Respiração Circular

Fill your mouth with water, really full so your cheeks are
distended

Breathe in and out a few times through your nose

Now, without stopping the nose breathing, purse your lips and
try to squirt the water out in a long thin stream as if you are
blowing a raspberry.

I have suggested you use a thin jet of water, that’s because (a) you can actually see and
feel it and (b) circular breathing is easier when there is more resistance so the thinner
the jet the better (hence theraspberry technique, which seems to be the easiest way to
grasp the concept of resistance).

Stage 2 - Applying circular breathing to the saxophone

Once you can do this with water you have grasped the main concept physically and you
should be able to transfer the technique to breathing in via your nose while blowing air
from your cheeks into the saxophone. The trickiest bit is keeping your cheeks filled up
with air from your lungs, that’s why the resistance from the saxophone is important. It is
easiest to do while playing a single note in the upper register, don't expect the note to be
too steady at first.

Puff your cheeks out and blow the saxophone

Touch the roof of your mouth with the back part of your
tongue to seal the mouth from the throat
Inhale through your nose, concentrating on sustaining the
note with the reservoir of air oin your cheeks
Remove the tongue to refill the cheeks from your lungs, still
concentrating on the sustained note

Don’t expect it to work straight away, but if you focus on what you are doing and
practice in short but concentrated sessions, it will come sooner than you think. Most
people find it is much easier at the top end of the range on the higher pitched
instruments, so it may be best to start off on soprano or alto. It can be very difficult on
 Respiração Circular
baritone and I find it practically impossible on flute due to the lack of resistance to the
airflow.

Once you can do a very basic circular breathing you just need to keep at it to improve
the stability of your saxophone embouchure. Sooner or later you will be able to play
phrases while circular breathing - amaze your friends and family.