Posted by Adam Peck on January 27, 2001 at 19:00:14:
In Reply to: Breathing... posted by Matt A. on January 25, 2001 at 09:42:57:
Deliberately try to keep your shoulders from rising when you take a big breath. Take your hands and rest them on either side of your waist. Relax and take a big breath....you should feel your stomach muscles expanding. Keep reminding yourself not to constrict your chest when breathing in. You can achieve the same thing by lying on the floor and breathing. You will notice that your stomach will expand a lot in this position. Those of us who were not taught to breathe correctly by our music teachers at an early age sometimes find it difficult to do it smoothly when playing but almost everyone can learn. Just don't let those shoulders raise up when breathing in. Watch someone close to you breathe when their asleep sometime...their stomach will rise and fall, and their chest a little, but nothing else. Let yourself do what is natural. My 2 cents.