The correct breathing method is very important for playing wind music. Chinese folk wind music attaches great importance to the use of "qi". Only when the breath is used properly can it be played freely for a long time. Otherwise, you will feel tired after playing for a while and may have chest tightness. The phenomenon of shortness of breath, for a long time, is not good for the body, so it is very important to master the correct breathing method.

Breathing methods can be divided into three types, generally using the chest-abdominal combined breathing method.

chest breathing

The breath is completely controlled by the chest. After the breath is inhaled into the lungs, it is squeezed outward from the chest. In this way, the inhalation volume cannot reach the maximum value, the airflow is unstable, the breath cannot be sustained, and the body is easily fatigued. This method is not easy to control. Breathing is also detrimental to health, so the chest breathing method is generally not recommended.

abdominal breathing method

When inhaling, sink the diaphragm and expand the abdomen and waist as much as possible. When exhaling, the dantian must hold the energy and blow out the air evenly bit by bit. After repeated practice, this breathing method can be mastered. Abdominal breathing can effectively control the air flow, blow out the air evenly, and also strengthen or weaken the air flow intensity according to the needs of the music, making the intensity change and abdominal vibrato effect, which is a correct breathing method.

Combined thoracic and abdominal breathing

When inhaling, the chest, ribs, abdomen, and waist expand outward at the same time to maximize the inhalation of air, so that the amount of air inhaled by the lungs is larger than the previous two methods.
When using chest and abdominal breathing. When the entire respiratory muscles work together, the load on the respiratory muscles is very evenly distributed, so that the respiratory muscles are not prone to fatigue.
To sum up, beginners should first learn abdominal breathing, and then add chest expansion movements when they are proficient, which is chest-abdominal combined breathing.
When practicing, first slowly inhale the air through the nose, and then you can experience the natural expansion of the abdomen and the feeling of the waist expanding outward. Use the mouth to inhale without changing the action of the abdomen and waist, so that you have mastered the correct inhalation method of abdominal breathing. When playing, the abdomen gradually shrinks with the exhalation of qi, but the dantian must be tense, and the feeling of pulling outward is found. This is control.