Lungpower

[saxomonica]

Hi everybody! i’m constantly running out of air, and, wondering if anybody can help? D’you have a good way to build up lungpower?
Found this sandbag method, below, might be worth a swing. Hiss, hiss i shudder in relating, but in the past have been smoker…

https://yogainternational.com/article/view/sandbag-breathing-30-days-to-a-stronger-diaphragm

[john]

Yes I’ve often ran into that problem as well. worse as we get older and ignore exercise but I also remember several times in my much younger days of having to literally get off stage after a long-winded solo and hunch over for feeling out of breath.
the yoga exercise looks good. also anything that is good for burning some calories like long walks or jogging, bicycle, swimming etc.

[saxomonica]

Roger Romeo

https://www.healthline.com/health/how-to-increase-lung-capacity#rib-stretch

[saxomonica]

Thanks mate! i guess we learn by doing. So.
@saxjohnny really glad ya got back on stage and still lived to later present your insightful, breezy, lessons and kept the house a rockin’. “Go hard or go home”.
Howz about cyclic breathing ie playing the didgeredo thangymejig .. i saw this exercise on how to do it on line where you constrict your throat right at the back and then suck in a big mouthfull of air from your nose as one is playing. Do you reckon such technique is worth learning? Or not enough input to pump the reed? Thoughts?
Wow there is a lot of mouth muscle involved saxing it up, i notice you have these lines from your nose down to your mouth when playing on the lesson vids and also see it on a coupla other heavy hitter saxophonists who can sure belt it out too. I like how you’ve taught us all to stick the bottom lip out, that is rather than suck it in as i learnt when first starting – as the tone is a lot fatter and ya can control the reed heaps more. Feels good.

Aha – to achieve on must heap up small things?
Cheers

[Anonymous]

Hi Mark, two things I did to improve my blowing strength and capacity is :-
1) To lie down and do 20 sit-ups every day, to strengthen the abdominal muscles.
2) I bought a packet of large balloons and blow one up 5-10 times each day.
The back pressure and resistance of the balloon works great for this exercise.

I also use a small stress ball and squeeze it in my hand whilst watching TV, to strengthen my fingers.

Keeping fit it essential, a brisk 20 minute walk with the dog every day will take care of that.

[Anonymous]

I find if i’m out of breath at the end of a song, it’s from spending too much time sitting on the couch and lack of physical exercise.

I also find if i’m out of breath part way through a song, then that’s down to me not grabbing a new breath at the correct place in the song.

So there can be two reasons for running out of breath.

But i do remember when i first started out, i couldn’t hold a note for a count of four, now i can sometimes play 8 bars on one breath, so overtime, somethings do improve. But any sort of exercise that gets you puffing and panting like a sweaty pig does help,

[saxomonica]

Whoo Hoo 🙂 Thanking you most kindly for the milk of human kindness [not watered down], youse blokes are the best!!
Shine on @saxjohmnny, @jeff + @sxpoet coz soon enough i’ll be able to huff and puff and blow the place down ..
Happy days

[Anonymous]

one of the advantages of playing the sax – before i took up sax playing i used to snore like pig with a pneumatc drill, but after taking up the sax, it tightened up everything inside the mouth and reduced the decibels dramatically.

Also i found if i suffer from excess flatulance, trapped wind (GAS), after a couple of minutes sax playing, the huffing and puffing on the sax is the perfect way to unblock the back passages.

[Anonymous]

Hi Saxo, Rock and Rodents hamming it up. Yes sxpoet, playing the sax is a gas – LOL

Floyd’s advice

This little piggy … went to Battersea power station.

[saxomonica]

Hiya fellas!
Sings Jimmy Reed, Bright Lights, Big City.
Wild @saxpoet that is amazing mate hey i got sleep apnea had machine about 6 yrs now, theory is as we age that we get fatter and fat collects in the throat, when we fall asleep the fat collapses in throat and as such blocks breathing. Remedy is akin to a stint in the heart where air is forced down throat to hold it open for no gasping and chokin’ and chainsaw buzzing!! dB run thru the parametric equalizer, its a gas jumping jack flash no more toothless bearded jaded and splintered blues …
howz about i try sleepin with me sax 2nite??

Nice air @Jeff received with thanks, it’s fun makin’ bacon all the while i gotta rubber chicken for ya, “explanations become excuses”.

https://www.ressleep.com.au/sleep-apnea/

[Author]

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