Plan better breaths in clarinet music

Breathing – it’s something we do naturally our entire lives…until we pick up a clarinet!

Of course, breathing is essential for living (obviously), and it’s also an important tool for musical phrasing and interpretation.

That being said, clarinetists and wind players in general sometimes face challenges when deciding the best moments to take a breath. Ideally, a breath shouldn’t interrupt the phrase or ruin a nice musical moment.

If you’re not sure where to take a breath, here are my suggestions:

• Rests. These are an obvious choice for breathing. Just make sure that you don’t get in the habit of taking a breath every time you see a rest, otherwise you can get lunglocked!
• Tied notes. You can leave out the tied note to sneak in a quick breath.
• Changes in contour or pattern. When there is a break in the pattern, this is a good opportunity to breathe.

Places to avoid taking a breath:

• At the height of a phrase or moments where you want to add musical tension.
• During moving lines or technical passages. This will interrupt the flow of the notes.
• Between measures. This one depends on the piece of music and the phrasing, but generally breathing between measures should be avoided.

As always, these are general guidelines, and you should always rely on your ears to know your best options for breathing. Does it sound good? Does it enhance or detract from the phrase?

Finally, not all breathing spots can be perfect. It’s always a good idea to plan your breathing spots, but sometimes you’ve just gotta take another breath wherever you can! That’s ok – you’re only human, and breathing is essential :)