Your video was shared with me by one of the readers of my blog because what you are talking about is exactly what I have discussed for singers. There are many misconceptions regarding breathing and it is nice to see someone promoting the reality of the respiratory system.

I've been playing the recorder for years and recently transitioned to a trasversal flute. Though I have experience with wind instruments, this video has been the most significant class I have recieved, definetly breathing this way is the best tecnic, though I never told my collegues because they might think I've gone made too. Nina, you're not crazy... And the sound class video was great too. Rhankyou and best wishes

Thank you so much for this info! My band director was always telling me I was breathing wrong (expanding and opening my lungs - what you were explaining). She wanted me to let my diaphragm out, but it just felt wrong - like I wasn't filling up my potential lung capacity. I watched this video, and now I might be brave enough to explain to my director an optional way of breathing.

Exelent, I play in a prog rock band I'm a guitar player who uses flute once in a while and now I'm getting more into this beautifull instrument and this tecnique really helped me to get more consistent sounds, thanks You should be in heaven...

i love this lady so much! i've been taking private lessons from a man from china and a few flute directors in Colorado State Uiniversity, and I've heard many different way to do things on flut ethat are very contridicting. But this way of breathing by far has seem most effective. My virbrato is so much more clear and relaxed! THANK YOU!!!

Thank you for confirming everything I have read about breathing! Being an opera singer, I have learned a lot!

I am glad you found this helpful and it is exciting to see my videos reaching Croatia! I will be uploading videos on articulation soon.

thank you for replying to my comment from the video "Playing Flute in Petrushka." I am now one of your subscribers. I look forward to more instructional videos.

Hi! So, I found your videos through the KZread Symphony and really love what you've been doing! I just wanted to say that when I studied in Strasbourg, France (with Sandrine Francois), I was introduced to this way of breathing as well and it really changed how I play. I also find it helpful to picture my abs pushing in and squeezing out the air from my lungs for really long notes. I know thats not anatomically possible (haha) but it helps! :)

I agree with this. As a singer and beginning flute player, I was taught for both the air needs to be compressed adequately so as no excess air is allowed to escape. Allowing the belly to expand down and out doesn't accomplish this efficiently; one has less control over the air being expelled. Diaphragm is an involuntary muscle; you can't voluntarily use it. Either way, the viscera will be displaced; it doesn't matter if you tuck in or not.

Gracias por los consejos Nina, me han servido mucho, sobre todo el video del vibratto, cuándo vienes a Colombia a dar clases magistrales? Felicitaciones y muchisimas gracias pro el trabajo que estás haciendo con nosotros los flautistas a nivel mundial.

ur theory is way better than what i've been gettin all these years...thnx

hi nina, im a doctor and flutist too. now coming to the breathing,when u inhale the diaphram moves down creating a negative pressure inside the chest cage but outside the lungs, as there is more negative pressure around the lungs so the lungs also expand & we inhale. during exhalation the chest cage and diaphram passively compress the lungs so we exhale. if u push the abdomen out during exhalation then u r using the diaphram to push down rather than up & interfere with proper exhalation.

Nina makes perfect sence to me. (the whole diaphram breathing thing is so old school. I remember breaking out into cold sweats from those exercizes our band director would make us do, it definetely made me feel like I was sinking)

Guys -guys-guys! I don't think she means keep the abs *tight*, but activated. Keep your ab muscles activated so that your "support" or your muscles "under your air" are always active. Active breathing. I think this is really the way singers breath also. Great video!!

@stargirl2007a I agree that it is ok to do what your teacher says, relax the abdominals while inhaling, then pull them in while playing, but I don't think of it as pushing the air out, but rather of creating back pressure so the air doesn't come shooting out too fast...this should be the subject of a future video!

And I really like the 360 degree visualization! Really cool!

2) For me it is like holding breath before a loud scream and then releasing the air by relaxing in a very controlled way when playing the flute. The advice of pushing in or out always brings the danger of unnecessary tension in muscles that are not really needed when playing. Flute playing is not about pushing air into the instrument like when you play trumpet or oboe.

Halleluiah! I never did feel good with expanding the diaphragm! It's like I could NOT "fill my lungs" and I sank - just like you said. I was starting to believe I couldn't get air into my lungs. I couldn't get through 3 measures without dying away. Now I heard it from a pro! Use what works, hu?!?!? Kat

I think it is very good way for breathing!!! Thank you much, Nina!!!

Thank you Nina, this is totally different then what I was taught but I'm going to try it.

This helped me soooooo much! I always felt (especially during concerts) that someone had punched my in the stomache. I was always so whipped after I played. Thank you thankyou!!!

This is awesome. My teacher talks about my diaphragm all the time, and it has never worked for me. Thanks so much!

Thank you Nina.

I am so glad to hear that this breathing method gave you some productive results and I 100% agree with your statement!

A very good and clear explanation which I am going to try (again) definately. My teacher, at the Sweelinck conservatory Amsterdam, who studied also in France, his name is Pieter Odé, also taught me breathing this way. For me personal, I discovered that breathing in should be relaxing the muscles, it is in the natural way a reaction of air need. Blowing (playing ) is active and yes, I hold my abs, not particularly in, but I hold them so I can control my air flow and vibrato. If you lie on your back and breath in your belly rises, in my opinion because the longs push everything away, downwards.. As they are filled with air, like a balloon.. If I take a really deep breath i start below, my abs come out and then my ribs come out as well, then when I start playing I contract my abs for support and control. But surely you know of this way and you have obviously made your choice. I am going to reconsider... thank you for this film!

Hello , The Diaphragm is attached to the lower ribs, thus it is also responsible for lateral expansion of the lower ribs. If the central tendon is fixed and the ribs mobile the diaphragm will expand the ribs laterally. If you hold your abdomen in via the transversus abdominis muscle, you can do that move because it does not inhibit rib movement. The Hallmark of Diaphragmic breathing is the lateral expansion of the ribs not the abdomen moving out. Posture is also important for that.

i totally agree with you. ive been playing flute since i was in 6th grade, and i am now a senior. and i have always felt that when i hold in my abdominal muscles in, i get a better air response.

I love it! It works wonders for mee!

@ninaflute Thanks a lot! I'll try to do that....thanks for responding so fast! :) I learned so much from your video on flute sound production! Everybody loves my sound now! Thanks again!

FAVORITIED. Thanks so much for the advice! :D

Dear yumiflute: I am so glad you gave it a try and got positive results. It is true that most people think I am crazy, but people also thought Copernicus was crazy when he said the earth revolved around the sun (ha ha)!

Hi Nina, I agree with you partly. Don't you think that while inhaling we should relax, not to feel any tension in any part of the body? When you pull in the abdos while taking the air in, you actually isolate the lower part of the stomach which also should participate in moving (the lower part of the lungs expanding downwards and pushing the diaphragm down which results in pushing stomach outwards). If I think about the stage fright this is exactly what's happening, we tend to breath to much with the upper part of the body and the movement of the stomach is restrained.

oh wow thank you for that, now i can play much longer with the same breath and it took me 5 min practice!

Dear hoypoy: I didn't know Keith teaches this way but I am happy to hear that since I respect him tremendously. I hope I can meet up with him to chat about breathing sometime! Good luck to you! -Nina

You're a saint. Thank you

If I may point out, we do not enlarge our lungs by breathing in, we breath in by enlarging the space around our lungs. By dropping the diaphragm air is naturally sucked in by creation of a parial vacuum. Alternatively we can enlarge the space by expanding the ribs, which is what you are doing - perfectly effective, but by lowering the diaphragm (which pushes out the belly which is not compressible, so has to go out) AND using chest breathing, there will be a larger area for resonance.

3) Many people play flute using way too much air, so there is more need of holding back than pushing. When the throat is really open you are forced to do everything else right automatically and just have to care for a good control of releasing your breath and providing a maximum of resonance in your mouth and throat plus the control of your embouchure. Best regards

I felt that before I watched this video :-D That's a good new!

Thank YOU!!!

I am so glad to hear you had good results with this technique. Visit my other videos, too.

totally agree! I have been playing this way for years and was so confused when I started reading about pushing my stomach out. Completely foreign to me and felt all wrong. Thanks for assuring me I'm not crazy!

WOW my abs hurt now!!! i can really tell it's working, only after 5 minutes of practicing: my vibrato, phrasing, intonation, have all improved greatly!!! thank you soo much!! i've been trying to change my normal method of everyday breathing to this...is that how you breath normally or just while playing flute?

I play only one flute, a Burkart silver with platinum riser. Glad you are having some success.

@musicianfish I think I mostly inhale from my mouth but I may take in a little air from my nose as well.

Ok Nina, thanks a lot!! I'll try it and i'll let you know! Ps. I totally appreciate you, greetings!

I love you Nina you make playing easier

Yes i agree with this technic and i find it real strait away ... actually within all my virtual teachers you are my preferite. If i ask to you for a short flute song notes would you help me? Greetings

alieannie: I am so glad you are having success and found this video helpful.-Nina

Thanks for teaching　But my teacher yesterday just taught us to expand our abdomen while we are blowing. But I guess it is not natural as we breath in, it expands, when we breath out and blow, it should be pushing inward. Is there anyone have similar problem or could you please give me advice. Thanks

I have a difficult time reaching the higher notes. Any suggestions? Thank you

Hi Nina, I might have posted this elsewhere - do you give Master Classes anywhere? I'd love to study with you in person. These short videos are so helpful. I tried the sucked in belly tonight and I had MORE WIND than the other way. I also tried placing my flutes lower on my chin, but didn't have as much success. I'm trying a few different flutes, including an Abell. Did you mention what kind of flute you play most often? Thanks, Marcia Mamaglee

Hi Nina, Another great video. Is this like yoga breathing? Do you know my friend and professor, Barbara Houghton @ NKU? She was my photo teacher 30 years ago in Colorado.

Hmmmm. This is tricky for me as I've definitely been taught the opposite. I do find that my sound has more freedom when I push outward and lower things, though I also find that the biggest flaw in my playing is frequent lack of energy. I'm not sure what I think. I wonder if the two could be somehow combined. I'll have to think on this for a few days.

I just started flute lessons so i'm not the proper guy to jugde anything about the flute lol. I tried this but i feel like it's completely opposite my nature. I mean every time i try to do this i feel wierd, it's like my stomach wants to go out and i keep telling it not to go out. Is that natural? Will it feel more natural if i keep trying to breath in that way? Please answer! I don't want to learn things in a bad way and then change everything from the beginning. Thank you!

Thank you Nina. Would you please tell me how to decrease the sound of breathing when I take a new long breath? I mean, when I record myself playing the flute, I can hear my breath. I can control my breath for long, but when I want to take another long breath, it sounds loud! I don't want others to hear my breath through my playing. Do you know what I mean? How can I take a long and soft breath in different times?

how can you play long notes in your flute/ i'm having a hard time in producing sound as long as yours.

elmobaby95: If supported throughout properly, beginning to end, then yes. You hold the energy internally even when controlling the amount blown so as not to overblow. Maybe this should be another topic for a video??

This help me to play higer?? please someone answer me

i have been strugling with that sice i started singing because i notice that i had more suport to sing by pulling in, i used to use an exercice were i used lie on the floor put a book on my belly inhale en then exhele with out leting the book to go back down that easyly, but that insted of helping me it took away my suport.

I was forgetting to say. The diaphragm is a skeletal striated muscle, and all skeletal striated muscle is controlled by the somatic nervous system, so the diaphragm is controlled voluntarily.

lenakog1: If you are currently breathing a different way and it works, then don't bother changing to this method. If your current method is not where you want it to be, experiment with this method for a week or two and see if you get good results.

Was that prelude à l'après midi d'un faune? Thanks Nina.

Sorry, I misspelled the title of the Research Paper in my previous post. It should read: "Fluoroscopy of the Diaphragm During Trumpet Playing"

What if you relax your diaphram when breathing, THEN slowly contract your abdominal muscles while playing so you could PUSH the air out.....? That's what my flute teacher taught me. Thanks :).

Nina Do you have the stomach muscles as tight as, say, you were pretending you knew that someone was going to punch you in the stomach (rock hard as possible)? Or are those muscles just moderately firm, or somewhere in between? I feel a slight loss of relaxation in the throat when I have the stomach muscles super tight, and when moderately tight, they still expand very slightly when I take a breath.

@Klarisszaivncsk

4 жыл бұрын

brysava this is my question too!! Do you know the answer now?

Interesting. Is circular bathing a possibility or is there a reason why it is not an option?

you're right very controversial yet the natural way i wasn't conscious I've been doing the right thing. this video proved me yet musicians are different depending on the method they were thought but still i suggest some more improvements for those who oppose this and i suggest this method to improve them je je je!

Painislife: Sorry to be ignorant, but what would you consider a 'raised embouchure' to be?

Dearest Nina, Do we really need this continuous senoidal vibrato all the time?

1) So before Marion you believed in pushing out and it worked and afterwards you believe in pushing in and it also works. You see: it does not really matter in or out; and to many people pushing out feels more comfortable otherwise they would not do this. But why push at all? Is this really necessary as long as your throat is open and you are holding the breath from below and do not control it with the throat?

I play a Burkart flute, silver with platinum riser. You should tell Lillian Burkart that her flute sounds "warm, like hugging, no guard up and all trust." I am sure she would get a kick out of that!

I agree. It works better. This technic is also used in yoga.

Hey nina. I would try this but its 6:30 in the morning an d i dont think the neighbors want to hear a piccolo screeching over here =)

The diaphragm does contain muscle fiber, but it is involuntary muscle. You cannot control it or move it. It only works when you are not thinking about breathing, for instance, when you are asleep. All voluntary inspiration and expiration is facilitated by the muscles of the chest, back, and abdomen. Google "Fluoroscoopy of the Diaphragm During Trumpet Playing" for more, complete info. This is a paper discussing research done by a Medical Doctor that is very accurate.

I think it would work on clarinet. Try it and let us know.

Oh! and by the way, you look great!

I had to say: My Director says '4 Measure Phrases' and I have no problem with that, its really true. But he also supports the "Wrong" method. So I try to just hold in but often I forget. heh. Anyway, this method can help with Longer phrases.

your breathing technique is right. im still unable to understand why they ask to push the abdomen out as it is very uncomfortable situation to be in.

When I breathe in, I feel my abdominal muscles stay tight and firm and my lungs expand in 360 degrees around me. Try it and see how it feels to you.

I wish you were my band teacher

Here's a few medical facts: The diaphragm is a thin membrane containing some muscle tissue. Upon post mortem examination it is thin enough that it is translucent. It is INVOLUNTARY. It only works when you are not thinking about it (as when you are asleep). It is shaped like an upside down salad bowl. When it contracts, it flattens downward causing the lungs to be slightly expanded, drawing air in. When it relaxes, the natural elasticity of the lungs allows the air to go out.

I do not know her. I don't do yoga so I'm not sure. Perhaps I should start!

Diego: Yes it was the solo from Faun.

The lungs expand because the diaphragm contracts, lowering the air pressure in the lungs, allowing air to flow into the lungs. The diaphragm is definitely a muscle that you have control over. If you didn't, without mechanical support, you would die. That's the physics.

Hi elmobaby: my guess is that you are probably blowinbg too MUCH air at the beginning and not saving enough air for the end. The amount of air is not the same as the SPEED of air. You can blow a little bit of fast air, and save save save the air for the end of the phrase. Try it and tell me if it helps.

Try it seceretly for a week and then tell me what your result is!

search for: Arnold Jacobs breathing_1

Amazing but it works!

do you do pilates at all? the way you're talking about the muscles being situated is the same concept used by pilates instructors to teach proper posture.You want your abs to be able to support what you're doing without it "all hanging out" when you take a breath - I think that's what Marion was trying to say when you had your lesson on breathing with him. Because when you let it all hang out, you've lost your support mechanism and you won't be able to control the length of the phrase that way.

Rodier1128: probably a wise decision!

The more traditional way of breathing for wind instruments is not to PUSH the abs out, but to release them to allow space for the air to come into the lungs. This allows for a natural rebound in which the abs are then contracted as the air leaves the body. The idea of pushing the abs out to breathe is not a part of traditional teaching on the subject, in my opinion.

i like u

@pensamentoazul If the bottom of the lungs inflate, it needs to go somewhere, and as the diaphragm descends to be contracted, it pushes down all the organs of the abdominal cavity (stomach, spleen, liver ...), and as there are other things below them, they need to go elsewhere, forward, and the belly stove. You seem to be a very good flute teacher, but please do not teach physiology and anatomy incorrectly. And sorry for my pour english.

@elpapasito1986 Of course it didn't help......get a private flute teacher! NEVER LIE ON THE FLOOR WHEN PLAYING THE FLUTE, OR ANYWHERE ELSE! ALWAYS HAVE GGRREEAT POSTURE WHEN PLAYING THE FLUTE! Sorry.

but the more you do it would be a second nature, and you wouldnt even notice it taking more effort to do it

You might be the greatest flute teacher in the world, but your ideas on the anatomy and physiology of the breath are utter poppycock! The diaphragm is a muscle, and it is the principle muscle of respiration, not just a "thin membrane." Let me paralyze your diaphragm, and then we'll see how much breath you get! Maybe you got confused, because playing the flute requires active expiration, and the abdominals do play a huge role in that. But to have any breath to exhale, you need a diaphragm MUSCLE.