As simple as it may be, breathing is one of the most important things you can do as a musician. If you're a wind player, your instrument won't do much of anything without breath going through it, and even for percussionists, breathing with the music will give you a better feel for what's going on around you. One of the most important musical goals during a performance is to make the phrases breathe -- many phrases start with a dynamic, rise a level or two, and come back down. The back-and-forth play of stress and release is perhaps the most powerful element of music, and knowing how and when to breathe to make your phrase is fundamentally important.

Deep breathing is very important to musicians, and has applications outside of music as well -- if done properly, it helps you relax. In music, the goal is slightly different; while we want to avoid any unnecessary tension, several muscle groups must be used for playing the instrument and moving your body from form to form. Here are a few breathing exercises which, if practiced regularly, should help your lung capacity as well as your breath control while playing.

1. Stand up with your back straight, but stay as relaxed as possible. Hold one arm out in front of you (but off to the side a bit) and empty your lungs until you feel a natural need to inhale again. Breathe in deeply over four slow counts (about four seconds), making a large "O" mouth (as if you were singing) and swing your arm toward your mouth in a smooth motion, as if you are gently pushing the air into your mouth. Then, exhale on a "hiss", reversing the arm motion. Make the transition from inhaling to exhaling as smooth as possible -- don't inhale all the way and then shut your mouth to trap the air. Keep the in-to-out flow of air going. Repeat this several times.

2. This exercise ensures that you're taking a full, deep breath each time. Stand (or sit) with your back straight, again staying as relaxed as possible. Hold one hand in a "karate chop" position and extend the thumb out. Place the hand in front of your mouth so that your index finger points up and is touching both lips; open your mouth as much as is comfortable, and position the crook between your thumb and forefinger on your chin. Take a full, deep breath (do it slowly -- imagine a yawn), and listen to the pitch created as the air flows across your hands. Try to get as low a pitch as you can, and don't take too many breaths like this in a row (you'll get dizzy / woozy). Take one breath with this, and exhale slowly, keeping your throat open. Once you can do this consistently, take one or two breaths this way and immediately play your instrument -- your airstream should have a lot more power behind it.

3. The third exercise is more a test of how concentrated you can make your airstream. Hold your hand out at arm's length, with your palm facing you. Make your mouth into a "hoo" shape, and see how strong of a "wind" you can make on your hand. You can combine this with exercise 2, but keep the transition between inhaling and exhaling as smooth as possible -- don't stop the airflow once you're done inhaling.

4. This final exercise serves as a posture check in addition to promoting good breathing habits. Begin by exhaling most of the air in your lungs, and bend over at the waist as your lungs empty out. Let your arms hang down and keep your body as relaxed as you can. Once you're bent over, begin inhaling slowly, and straighten your back from the lowest vertebra. Imagine stacking up your vertebrae as you inhale, and once your back is mostly straight, stack your shoulders (have them back just a little) and finally your neck and head (tilted back a little).