This video was sent to me by one of our wonderful readers and I had to share it with you because of the segment on circular breathing (4:30). There may come a time in a performance when the phrase is longer than your air supply and having the ability to circular breath will get you through this situation.
I have used this technique several times when doing long, slow brass choir numbers as well as some jazz situations. Even though it is a trick, it can be very useful.
The first time I saw this technique used in a live situation was at Augustana College in Rock Island, Illinois when I was lucky enough to see Duke and the Duke Ellington Orchestra perform. His jazz tenor player sustained a single note for at least three minutes as the other players swung behind him. In that situation it was a show biz trick but if you ever start to run out of air in the middle of a phrase, this technique could make you an instant star.
