The didgeridoo is customarily played using a technique called circular breathing. Because this involves forcing air out of the mouth using the cheeks, it is exceptionally difficult to do on instruments and in mystical styles where maintaining a specific embouchure is required. Which means it’s not practical on brass or reeded wind instruments playing most conventional repertoire.
sp3ctr4l@lemmy.dbzer0.com 5 days ago
Circular breathing is used by many brass players to hold particularly long notes or unbroken chains of notes.
Same for oboes, bassoons, clarinets.
Its also very useful to harmonica players, which are technically reeded wind instruments.
Circular breathing might not be strictly necessary for some styles, but its definitely used by a lot of people, its basically only an upside if you know how to do it properly, raises your skill ceiling.
Binette@lemmy.ml 5 days ago
I remember trying to breathe and play at the same time I didn’t know it was an actual technique lmao
Zagorath@quokk.au 5 days ago
I play the clarinet and I taught myself circular breathing for one particular piece. I can guarantee you it is not a standard technique. It’s not even something that you can expect a professional player to be able to perform. I think I’ve only ever seen one performer use it.
It can be handy as an option for long fast passages, to avoid needing to sneak in a breath. Much less useful for holding a single long note, because it’ll impact your embouchure and put a hitch in the note that can be disguised between notes in a faster passage.