Does anyone know how to circular breathe on the flute.....I have been trying to learn but none of the online videos have helped and my flute teacher can't circular breathe so she's not much help. I would love to learn.

I've heard that circular breathing is extremely hard on the flute and that many people cannot do it, but here's a link... I hope it helps!

http://en.allexperts.com/q/Flute-2059/Circular-Breathing.htm

On (Flute Education Master) Mr. Trevor Wye's last flute exercise book no.6 for advanced flute student, I have finished all his 6 books by this month, and all his book no.6 (I have even finished his 4th octave C, C#, D, D#, E, F, and F# exercise on a harder C-foot-flute instead of an easier B-foot-flute) except the LAST PAGE ~ Circular Breathing!!

It's hard on flute, yes, not many people can do it properly and correctly, BUT not impossible!

You just need lots of correct practice. Go buy Trevor Wye's exercise book 6 and learn circular breathing written on the last page.

But Please do not practise on flute immediately. I have found an easy way to practise - first try to practise on Didgeridoo, it is much easier to practise circular breathing on a Didgeridoo, close to million of Didgeridoo players worldwide were able to learn circular breathing immediately, it is a required technique on Didferidoo!

But I have found that it is even easier to practise Didgeridoo circular breathing on your flute:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x2I8zOqysUM

Then, once you have mastered Didgeridoo's way of circular breathing, you can now try on flute.

I haven't mastered it yet, give me 3 to 6 months.....bye.....

....sorry EMY47, I wasn't making that video for you, I was making it for our local flute forum. What a coincidence that you have asked also about CB one day later, lol.

"Instrument Crazy" (above) has posted a link to the most complete instructions that exist on the Internet. You can also Google for other information and videos.

For a very detailed instruction manual, see Robert Dick's book:

http://www.robertdick.net/products/Circular_Breathing_For_The_Flutist-21-3.html

Travel gives a good link. I don't know a lot of flutists that have a Didgeridoo just lying around to practice circular breathing on myself. If you intend to lean circular breathing to use on the flute, then practice on the flute.

I looked at all of those links. Thanks it helped a lot. I think I have a better idea about to circular breathing but now I am having a lot of trouble with exhaling with my cheeks and not my lungs. I know I haven't been trying for more than 2 hours but it is really frustrating. Does anyone have any tips that could help me? Btw the didgeridoo idea with the flute is really cool. Good video. Thanks everyone.

emy47, don't practice immediately on flute, you will immediately fail and get frustrated and then give up for sure.

it's like you need to go to kindergarten, primary school, secondary school/high school, before go on to college/university.

first use a McDonnal's free straw and a glass of water, blow air into water with cheek squeezed while breathing with nose - this is the very first exercise Didgeridoo people do it. Once you got used to this habit,

then you practice it on Didgeridoo(easier, Chinese players usually practice on oboe or Chinese bamboo flute).

finally, practice on flute. Remember, don't be misleaded by people say 'squeezing puffed cheek', actually French flautists taught us to do it by squeezing the whole oral cavity muscle or squeeze with the root of our tongue, try it, easier this way.

While I think that circular breathing is very intriguing, I feel as though it is unnatural and makes a piece of music sound artificial in a sense. I never have bothered to try it myself, but the links sure look interesting.

Flute is an air required instrument, not just some small-air blowing instrument like oboe, but you need lots of air on flute to feed the tube - to get fuller and richer sound, otherwise, you tone will become very THIN or like sissy tone.

Average Woman has around 25% less lung capacity than average Man, this is a medical fact. (also shorter guys has less air than taller guys). If play fuller and richer sound on flute, they quickly run out of air. To compete against men, to become the next masters or famous soloists, what can they do?

Sandrine Francois is a woman, also very short, with small lungs, but she entered and graduated from the famous Lyon and then Paris Conservatorie of Music and is now an European flute soloist, she taught us to learn Circular Breathing, she said without Circular Breathing she had no chance to compete against men. Her success rely 100% on circular breathing, and if you practice well, no one will notice you were using circular beathing and your tone will still be good.

Many pieces like perpectual motion, flight of bumblebee, Debussy and (according ex-principal Paul of LSO)some other pieces of classical in solo and many in orchestra(like Mendelsohnn's) will be wonderfully played if you have circular breathing ability!!!

Also, according to Trevor Wye, that Modern Music requires circular breathing skills. It is like Modern music also require lots of flutter tonguing, 4th octaves (my teacher even played a F#4 in an orchestra!). That is why Trevor Wye added Circular Breathing in his exercise book 6, and many famous soloist and principal mentioned Circular Breathing in their masterclass nowadays!!

You don't have to try and sell it. I wasn't disagreeing with you and don't doubt that many top notch pros use it. It just isn't for for me. Nothing wrong with that. I make my own choices and opinions and do not make too much of a fuss or treat the popular pro's words as the gospel truth. As always though, I find it interesting to hear other people's take on things.

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I could definitely see how circular breathing would come in handy on flight of the bumblebee!

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There was nothing wrong or rude in Pyrioni's posts. I would hope that people would let by gones be by gones by now. No need for posting the thumbs down, is there? :)

The 'article' about women and circular breathing is interesting. Never knew that. I will get that book soon. Thanks for the help.

I just presented concerts and master classes in Thailand, Hong Kong and Taiwan and was always asked about circular breathing, this seems to be of great interest.

While it is quite the skill to master, I responded that breath is part of the music, so while I use the flute like a singer sings, there are natural pauses in music as in writing, beautiful parts of the music..so why try to play through them with circular breathing?

Yes, of course I know those pauses are important, not trying to play through them, but in many phrases of Debussy pieces, according to LSO principal it's better to play in one breath.

Also, in Dvorak's symphony no.8 1st movement, don't you think if you play the first solo part with flute and use circular breathing then you can keep that long long note beautiful and steady by using circular breathing instead of asking that thin sounded piccolo sound to help sustain that long long note?

Also in Tchaikovsky's 1812 and other symphonies many places were spoiled by breathing, that our conductor had to ask sub flute to help me to elminate the breathing pauses, so if I master the circular breathing skill then I can eliminate breathings.

Do you know why many Asians were asking you how to circular-breathe on flute in masterclasses? Because many Asians cultural musical instruments all were using circular breathing for centuries, it is a part of the required skill on Asian instruments, for example the Chinese flute are using CB from time to time, it's easier to d CB on dizi.

I completely agree with others. It sounds artificial. If these big wig flute players said you were able to get a better tone by throwing your flute up in the air over your head and doing a dance before catching it, I bet you would buy into that too. Do you have anything to say on YOUR behalf? Or just words from others? Anyone can read a book and spout out quotes.