Breathing and Air Support

For Oboe and English horn

Breathing

Regardless of sitting or standing, breathing should extend as low in the lungs as

possible. To ensure breathing is reaching low enough, look out for these warning
signs of shallow breathing:
● Shoulder movement with inhales
● Loud, gasping exhales and inhales after playing passages
● Locked torso, or little to no movement in the lower abdomen (only chest rises
and falls)
● Breath and pitch is uncontrolled at the ends of phrases
● Constant lightheadedness or feeling faint after long periods of playing

To combat these common issues, try some of the following exercises:

1. Lay on a flat surface (bed, couch, carpeted floor, etc.) or stand with your back
against a wall and place your hands over your stomach between the bottom
of the ribs and the top of the bellybutton. Breathe deeply so that your stomach
rises and falls with each inhale and exhale. (Not only is this a good breathing
 exercise, but will help to relax the body for playing as well) This breathing is
what we aim for while playing.
2. While sitting in a chair, bend over at the waist with your head resting on top of
your knees (so that your stomach touches your thighs). Inhale and exhale
slowly and deeply. You should be able to feel your stomach expand against
your legs. This breathing is what we aim for while playing. (Be sure to sit up
slowly from this exercise to avoid a head rush)
3. Using a straw (coffee stirrer is preferred, but a regular straw will work too),
inhale for 6 beats at 60bpm through the nose and exhale for as long as
possible through the straw. Challenge: see if the number of beats of exhale
can grow over time with the same or fewer beats of inhale.
4. To combat a locked torso and to encourage airflow, stand in a wide stance
mid-squat while holding the instrument. Pick a comfortable note, take a deep
inhale, and bend over, playing the note through your legs. Stand up slowly,
continuing to play the note until in a completely upright position.
5. To combat a locked abdomen, pick a comfy note and stand with feet shoulder
width apart and knees well bent. As you play the note, swivel the hips in a
circular motion while maintaining the oboe's position (head and shoulders
don’t move, but hips, knees, and torso do).

Air Support
Air support is the measure of air speed maintained by the abdominal muscles
(voluntary), lungs (voluntary), and diaphragm (involuntary). This is derived from low
in the abdominal cavity, almost as if the lungs could expand down below the belly
button and into the pelvis.

Slow Air Fast Air

(more abdominal control) (more embouchure
control)

Lauren N. Kowal – Updated 2/2023

 Same Air Support

The higher the air speed, the more support from the abdominal muscles will be
backing it and pushing air out of the lungs at a faster rate. However, the same
amount of air support is needed to control air being pushed out of the lungs slowly,
especially because there are many scenarios where fast air speed may be required
later.

Air Support should feel as if the player could play a long note and be punched in the
gut with little waiverance in pitch - almost as if they played a single vibrato. The
initial impact would be soft, but it would be clear that the abdominal muscle were
engaged enough to counteract the punch.

Back Pressure
Back pressure is caused by air escaping the lungs at a faster rate than the reed can
accommodate. This pressure builds in the face and the lungs, causing oboists to
need to exhale before inhaling again. This pressure is normal, and is intensified by
faster air speeds (more air support).

Air should not be allowed to build up in the embouchure, as it will cause air to fill in
the lips, cheeks, or escape the corners of the mouth, especially as a player’s
embouchure tires.

Lauren N. Kowal – Updated 2/2023