is it normal to hyperventilate when playing? I have been playing since 5th grade now it is the end of 9th grade and i still hyperventilate often. i was tolld that i should have gotten over that by now. i would be glad to hear any comments ou have thanks

why would you be hyperventilating while playing? it seems to me that your problem sounds like too many unnecesary breaths within a piece of music. my suggestion: long tones on a comfortable middle note (such as middle D) and play that note until you have no more air to push out. make sure you stand with your back COMFORTABLY straight (too often so i see people act like theyre riding a posting trot while playing) and when you start you run out of air, think long and straight with your torso. my first flute teacher told me to think of your head on a string held up to the ceiling and when you start to run out of air, think of the string being pulled up.

also, think of how youre breathing. many times one is able to observe breathing that pushes the shoulders up and down to an extreme extent. thats shallow breathing and does not maximize your air potential. id recommend trying to breathe from a lower point and act as if youre filling a glass, bottom up. also, to maximize your breath potential, try athletics. they build up your endurance and your lung capacity a great deal. running is a great way.

thank you for your suggestion, but have tried these thinkgs but on a flat not a d lol. i am also not sure if it is hyperventilation. all kow is that some times wh i play i get very ligt headed dizzy and sometimes shakey

do you take very deep breaths or are they fairly shallow?

i think i take deep ones and i try but i guess when i am playing i could be taking shallow ons and not knowing it

Have you been checked for asthma?

no i have not do u think that i should?

i would, especially if youre taking extremely deep breaths. until then, try to breathe comfortably and dont worry so much about playing 8 measures without a breath. whoever said that a band student sound play 32 beats without a breath should be shot. breathing can be as much a part of the music as the notes are.

sounds to me like you are overblowing with an un-focused embouchure, but you should have yourself checked out for medical problems as well...

Unless you are physically fit, extra demands on your breathing equipment may not come easily.

Speaking from personal experience, because of a medical condition I had gained a lot of weight over the past five years and it has added to my breathing problems a lot! Since diagnosing me with a disease and getting me on the correct medication, I have lost 25 pounds in the first month alone and I have notice a very big difference now when playing the flute. Do get yourself checked for asthma, it can be very dangerous if you do have it and do not get it treated.

iam not perfectly fitt but it is not so bad that it would ake a diffrence i do not think i could see if i as very out of shape though..

i'd suggest checking for asthma or any other lung disease.i have a few breathing problems too but i don't hyperventilate. That is not normal for flautists or non flautist either. it may be a sever problem that you really need checked out. now i do tend to hyperventilate when i'm excited but that's about it. i'm thinking i have asthma myself because i'm short of breath almost all the time. yours seems alot more sever. i really suggest going to a doctor. of coarse i am only 14 years old goin on 15 but i think you should really consider my advice.

hope i helped,
courtney

First off, I should say that I do not play flute very well, but I do have experience with a wide range of instruments.

There are two things that come to mind whenever I hear of someone hyperventilating while playing an instrument. The first is tonging, but since you have been playing for a while I am fairly certain that this is not the problem. The other thing, and I have seen this happen several times, is when a musician will take breaths when they are not needed and do not expel all of the air out of the lungs. This results in "dead air" - or already used air - remaining in the lungs while only a bit of fresh air comes in. Make sure that you either wait until most of the air in your lungs is expelled before taking a breath or that you exhale a bit before breathing in.

Also, long tones can help increase the amount of time you can hold air in for.

Lastly, I would suggest (as it has been above) that you get checked for asthma if nothing else works.

thanks getting checked for asthma is not really somthing that i have been thinking about gtting cheked my self for a long time now.. i gues i will hve to.

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oops i ment that it is not somethng that i wanted to do. but i have been thinking about it