Circular Breathing & Its Application

The following text is an extract from "The Australian Aboriginal Didgeridoo: A Complete Guide"  If you would like to be emailed information about order a copy of this booklet, please click on the icon which appears at the end of this text.

The first and most important idea to keep in mind regarding this process is that circular breathing is easy. It does not involve strenuous training which will enable you to eventually breathe in and out at the same time. This is a physiological impossibility. The hardest thing you will have to train yourself to do is to overcome your mind's innately stubborn nature; it hates to learn new tricks, particularly after it has been successfully orchestrating your breathing for quite some time-- old habits die hard. Circular breathing is simply breathing in and out with a twist; or rather, a squeeze.

Step 1: The Squeeze.

With your lungs neither full nor empty, fill your cheeks with air. With your cheeks fully distended, you should still be able to breathe normally whilst holding the air in your mouth. It is crucial to establish this as you will be doing just that later on. Now, using only your cheek muscles - not your lungs, squeeze the air out of your mouth. The motion is very similar to what you would do if you were squirting water out of your mouth at somebody (I don't advise practicing this way unless you know your target very well and its a hot day). During this exercise, your lungs should be completelv at rest. When you feel thoroughly saturated and comfortable with this motion, and you are sure that all the work is being done by your cheeks, then move on to step two.

Step 2: “The Squeeze And Sniff"

As the heading implies, this stage involves using the first step to create what will become the first half of your circular breath; what I call the "squeeze and sniff", Once you have mastered it, this squeeze and sniff becomes one of the two stages of circular breathing. As you perform the squeeze, outlined in step 1, simultaneously take a small sniff in through your nose the result being that a small puff of air is expelled out of your mouth by your cheeks whilst a small sniff of air is drawn in through your nose at the same time. Expressed in another way, your cheeks deflate while your lungs inflate... a squeeze and sniff!

If you are having trouble with this step, try taking a mouthful of water and squirt it out using your cheeks.  Repeat the exercise a few times, and when you feel comfortable, try taking a small sniff of air in as you involved in propelling the water out of your mouth inadvertantly using your lungs, you will get an aerosol spray-can effect and will find it impossible to inhale.  When you are thoroughly saturated and comfortable with the idea, repeat the exercise using air as opposed to water in your mouth - the coordination is the same.

Step 3: The Exhalation ^1.

Following your squeeze and sniff, you should find yourself in the following state: your cheeks are empty and your lungs are full. At this stage, the point of the exhalation is to bring you back to the starting position for the next squeeze and sniff. To achieve this, simply exhale from your lungs, allowing your cheeks to puff up. Do not, however, release all of the air from your lungs. Rather, trap a portion of air in your cheeks after a short exhalation, leaving you with your lungs feeling emptyish and your cheeks full of air.

After having mastered these two stages, you are in effect circular breathing; simply alternating from the squeeze and sniff to the exhalation and back again one stage naturally feeds the other. The result of this is a continual passage of air out of your mouth; first exhaled out from your lungs, and then squeeezed out with your cheeks.  NB.  Your lungs should always feel about three-quarters full. If you allow then to get too empty, the air pressure in your mouth will drop off which, when you apply this practice to the didge, will cause it to stall.

Practicing your circular breathing is crucial.  Your airflow should be constant and smooth, as, when you apply it to a didgeridoo, the air you are moving with your cheeks and lungs translates directly into the sound of the instrument.  To check your airflow, put your hand in front of your mouth and continue to practice.  Feeling a slight fluctuation as you alternate from the squeeze and sniff to the exhalation is normal, and it is this which actually creates pule in a didgeridoo.  Initially, you will feel a bit uncomfortable (not to mention a bit dizzy), but with practice you should become more and more familiar with the process, and circular breathing will feel as easy as, well, breathing!
 
 

To produce the basic sound, or drone of a didgeridoo, pout your bottom lip out and place the bee's wax end firmly against your mouth- the centre line or your lip should fall roughly across the middle of the mouthpiece.  Now, gently exhale ^2.   Your upper lip should be held firmly in place against your top teeth by the mouthpiece, leaving your bottom lip free to vibrate.  What is crucial in achieving the drone is keeping your bottom lip loose and wet.

Try several slightly different mouth positions (eg. mouthpiece slightly to the left or to the right of centre) until you discover where you feel most comfortable and the drone is even and constant.  As everyone's mouth is shaped differently, there is no positioning which universally applies.  Don't be afraid to also experiment with the shape of your mouthpiece.  Adjust it to suit your own mouth so that it fits comfortably.  Again, only you can be the judge of what is a "correct" diameter and shape.

Practice the drone until you feel confidant that you can sustain it for a fairly long stretch without feeling winded.  The didge should almost feel lit it is playing itself.  Your success in combining circular breathing depends very much on how well you can control this sound, so practice heaps! 

Combining the Drone With Circular Breathing

At this stage the exercise should be fairly self-explanatory.  Technically, you already have already developed the necessary skills; combining them is just a matter of staying relaxed, and not trying too hard. By blowing or squeezing too much, you tend to distort the shape of your lips which will disrupt the drone.  Each of the two stages of circular breathing (the squeeze and sniff, and the exhalation) should flow smoothly from one to the other, and you should always feel that your lungs are about three quarters full of air.

If, after a few breaths you feel like you are running out, stop, relax and start again, beginning with your exhalation.  Gradually, with practice, the duration of your playing sessions should increase as you become more and more familiar with the process.  In theory, a playing session can last indefinitely.