The Secret of
Non-Stop Bozza

   We have all faced the problem of running out of breath during long, involved passages where breathing would disrupt the musical line. The standard options are to play faster, use less air, or just try and gut it out. All of these compromise both the integrity of the music as well as the performer's credibility. So what is the solution?

   One answer is to circular breathe. Circular Breathing is an ancient technique originally used on cultural instruments such as the Bulgarian kuval or the end-blown flutes of the Indian province Rajasthan. However, no one can say for sure when or where it was developed initially. Now, it has spread to virtually every instrument in our modern ensembles. It is used by everyone from high school musicians to world-famous performers in both the jazz and classical idioms. Clark Terry, Lenny Pickett, and Charles Niedick all use this technique extensively in their playing.

    The principle of circular breathing is simple in theory yet can be perplexing in practice. First, the cheeks are filled with air while playing (a habit which we have been taught to abandon). Then, one breathes in through the nose while using stored air (cheek air) to play the instrument, propelling it with the cheek muscles. The air that is taken in through the nose refills the lungs so that once again the performer can play normally. It is this air that is then incorporated into the cheek air to maintain an unbroken sound. When the cheek air is used up and the performer is again breathing with the diaphragm, the circle is complete.

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