Welcome to DK's Tips and Tricks! I'm DK, one of the instructors at Melody Mart, as well as the head band and orchestra guy for the store. One of my standout qualities is my proficiency in playing around 13 instruments, with expertise in providing private instruction for 11 of them. You'll often hear myself or others affectionately label me as a "band nerd," and that truly encapsulates who I am. Over the past 15 years, I've accumulated a wealth of knowledge through formal education and extensive performance experience across multiple instruments. Instead of keeping all this knowledge to myself or randomly mentioning it in my lessons, I've created this corner of the internet dedicated to sharing interesting facts about woodwinds, brass, and string instruments.
So, welcome to DK's Tips and Tricks—a space where you can discover something new about your instrument!
Breathing should be natural
Breathing should be low and natural, such as yawning.
Avoid tightening your throat when you exhale. Avoid blowing out air too quickly.
Breathing is a 3 step process, involving inhalation, suspension and exhalation.
Suspension is the process for holding your breath before fully releasing it.
Without suspension, you can experience dizziness and your tone could be breathy/sharp.
Musicians should Exercise
Swimming is very helpful for breathing.
Exercise is a great way to help increase lung capacity, and can also improve your tone.
Taking big breaths, even when you don't need them, are essential to developing good breath support.
Posture is everything
Good posture is essential to getting the full use of your air.
Want a better tone?
Breathing is directly related to tone, sound and intonation.