The Secret of
Non-Stop Bozza

   It is difficult to learn circular breathing with one's instrument. Success if more evident after progressing through the following levels:

1. Fill your cheeks with water, then squirt a stream of water out of your mouth.
   This simulates the muscle motion of circular breathing.
2. While holding water in the cheeks, breathe in and out.
3. While breathing in with water in the cheeks, squirt a stream of water out of your mouth.
   Now, the same thing, but with air.
4. Fill your cheeks with air. Then using your index fingers, squeeze your cheeks together while allowing a little stream of air to escape through your pursed lips.
5. Now do the same thing, but use your cheek muscles rather than your fingers to push out the air.
6. While holding air in your cheeks, get used breathing in and out (as normal).
7. On an "in" breath, use your fingers to push the stored air out of your cheeks.
8. Now do the same thing, only using your cheek muscles to squeeze out the air.
   This is the basic motion for circular breathing.
   Here comes the tricky part
9. Once you have finished breathing in, but before the air in your cheeks run out, restart the airstream generated from the lungs. When this is blended with the last of the cheek air, the airstream will remain unbroken.

   The difficulty in this last srep lies in the careful blending of the two airstreams. If there is a gap between the end of the cheek air and the beginning of the lung air, a break will occur. Also, if the air from the lungs is introduced too violently to the cheek airstream, a "click" will occur due to a brief interruption of the airstream. The "click" is an aspect of circular breathing that can be most frusterating. But, perservere, for careful practicing of long tones will eliminate this annoyance.

   Like every aspect of performance, the musician must be sure to use judgement when applying the use of circular breathing. There are pieces, such as Darius Milhaud's Scaramouche and Eugene Bozza's Caprice in which this technique is quite helpful and musical. In fact one can recompose notes in the rests in Caprice and play the entire piece without a pause, which is impressive when performed effectively. However, there are also times when circular breathing can negatively affect a performance and can detract from the enjoyment of the audience and musician alike. But, party trick or audition winner, it is a skill that will become more and more useful in the performance of the modern saxophone in coming years. Good luck!