Circular Breathing Lesson for Flute (with Melissa Keeling)

Melissa Keeling gives a lesson on Circular Breathing.
Recommended method book: Robert Dick's "Circular Breathing for the Flute."
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[@melissakeeling]

Dear Sofie, knowing whether the throat is blocked a really common issue for people learning to circular breathe! I have two things for you to try: first, put some water in your mouth and hold it there (don't swallow). Tilt your head back, blocking your throat so the water doesn't go down. Now, breathe through your nose. If you are doing this, then you are blocking your throat; try to imitate that sensation without the water and you've got it. To practice squeezing the cheeks, hold your nose and squirt the water out of your mouth. Here's the second idea: have you tried the exercise circular breathing using a straw in a glass of water? This is a little easier than circular breathing on the flute because there is some resistance (the water) to your air. Try it: get a glass of water and a straw. Blow air through the straw to make bubbles, and slowly fill up your cheeks with extra air. Then, block your throat/quickly inhale (sniff)/squeeze your cheeks, then unblock throat/blow normally. Try to keep the bubbles going all the way through (if you are, then you are blocking the throat correctly). I hope this helps!

[@wyattwahlgren8883]

I seriously didn't know that circular breathing for the flute was even a thing! I learned how to do it my freshman year, but that was for trombone and brass in general. Now, I am learning the flute, and if I try to circular breathe, it isn't focused enough. Any tips on how to focus the air into the embouchure hole while circular breathing?

[@melissakeeling]

If you know how to do it on a brass instrument, you can definitely do it on flute. You're right, the lack of resistance on the flute (as opposed to a brass instrument or reed instrument) makes it more difficult. Here's how I do it: after I build up a pocket of air in my cheeks, I VERY quickly squeeze the cheeks in (expelling the air into the flute) while sniffing air in through my nose. I don't get much air at once, so usually I take several "circular breaths" in a row. It took me a month of practicing the technique (about 5-10 mins per day) until I got the hang of it. Keep at it, and you'll get it! Just a matter of time!

[@derrickmma]

I always lose my embrochure

[@SuryanIsaac]

same here. i can circular breathe properly but i cant make a sound while on the flute

[@bongoh8281]

오휘ㅔ

[@Sk0lzky]

Same here lol, saxophone or duduk is ez mode despite requiring higher pressure, flute just won't work

[@Todomo]

i really wanna learn how to do this since my lung capacity sucks and i can barely even hold a whole note without having to stagger breath with the other flutes (i’m in highschool been playing for 4 years) 😪

[@vanillagarcia8633]

I can circular breathe, but the only problem is putting it through the flute.......can I get any tips on how to continue circular breathing while playing the instrument?

[@melissakeeling]

You really only have a split second to breathe in -- a short sniff, while squeezing the cheeks. I recommend practicing this for 5 minutes a day, after about a month you will get the hang of it.

[@yummyjackalmeat]

Probably one of the hardest instruments to do circular breathing with. Little to no back pressure from the instrument.

[@melissakeeling]

good point!

[@karebear2845]

Me: Needs to circular breath for audition tomorrow Her: practice for about ten minutes every day and your get it after a month or so Me: -___-

[@kynigosthewolf4573]

Hello. The problem that I have with this is that I can't even get enough air pressure when using to the air from my cheeks to get the flute to make a voice, much less one consistent with my normal breathing. Any tips ?

[@melissakeeling]

This is the hardest part of circular breathing. For me, I squeeze the cheeks fairly strongly, so that the airstream is sufficient enough to support the sound. Try circular breathing on a note in the upper register first. When I was learning to do this, all I played was a high D (just above the staff) for weeks. It's challenging, but worth it! Keep with it, it will come. :)

[@pamiacco613]

This is the best explanation that I have heard! Thank you!

[@melissakeeling]

Glad it was helpful!

[@ilubfandaexpress141]

I CAN DO IT WITHH the straw and thing but for some reason I can’t do it on my actual flute 😭😭

[@ph-jx4bd]

•withered flower• same. I cant do it on my sax either

[@oliversubramaniam3910]

iLubFandaExpress me too I’m sad

[@acapellaseto]

iLubFandaExpress it’s been 2 years did you perfected it yet?

[@melissakeeling]

To everyone practicing circular breathing - it will take at least a month of daily practice (!!) before you start to see results. :) Don't give up! It will come with time. Feel free to ask questions here, and I'll do my best to answer.

[@didgeridooberlin]

Dear Melissa. I am not a flute player, but a professional Circular Breather as a didge player. I think it´s getting easier to hold the embrochure if one focusses on a tongue push instead of a cheek move. Also your cheeks almost don´t move, or move after breath, but I see your tongue does (its attached to the larynx, and that moves;-)

[@starcraftskygod8675]

The only problem, I stop blowing when I take a quick breath

[@melissakeeling]

Yes - it's physically impossible to breathe in and out at the same time :). When you breathe in, you need to squeeze out the air stored in your cheeks (don't blow out - use your cheek muscles to push out the air). To practice, try just puffing out your cheeks (use tongue to block throat) and push air out - try to extend the length of time you can sustain a note using only air stored in your cheeks. Good luck!! Thanks for watching!

[@loveTTforever]

I just can't push the air out of my cheeks. I'm not sure whether I actually block the throat or if I do something wrong. Do you have any advice to practicing squeezing out the air?

[@jasperberry191]

Gosh its so difficult for me. Maybe I'll get it though. Someday.

[@northernhoopa04]

Alex Berry did you get it?

[@yuyumiso]

i should’ve tried to do this before region-i’m playing this piece in two and a half weeks at region that’s in entirely sixteenth notes and there’s almost no place for a breath until the end of the third line, and i can’t even take a breath in it or i’ll be thrown off tempo-maybe if i just work hard i’ll get to be able to circular breathe better 😪

[@melissakeeling]

I know this is a little bit late... and hope your audition went well! I'm not sure what piece you're working on, but you can always sneak a breath in somewhere, especially if it's a solo. Adjust the phrasing so the breath doesn't interrupt the flow. But learning circular breathing is a really powerful and useful skill, totally worth it!

[@Chloe..F]

I can circular breathe, but it messes up my embouchure. Any tips to fix it while circular breathing?

[@melissakeeling]

Keep your lips firm while you're breathing in/out

[@sepsax]

Thank you very much Melissa for this great video, with your detailed lesson I was able to perform some clumsy circular breathing on the first day already! However what's difficult for me is to keep the air pressure continuous and also to play the flute with the chipmunk mouth - it's very difficult to make a sound this way. Feels almost like learning to play flute from scratch. Needs some practice I believe. Thanks again and keep up the great work! PS: The only flaw in your video - the painting behind you is askew! (-;

[@melissakeeling]

Thanks for watching, Jan! Sounds like you are on the right track, just keep working at it and it will get better. Just five minutes per day is enough. :)

[@RS-gm1qb]

Great great, Thank you! I have been wanting to learn this for ages! Ok, on my first 5 mins, I get to blow out from my cheeks. And to breathe in from my nose while blocking on the back with the tongue. The closest I have been to achieve it... it happened 3 or 4 times.. i am able to breathe in, but i breathe in too less, so i get too less oxygen, and the air i have inside my cheeks goes out all at once, instead of slowly, therefore there is a gap :/ edit: i did it with a glass full of water and a straw.

[@melissakeeling]

Hi, Hope! Try getting a mouthful of water and holding it in your cheeks. Then breathe in and out normally through your nose. This is the sensation you will have when circular breathing on the flute. Perhaps you are moving the tongue up too late? The tongue should already be raised when you inhale; the tongue is sealing off your mouth from your lungs, so there should be no snorting. :) Happy practicing, and good luck!!!

[@hopeherpaderp5786]

Hi Melissa, I have an issue with circular breathing. Whenever I try to move my tongue up and breathe in at the same time, I end up snorting instead of taking a breath. EDIT: I practiced a little bit more, and this happens less. But now I'm having trouble with step 4.When I try to sigh out and breathe in at the same time, I have to stop sighing out to take a breath. Any tips? Thanks :)

[@OrangeCitrusFizz]

I can do the first steps no problem, but I am having alot of trouble actually getting a sound out of my flute when i squeeZe the air out of my cheeks... Am I doing something wrong? Or do I just have to practice?

[@melissakeeling]

@javhimura Thanks for watching! The embouchre should essentially stay the same; if it's changing a lot trying thinking about keeping the air in the lower back part of the cheeks while the area around your mouth doesn't puff out at all. If you're getting a gap in the sound, your tongue motion is not perfectly coordinated with te blowing and cheek-squeezing cycle. Keep practicing! Best wishes.

[@destinasarussi6430]

great video! i need to work on actually doing it on the flute. any exercises for doing so?

[@matthewd3175]

I need to learn this for piccolo

[@hopeherpaderp5786]

Hi Melissa, I have an issue with combining steps 1 and 2. Whenever I try to move my tongue up and breathe in at the same time, I end up snorting instead of taking a breath. Any tips? Thanks :)

[@typingfreak1]

I keep breathing in with my mouth instead of my nose!

[@jacquelinedamian2423]

Practice?

[@javhimura]

Hey Melissa great vid love it : D but i have an issue when im playing i can;t get to store the air in my cheeks without altering my embrochure, i still blow air but the sound stops how can i fix this Thanks! : )

[@uh_man_duh_kay]

I can circular breathe while drinking water haha and I'm so close to getting it on the flute. I don't really think about it I just make it happen I don't know haha but I wish I could do this. I'll keep working on it.

[@privatezeron]

I almost passed out the first time. XD

[@Willowfire26]

what I would like to know is why would I need to learn this technique? I'm a novice and I haven't heard of this interesting technique before.

[@melissakeeling]

Thank you for watching! Circular breathing is a very old technique, used by flutists and other instrumentalists all over the world. It allows you to play for longer periods of time without stopping to take a breath. This is useful for all types of music, such as to extend the length of phrasing in orchestral excerpts or to play extended passages in contemporary music. Definitely worth learning!

[@Willowfire26]

Thanks for sharing. I learned something new to improve!

[@2corto]

well, i'm also not that experienced yet, and i've been confronted to it in a caprice i'm working on where there are no spaces for me to pause and breathe "normally", which, i think is the main reason why you'd need this technique

[@TT-pe1dp]

When I take a breathe with my nose I'm also taking one with my mouth which makes me lose all the air i store in mt cheeks!! How do I stop this??

[@jondishmonmusicandstuff2753]

No way. I'm just not built for that. It's like torture.... Yikes. It's like drowning or something. hahaha I thought playing the piano with two hands and a foot at different times was crazy. There are just some things and ole dog cannot be taught. Next thing I know I will have passed out on the floor impaling myself onto my Haynes. hahahahah Not that serious but I enjoyed your explanation. hahahaha

[@sillygirlcentral]

I’ve been trying to do this for a month and I can’t even do it 😭

[@melissakeeling]

It takes time, so keep it up! :) I'd recommend Robert Dick's book on circular breathing if you want to read more. Good luck!

[@katsmith7185]

This is amazing c:

[@flutesoccerhappiness]

@hugetrees1331 I win! Been playing flute for just over a year and in 7th grade!!!! I neeeeeeeeed to learn to circular breath!!!!! But I'm afraid holding air in my cheeks will mess up my embechoure. Also I'm getting braces/a jaw expander soon and I'm worried about my flute playing.

[@baslawyer2]

I turned blue!

[@RenaldoRamai]

wow

[@whenlionsfly]

nope confused XD how dya mean lift the back of your tongue up. do you mean lift the back up but keep the front down or just lift your tongue up. also is it possible for your tongue to be too wide for your mouth/teeth ?? =]

[@shrillz]

great explanation. the concept is just difficult in itself. but ill keep trying =)

[@midnightsantaful]

THANKS!!!

[@helpsavethehumans]

I don't understand this because I feel like my tongue naturally sits on the roof of my mouth on my soft palate while I'm playing, so the idea that I could raise it any higher doesn't make sense to me. The path to my throat is already always cut off while I'm playing.

[@2corto]

i think she means more to the back of your mouth than the top, check her top comment, it kind of sums up that part of the technique

[@annikakenn]

My braces mean I have to lower my embrochure so I can’t fill my cheeks like how you’re doing it :(

[@victoreo5816]

WHAT!! HOW??

[@karina16640]

Cool Video

[@cierraheath8981]

well its hard for me to do the circular breathing im in beginner band on flute and embouchure

[@karina16640]

Is it hard to circular breathe by the way

[@melissakeeling]

Not hard once you get the hang of it!

[@steve1x3x]

You can learn how to do THAT first on didgeridoo. It's easier. The air velocity is perhaps a little lower on didgeridoo than flute. When you master THAT, try flute. In some parts of the world, flute with circular breathing is routine, for example, the kaval in Turkey.

[@PrinceSwaggy]

This is super human

[@jimmynguyen8213]

I learned it I 1 day :D

[@dawnarosanna]

Can't do any of this....?!!!!!

[@paitachP]

HHHHHHHH ...i forget to Breathing.

[@slurplesAlice]

i cant do a single 1 of these steps lol

[@ryoncow8057]

game technology you are very pretty but more beautiful is your face level....

[@hopeherpaderp5786]

Hi Melissa, I have an issue with combining steps 1 and 2. Whenever I try to move my tongue up and breath in at the same time, I end up snorting instead of taking a breath. Any tips? Thanks :)