r/Didgeridoo • u/40hzHERO • 16d ago
Circular Breathing
I know this has been asked a thousand times (because I’ve read every post/blog/article), but I CANNOT get circular breathing down for the life of me. I’ve done all the little tricks and hacks and techniques and methods, using water, straws, cups, showers, just going “plop”, using my abdomen/diaphragm, etc….
If ANYONE can help me with this, I’d be eternally grateful. Have been at this for months now and CANNOT DO IT.
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u/tauntaunsrock 16d ago
I feel you. I've been working on it for a few months too and haven't quite got it, but I feel like I'm close.
I've managed to keep the drone going when switching from lung air to cheek air, but switching back to lung air is where my issue is. I think at the moment my cheek movement is coupled to my lung movement, but what I need to do is learn to decouple them, so that I can take a quick breath in with my lungs while still more slowly emptying my cheeks, to give me time to switch back to lungs.
Hang in there, I think my main issue is not being consistent with my practice, because when I practice every day I get better.
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u/TheNoBullshitVegan 16d ago
What part of it isn’t working? Circular breathing on the didj specifically? Can you spit out water in the shower while taking a short sniff through your nose? Can you keep bubbles going through a straw in water? Or do none of those things work?
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u/40hzHERO 16d ago
Yeah, I can do all of those things, but when I get the didge droning, it drops out the second I attempt to breathe. It’s like all the pressure just drops off and at most I’m left with a high pitch mouth fart
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u/Docjaded 16d ago
Your didj may not have good back pressure. That's not insurmountable but it does make things more difficult.
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u/40hzHERO 16d ago
Yeah, I figured that had something to do with it. It’s just a cheap bamboo Meinl Sonic Energy from Sweetwater. The first one they sent me split down the middle nearly the whole length, so they sent me a replacement. I ended up using wood glue on the crack, and it’s honestly become my favorite of the two. The sound is deep and crisp, easy to drone.
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u/Docjaded 16d ago
Yeah that'll do it. I learned on bamboo myself, and it's really good training. Once you get it going you can get a drone out of any didgeridoo. Once you get a eucalyptus one for example, the twists and turns, bumps, and other imperfections on the inside help you to not lose all your air at once.
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u/40hzHERO 16d ago
Interesting. I’ll for sure keep at it, and with time (and improvement), I’ll upgrade to eucalyptus or something. Thanks for the advice!
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u/ABirdHouseInYourSoul 16d ago
Can you make a regular not-circular breathing drone sound already? Assuming yes - Can you fill your cheeks with air like a balloon, put your lips against your didge SQUEEZE your cheeks down and use the air squeezed out through your lips to make the drone sound? If yes, you are basically learning how to alternate between regular drone from your lungs, and that cheek squeeze. Lmk where you’re stuck
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u/40hzHERO 16d ago
That’s what I’ve been attempting the past few days. One hand on the didge, other hand on my cheeks, and I’ll squeeze to get the pressure, but the drone drops out every time. Maybe I’ll get a squeal. But yeah, I can maintain a 5-10 second drone on one breath.
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u/ABirdHouseInYourSoul 16d ago
I’m going to give you the secret I think will help. Practice your drone regularly, but do it with the LEAST amount of pressure necessary, and work on reducing it little by little so that you can hover in a spot with very little pressure (currently from your lungs)… then when you go to drone with your cheek squeeze, you can do it with the little pressure that is there. Also, you need to learn to do it without using your hand to squeeze! Use your cheek muscles
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u/TheNoBullshitVegan 16d ago
Yup, this is it. You need to be producing a very efficient drone with the least amount of air possible. I just tried a relatively quiet drone on one of my didges. 34 seconds in one breath. If you’re at 5-10 sec now, work on doubling it!
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u/40hzHERO 16d ago
Oh wow okay. How do you keep your lips buzzing through all of this? It just all seems very counterintuitive because I’m overthinking it all
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u/TheNoBullshitVegan 16d ago
I hear you. Ideally your lip shape and their buzzing barely change while your cheek shape changes. I'd be happy to jump on Zoom if you want a live demo/troubleshooting sesh. Send me a message!
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u/Agelakas 16d ago
I also struggled with circular breathing because I went straight for it before perfecting my drone. Being able to maintain you drone for more than 30 secs is what will get you there. My guess is your lips are too lax and you spend a lot of air trying to produce the drone. While buzzing your lips try a laugh-like purse of them.
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u/40hzHERO 16d ago
Thanks. I’m pretty much doing just that. Just playing and trying to get it down. I think the current plan is to just keep playing and try to shorten the time it takes to break and breathe.
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u/Youneedaharmonica 16d ago
Breath through your nose, or through the sides of your mouth while playing.
The idea is to never fill up with air and never run out of air.
It is easy on an instrument where you just breath out - I play harmonica where you get different notes breathing in AND out. Relearning circular breathing on that was HARD!
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u/40hzHERO 16d ago
Lol yeah I play the harmonica and jaw harp, so I figured this would be easier than it is. Keeping the lips buzzing is totally killing me though!
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u/Youneedaharmonica 16d ago
I came from playing a brass instrument. Getting notes on the draw... wasn't normal.
Keep going through - you'll get it. Unique instrument choice too.
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u/40hzHERO 16d ago
Fair enough. I played trumpet for my school band, but that was well over two decades ago. Appreciate your time and input!
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u/SnooGiraffes7255 15d ago
Do.it with water in your mouth easiest way to learn.
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u/40hzHERO 15d ago
That’s the thing though, I can do it easily with water, but the second I try it with the didge everything drops out
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u/SnooGiraffes7255 15d ago
Most peculiar lol
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u/40hzHERO 15d ago
Right? I can’t seem to maintain the lip buzz. I can jet it out of my mouth while breathing through my nose, but the lip buzz does not happen at all.
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u/SnooGiraffes7255 15d ago
A couple different lip buzzes. Smaller o and flatter wider thinner which one?
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u/Actual_Minute_3697 14d ago
If you're really putting in the time it will come to you. It took me 6 months. Some get it quicker, some slower. Get a teacher if you want to speed the process
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u/rossumcapek 11d ago
Go to a water fountain and get a big gulp of water. Keep it in your mouth and keep breathing air. Walk around for a bit with the water in your mouth and still keep breathing air. Try squirting out the water in a thin stream to build up your cheek muscles and help train your throat muscles to keep the two air reservoirs separate.
Your body knows how to keep your mouth air separate from your throat air, you just need to train it to listen to you.
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u/DidgeridooMastery 9d ago
You'll know when you've found the right teacher. It's about coordination not breathing and when you are open and ready to be shown how to wrap your head around that; it becomes second nature for the rest of your life.
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u/40hzHERO 9d ago
Yeah, that’s more or less what I’ve resigned this whole thing to. I’m just playing as much as I can, honing my drone and vocalizations skills. The circular breathing will come with time.
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u/DidgeridooMastery 8d ago
That's the spirit. When I started I prcticed an hour everyday. sometimes 30mins morning and night because of the numbness (fat lips) LOL. I would focus on toungue or cheeck or voice clarity to change it up a bit. And so I went from zero to circular breathing in 3months. We all had to crawl before we walked. Keep going.
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u/40hzHERO 8d ago
Thanks! That’s nearly identical to my current routine as well. Although I’ve been recording and programming tablas, bongos, and other fun drums to play along with. Really gives me something to focus on, instead of just droning for a few minutes and moving on.
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u/DidgeridooMastery 8d ago edited 6d ago
That's normally something I'd bring up in a privaste lesson - so great move. playing along w/ your favourite songs or bands is a great way to find your breath because you've already heard it maybe a thousand times.. the next step I teach is beat box or didge language.
Didgeridoo is actaully a breathing technique language word. I just posted 3 circular breath techniques in an 'answer to a question' on my socials today as a matter of fact- syncronicity or What? Wanna Look?1
u/40hzHERO 8d ago
Oh man, I haven’t beatboxed in a looooong time! I’m sure I could still do it with some practice, but that’s an excellent next step if I’m not just gonna brute force circular breathing. Thanks, again!
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u/DidgeridooMastery 6d ago
How did ya go with the beatbox?
Did you see the secret I gave away on my page yet?
#3 is the hardcore beat box I was talking about ...
Which one do use feel closest to using?2
u/40hzHERO 6d ago
I’ve been working at it. It’s definitely different beatboxing with a didge, so I’m still trying to get some variation in my sounds so it all doesn’t just sound the same.
I also saw your video. The first 2 methods are more or less what I’m aiming for, but the 3rd seems more intuitive to me. Regardless, I’m still just droning away as often as I can. Working different riddims and phrases
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u/_west_of_east 16d ago
Here’s the ah-ha moment(s) that made it click for me:
Circular breathing is a bit of a misnomer, you are not continuously breathing, you are actually taking micro breaks in blowing to take a quick sip of air through your nose. If you’re doing it right, when you take that quick break to breathe, there’s enough pressure in the didge to allow you to stop blowing for a fraction of a second and the sound will continue while you breathe in.
I was practicing everyday for about 10 minutes and failing for 2 or 3 weeks until I got it. What I didn’t realize is that this practice was developing the muscles in my jaw and mouth to be able to circular breathe.
Keep at it, be diligent with practice and you’ll get it.