the lungs completely. Resume normal breathing. Repeat the process three times.
The held breath: 3 times - hold 35 seconds
Day 3
Deep panting breath: 2 times
The gentle breath: 2 times - exhale 40 seconds
The vigorous breath: 3 times
The shallow panting breath
Take a very shallow breath filling only the top half of your lungs. Blow out immediately
and immediately take another shallow breath. Continue this shallow inhaling and
exhaling in-out-in-out as fast as possible much the same as a dog pants when it has run or
gotten excited. Do this for approximately ten seconds. Resume normal breathing. Repeat
process twice. The held breath: 3 times - hold 40 seconds
Day 4
Deep panting breath: 2 times
The vigorous breath: 3 times
The shallow panting breath: 2 times
The held breath: 2 times - hold 45 seconds
The gentle breath: 2 times - exhale 45 seconds
Day 5
Deep panting breath: 1 times
The shallow panting breath: 1 time
The vigorous breath: 3 times
The gentle breath: 2 times - exhale 50 seconds
The held breath: 2 times - hold 50 seconds
Day 6
Deep panting breath: 1 time
The shallow panting breath: 1 time
The vigorous breath: 3 times
The held breath: 2 times - hold 1 full minute
The gentle breath: 2 times - exhale 1 full minute
Day 7
Deep panting breath: 1 time
The power breath
Take a single sheet of paper (8.5 x 11) and hold it against a flat wall with your face about
six inches away from it. Take a full breath. Blow vigorously at the center of the paper, let
the paper go but try to keep the paper pinned against the wall with your breath only for a
slow count of six. Resume normal breathing. Repeat process six times.
The gentle breath: 1 time - full minute
The held breath: 1 time - full minute
The vigorous breath: 3 times
Day 8
Deep panting breath: 1 time
The forced held breath
Take a full breath. Do not release but hold. While still holding, place the palms of your
hands just below the rib cage. Press your hands as hard as you can into your stomach and
at the same time force the air in your lungs to the bottom of your lungs. Hold this forced,
pressed position for a slow count of ten. Blow the air out vigorously and expel all air.
Resume normal breathing. Repeat process three times.
The vigorous breath: 3 times
The held breath: 1 time - full minute
The gentle breath: 1 time - full minute
Day 9
Deep panting breath: 1 time
The power breath: 6 times - distance, 1 foot
The gentle breath: 1 time - full minute
The held breath: 1 time - full minute
The vigorous breath: 3 times
Day 10
Deep panting breath: 1 time
The forced held breath: 3 times - 15 seconds
The vigorous breath: 3 times
The held breath: 1 time - full minute
The gentle breath: 1 time - full minute
Day 11
Deep panting breath: 1 time
The power breath: 6 times - distance, 2 feet
The gentle breath: 1 time - full minute
The held breath: 1 time - full minute
The vigorous breath: 3 times
Day 12
Deep panting breath: 1 time
The forced held breath: 3 times - 20 seconds
The vigorous breath: 3 times
The held breath: 1 time - full minute
The gentle breath: 1 time - full minute
Day 13
Deep panting breath: 2 times
The power breath: 3 times
The crescendo breath
Take a full breath. Do not hold but blow it out immediately as gently as you can.
Gradually increase the speed of the air until you are blowing as vigorously as possible.
Expel all air. Resume normal breathing. Repeat process three times.
The decrescendo breath
Take a full breath. Do not hold but blow it out immediately as vigorously as you can.
Gradually decrease the speed of the air until you are blowing as gently as you can. Expel
all air. Resume normal breathing. Repeat process three times.
The vigorous breath: 3 times
Day 14
Deep panting breath: 1 time
The forced held breath: 3 times
The crescendo breath: 3 times
The decrescendo breath: 3 times
The gentle breath: 2 times - full minute
Day 15
The forced held breath: 3 times
The crescendo-decrescendo breath
Take a full breath. Do not hold but blow out immediately as gently as you can. Gradually
increase the speed of the air until you are blowing as vigorously as possible then
gradually decrease the speed of the air until you are blowing as gently as you can. Expel
all air. Resume normal breathing. Repeat process three times.
The decrescendo-crescendo breath
Take a full breath. Do not hold but blow it out immediately as vigorously as you can.
Gradually decrease the speed of the air until you are blowing as gently as possible then
gradually increase the speed of the air until you are blowing as vigorously as you can.
Expel all air. Resume normal breathing. Repeat process three times.
The held breath: 1 time - full minute
Day 16
The power breath: 3 times
The crescendo-decrescendo breath: 3 times
The decrescendo-crescendo breath: 3 times
The gentle breath: 1 time - full minute
Day 17
The forced held breath: 3 times
The vigorous stop-start breath
Take a full breath. Do not hold but immediately blow the air out as forcefully as you can
but only for one second and stop for about one second. Do not take another breath. Blow
out again as forcefully as you can for one second and stop for about one second. Continue
the process blow-stop-blow-stop etc. until you have expelled all air. Resume normal
breathing. Repeat process three times.
The gentle stop-start breath
Take a full breath. Do not hold but immediately blow the air out as gently as you can but
only for one second and stop for about one second. Do not take another breath. Blow out
again as gently as you can for one second and stop for about one second. Continue the
process blow-stop-blow-stop etc. until you have expelled all air. Resume normal
breathing. Repeat process three times.
The crescendo-decrescendo breath: 3 times
The decrescendo-crescendo breath: 3 times
Day 18
The power breath: 3 times
The vigorous stop-start breath: 3 times
The gentle stop-start breath: 3 times
The crescendo-decrescendo breath: 3 times
The decrescendo-crescendo breath: 3 times
Day 19
The forced held breath: 3 times
The soft-loud breath
Take a full breath. Do not hold but immediately blow out gently, then without stopping
blow out as vigorously as you can, then as gently as you can. Continue the process
gentle-vigorous-gentle-vigorous etc. until all air is expelled. Resume normal breathing.
Repeat process three times.
The soft-medium-loud breath
Take a full breath. Do not hold but blow out immediately very gently then without
stopping blow a little faster then without stopping as vigorously as possible then without
stopping a little less vigorously then without stopping as gently as possible. Continue the
process gentle-medium-vigorous-medium-gentle-medium etc. until all air is expelled.
Resume normal breathing. Repeat process three times.
The crescendo-decrescendo breath: 3 times
The gentle breath: 1 time - full minute
Day 20
The power breath: 3 times
The soft-loud breath: 3 times
The soft-medium-loud breath: 3 times
The decrescendo-crescendo breath: 3 times
The held breath: 1 time - full minute or longer
Day 21
The forced held breath: 2 times
The soft-medium-loud breath: 1 time
The crescendo-decrescendo breath: 1 time
The decrescendo-crescendo breath: 1 time
The pumping breath
Take a full breath. Do not hold but blow out immediately with a medium breath and
keep the air flowing smoothly. Periodically accentuate vigorously the air flow then taper
down to the medium flow of air just as if you were pumping the air out of your lungs.
Expel all air. Resume normal breathing. Repeat process three times.
The vigorous stop-start breath: 1 time
The gentle stop-start breath: 1 time
The power breath: 3 times