Breathing when playing

[chauncey]

Hey guys! It's me again, the guy whose shoulders would tense up when playing. Well, I'm getting that problem fixed and I thank you all for the tips and info! Next, it's breathing when playing.

Of course I breathe when I play, but I find myself taking the smallest of breath of air when I play.. I think this a problem. I don't know. Any info on how to fix this or comments in general about this?

Thanks.

[clavile]

Focus on breathing more deeply. I never really pay attention to how I breathe when I play. Never really thought about it!

[faulty_damper]

Breath is life force.  It's the reason why martial artists, track sprinters, cyclists, meditators, yoga practitioners, and others actively focus on this seemingly simple task.  Pianists should be no different.  Breathing should be practiced simply sitting at the bench with hands in the lap and then practiced while playing.

[brogers70]

You wouldn't want to turn into Glenn Gould, but you might try singing while you play. That should force you to breathe more deeply.

[outin]

Often people breath inefficiently because they have bad posture. Maybe you should look into how you sit again... Breathing usually comes quite naturally when there's nothing disturbing it.