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Arnold Jacob's Breathing Exercises

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ArnoldJacobs'BreathingExercises
Itisveryhelpfulforbrassplayerstopracticelargevolumemovementsofairawayfromtheinstrumentandmusic.Bydoingthis,thebodylearns
the correct processes much faster. Eventually these processes will unconsciously transfer to his or her playing. Within a few weeks these
exerciseswillbegintoproduceresults,buttheymustbepracticedforsixmonthsorlongerforthemtomoveintothesubconscious.Atthatpoint
theywillreplaceoldbreathinghabits.Theplayer'sbreathinghabitswillbechangedforever.
Thebodywillbelearningnewskills.Itmustberememberedthatthegoalislargevolumemovementsofair,notlargebodymovements.While
doingtheseexercisesitishelpful,however,toexaggeratethephysicalphenomenatoensurethatthebodylearnspropermovement.Itisalso
wisetoestablishmotionindependentoftheair.Thishelpsthebodylearnfunctionandteachestheplayerthatbodymovementsalonewillnot
guaranteeproperairflow.
Whentheplayergoestohisorherinstrument,theseexercisesmustbeforgotten.Theplayermustgetintoart,notmechanics.Itwillbehelpful
totheplayertospendtwentyminutesperdaywithincreasedawarenessoffunction.During this time the player should observe that a large
breathisbeingtakenandthatitisflowingfreelyfromthebody.Intimetheseawarenessesshouldbeforgottentheywillhaveenteredthe
subconsciouslevelofthebrainandwillhavebecomeanaturalpartoftheplaying.
ExerciseNo.1
1.Filllungstothecountof5whileraisingarmsabovehead
2.Droparmsoncount5
3.Retaintheairwithanopenthroat
4.Graduallyexhale
5.Dothisexerciseinfrontofamirrorwith6repetitions
6.Afteraweek,dothisexercisein3counts
7.Afteranotherweek,dothisexercisein1count
ExerciseNo.2
1.Thisexerciseisdonewhilewalking
2.Inhalethroughthenosefor5stepsaslow,smoothinhalationoflargequantity
3.Exhalethroughthenosefor5steps
4.Afteraweek,performthesameexercisein3steps
ExerciseNo.3
1.ThisexerciseshouldnotbedoneuntilExercisesNo.1andNo.2havebeenpracticedforthreeweeks
2.Takeabreathinthirds(partialbreaths,notYogabreaths)
3.Pausebetweeneachpartialbreathandobservehowitfeels
4.Exhaleinthirds
5.Pausebetweeneachpartialexhalationandobservehowitfeels
ExerciseNo.4
1.ThisexercisemaybedoneonlyafterExerciseNo.3hasbeenmastered
2.Takein2/3'sofabreathandpause
3.Takeinlast1/3ofbreathandpause
4.Exhale2/3'sofabreathandpause
5.Exhalelast1/3ofbreath
ExerciseNo.5
1.ThisexercisemaybedoneonlyafterExerciseNo.4hasbeenmastered
2.Inhalefullyandpause
3.Exhalefully
4.Thisexercisemustbedoneforthreemonths
ExerciseNo.6
1.AfterExerciseNo.5hasbeencompleted,thisexercisemaybedone
2.Inhalefor1countcompleteinhalation
3.Exhalefor3countscompleteexhalation
ExerciseNo.7
1.ThisexercisemaybedoneonlyafterExerciseNo.6hasbeenmastered
2.Inhalefor1/2countcompleteinhalation
3.Exhalefor3and1/2countscompleteexhalation

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Arnold Jacob's Breathing Exercises

3.Exhalefor3and1/2countscompleteexhalation
ExerciseNo.8
1.ThisexercisemaybedoneonlyafterExerciseNo.6hasbeenmastered
2.RepeatExerciseNo.7withafastertempo
ExerciseNo.9
1.Thisexerciseisforthosewhoneedhelpbreathingfromthediaphragmarea
2.Puthandsonstomachwiththemiddlefingertipsonthenavel
3.Spreadfingersoverstomach
4.Pushstomachoutwithoutbreathing
5.Pullstomachinuntil"youtouchyourbackbone"
6.Repeatsteps4and5whilebreathing
7.Trytoestablisharangeofmotion
8.Dothisquiteafewtimesaday
9.Theuseofthehandsistoensurecorrectmotionsnerveimpulsesalonefromthisregioncanbemisleading
ExerciseNo.10
1.Thisexerciseistohelptheplayerlearntodevelopairpressurewithoutlargemusclecontractions
2.Inhalefully
3.Begintoexhalerapidlythroughpartiallyclosedlips
4.Continuetoblow,butblocklipswithfingerheldsideways
5.Donotchangeanythinginblowingmuscles
6."Pop"fingerawayandcontinuetoexhale
Thefollowingexercisesaredesignedtohelptheplayerlearntouselargequantitiesofairwhileremainingrelaxed:
ExerciseNo.11
1.Takealargebreath
2.Countoutloud,pausingaftereachnumberthethroatmustremainopenduringpauses
3.Useverylittleairwhilespeaking
ExerciseNo.12
1.Inhale
2.Exhaleinthemostunrelaxedmannerpossible
3.Inhale
4.Exhaleasrelaxedaspossible
5.Transferthequalityofstep4totheinstrument
ExerciseNo.13
1.Holdabookatarm'slength
2.Blowthepagesapart
ExerciseNo.14
1.Holdalitmatchatarm'slength
2.Blowitout
ExerciseNo.15
1.Imagineholdingadrinkingstrawwithabeaninsideit
2.Blowthe"bean"acrosstheroom
Anythingthatimprovesthevitalityofthebrassplayerwillimprovehisorherplayingandmentalattitude.Exercisessuchasrunning,swimming,
etc.areverygood.Itshouldberealizedthatexerciseslikethesecontributetotheplayer'sgeneralhealth,buttheydonottransferdirectlytothe
breathingskillsneededbybrassplayers.Onlyexercisesofthetypelistedabovewilldothat.Anexcellentoveralltesttodeterminethatbreathing
iscorrectandinvolveslargevolumesofairistotakethreefullbreathsinclosesuccession.Ifeverythingiscorrect,thiswillproducethefirststage
ofhyperventilation.
Ifhyperventilationisencounteredduringtheseexercises,theplayershouldbreathintosometypeofbag,recyclinghisorherownair.Thiswill
enabletheplayertocontinuepracticingthemforalongerperiodoftime.

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