Exercise No.9 ‘This exercise is for those who need help breathing from the diaphragm area Puthands on stomach with the mile fingertips onthe nav) ‘Spread fingers over stomach Push stomach out without breathing Pall stomach in wt “you touch your backbone” Repeat steps 4 and $ while breaing “Ty to catablish a range of motion Da this quite few times a day 9. The use of the hands isto ensue correct motions Exercise No. 10 1. This exercise i to help the player lear to develop air pressure without large musele contractions 2 Inhale fully 3. Begin to exhale rapidly through partially closed tips ‘4 Continue to blow, but block ip with finger held sidowss 5. Do not change anything in blowing muscles 6. "Pop" finger away and contin 1 exhale ‘The following exereses are designed to help the player learn o use large quanti of ir while remaining relaxed Exercise No. 11 1, Take targe besth 2 Count outloud, pausing after cach number OO the throat mast remain open during pauses 3. Use very ltl ar while speaking Exercise No. 12 1, Inhale 2. Exhale in the most unvelaxed manner possible 3. Inhale 4. Eshale ae relaxed as possible '. Transfer the quality of sep 4 tothe instrument Exercise No, 13 1. Hold a book at arm's length 2. Blow the pages apart Exercise No. 14 1. Hold lit match tars length 2. Blow itout Exercise No. 15 1. Imagine holding a drinking straw with bean inside it 2. Blow the “bean” across the oom‘This routine comes from a student of Sam Pilafin, the great tuba player and teacher at Arizona State ‘Start with some simple stretches, particularly focusing on your upper body and maybe your neck. Any ‘simple set of yoga stretches will be good. Then set a metronome at 60 and do the following series of 1. One Beat In, One Beat Out Move air across your lip - dont worry about where the air is going inside your body - forthe entire duration of the beat, without pausing at ether end. Strive for an open "HO" sound in both directions. Do this at least eight times, or until you stat to feel dizzy the dizziness will go away afte a few days). 2. The Dozen Sips Take a dozen lite sips of air, either to triplets or 16ths, and then let the air fll out of your body over the next four beats. Repeat 3-5 times (or whatever feels good to you). This exercise isto explore your total capacity in ¢ relaxed manner. 3. Six In, Six Out Like the first exercise, only over a longer period of time. Move air across your lips for the entire duration without a pause atthe top or bottom - easier said than done. If it doesn't happen the frst couple of times, dont worry, just keep doing the exercise For this one, use the following visualization: start with your arms down at your sides. Slowly lift them as you inhale, imagining filling up the circle your arms are describing and measuring the flow so that beat ‘three occurs when your arms are parallel tothe floor ~at this point you are haf fll of ar. At count six they are over your head and you can start your way down, with half empty at count three again, Repeat three times, 4. Three In, Six Out ‘This one is differen, Inhale for three bests, sucking in your hand ftom your side. Then, over the next six ‘beats, let the ar fall out of your body. Don't measure oF control the flow, just let gravity do the work. And when gravity is done and you would have to push to get more air out, stop and rest forthe remainder ofthe six beats, You might stop at beat two or three - that's fine, Leave your hand in front of your mouth forthe exhale, and you will fel the airflow. If't’s bumpy, your sound will be bumpy - it’s a cool steady stream, +0 will your sound be. But dont try to contol it. Ths is just feedback, Keep repeating the exercise, focusing on the sensation of air moving across your lips, and the motion will become more relaxed, To promote a relaxed exhale, it can actually be very effective to introduce a tension- and-release action into this exercise, o try a variation where you create resistance atthe lips during the inhale (purse them together and suck air through the tiny opening) and then let the ar fallout just as before 5. Three Out, One In ‘This isthe most like most of the playing we do, Imagine a 4/4 bar with a rest on the fourth beat, Take a big ‘beath on the rest, and then completely empty your lungs over the next three beats. Repeat several times, Use a dynamic visualization that gets you thinking beyond your body.‘These excereises were taken from a student of Amold Jacobs. He was one of the most infuential tuba players and brass teachers ofthe past century. He played withthe Chicago Symphony for many years and had... get this... ONE LUNG, Exercise No.1 Fill lang othe count ofS while raising arms above head Drop arms on count 5 Retain the air with an open oat Gradually exhale Do this exercise in front of a mirror with 6 repetitions ‘After a week, do this exercise in 3 counts ‘After another week, do this exercise in| count Exercise No.2 1. This exercise is done while walking 2, Inhale Hough the nose fr 5 steps ~ a slow, smooth inhalation of large quantity 3. Exhale through the nose for 5 sep 4 Aflera week, perform the same exerise in 3 steps Exercise No.3 1. Do not use this until Exercises No. | and No, 2 have been practiced for tree weeks 2. Take a breath in thirds (partial breaths, not Yowa breaths) 3. Pause betwoen each partial breath and observe how i eee 44 Exhale in dhirds 5. Pause between each paialexhslation and observe how it feels Exercise No.4 1. This exercise may be done only afer Exercise No.3 has been mastzred 2. Take in 2/¥'s of a breath and pause 3. Take in las 1/3 of breath and pause 4 Exhale 23's ofa breath and pause 5. Exhale ast 1/3 of breath Exercise No.5 1. This exereise may be dane only after Exercise No.4 has been mastered 2 Inhale fly and pause 3. Exhale fully 4. This exercise must be done for three months Exercise No.6 |. After Exercise No. $ has been completed, this exercise may be done 2. Inhale for I count ~ complete inhalation 5. Exhale for 3 counts ~ complete exhalation Exercise No.7 I. This exercise may be done only after Exercise No. 6 has been mastered 2. Inhale for 1/2 count ~ complete inhalation 3. Exhale for 3 and 1/2 counts ~ complet exhalation Exercise No.8 1, This excreise may be done only after Exercise No. 6 has been mastered 2 Repeat Exercise No. 7 witha faster tempo