The Power of Breath

Was flipping through a music catalogue last night checking to see what new instructional DVD material there is out there. One that caught my eye focused on ‘techniques for playing more relaxed.’

Well, let me tell you. There is just one thing you need to know to be completely, utterly, and totally relaxed.

And that one thing is how to breathe.

If there is anyone out there who is using my DVD course, is doing what I say to do relative to breathing, and is still having a problem with tension, I want to know about it.

Now, some may forget to stay aware of their breathing and, as a result, revert back to their previous state. The solution to that is self-evident, isn’t it. Stay aware.

Funny thing is, you become more aware by breathing from your belly.

So, that should tell you not just to be aware of your breath while playing but throughout the day. Put notes up around your house, in your car, your place of work. Each time you see a note, breathe from your belly 3 times, deeply.

And, of course, breathe this way when doing any physical activity.

When you move the diaphragm muscle – as you do to breathe well – it sends a signal to the rest of the body to ‘let go’. There is an override, however. That is your mind, which can instruct the body to perform a physical task.

Curiously, when the ‘let go’ reflex meets with the ‘instruction for action’, only muscle movement directly associated with the specific action is allowed.

In short, with have a built in ‘efficiency filter’. We just have to remember to use it.

All the best,
Clayton Haslop

P.S. The next step to violin mastery is to know what instructions to send to your fingers. Come pick up your copy of”Kreutzer for Violin Mastery, Vol. 1” for the purest, no-nonsense instructions your fingers are likely to get, anywhere.