Inhalers and Exhalers

During study weekends led by Brunhilde Holderbach (recorder player and specialist on this subject) I studied the following phenomena together with, among others, Bernhard Mollenhauer , Geri Bollinger (Küng), Anneke Boeke.

We can distinguish two types of recorder players

1 Those who blow ACTIVELY, with breath energy and FORCE.

2 Those who let the air flow into the recorder ON ITS OWN, WITHOUT PRESSURE.

Here, the amount of air and the volume will not be taken into consideration.

1 The AKTIVE, ENEGETIC players are the EXHALERS; they breathe out actively, but breathe in passively.

2 The PASSIVE, RELAXED players are the INHALERS; they breathe out passively, but breathe in actively.

1 The EXHALERS breathe out actively by pulling in their sides and, after a short pause, they allow the drawing in of breath to follow automatically by relaxing their flank muscles. They use very few muscles to inhale. After inhalation the active exhalation follows immediately. The chest (pectoral) and stomach (abdominal) muscles are hardly used during this.

The stomach muscles only hold the abdominal organs still. The active use of the flank muscles to exhale lasts 3 to 4 times as long as the passive admission of air into the lungs.

2 The INHALERS use their chest muscles actively to breathe in, expanding their chest a little and allowing it to rise slightly. They pause briefly then release the air passively. The active inhalation follows directly after the air has flowed out of the lungs. The muscles of the stomach and sides stay as relaxed as possible during inhalation leaving more room for the lungs to expand. Inhalation lasts 3 to 4 times as long as the release of the air from the lungs.

For me as a recordermaker it is important to be able to make the right recorder for the inhalers and the exhalers.

You know the feeling, when you try a new recorder and something is not at all in line with your way of playing (regardless of the quality of the instrument)

This has a lot to do with the size of the opening at the top of the windway in the mouthpiece.

EXHALERS prefer a smaller opening with more resistance so that they can use more pressure as the air is obstructed somewhat by the opening of the windway.

INHALERS are benefited more by a larger opening where the air can enter on its own and is not obstructed by the opening of the windway.

If an INHALER plays a recorder with too narrow an opening, the tone will sound unstable not as full (rounded) because he will have to use so many muscles that he can only control with a lot of hard practice and mental energy

An EXHALER on the other hand will have more difficulty with a recorder with a wider opening. He or she will “lose” their breath and will feel that they have to use too much breath support which will diminish the tone and the expression.

Also, exhalers like to have the fingering ergonomically placed with holes 3 and 6 and/or 7 bored off centre so that they can keep their hands tilted.

Inhalers prefer to have the fingering in a straight line.

This has to do with body positioning which in turn affects hand and arm positioning.

Virdung exhaler Hotterere inhaler

I hold to the principle that it sounds the most interesting and the most natural when a player uses the windway best fitted to them so that they can conform completely to their own “Type”. A person’s own physical playing technique combined with the right recorder can contribute to this because the player will be more relaxed and therefore able to get closer to his own soul and power of expression.

Try, however, to assess your own playing technique very critically. Sometimes many years of training have been given by a teacher who has tried to teach you the opposite technique by conveying their own playing technique to you. Most breathing schools are aimed at exhalers. During my own time at the music academy, for example, Quantz was severely ridiculed for his breathing technique in which he promoted holding the chest up nice and high when breathing in.

For long passages one must gently draw in a good supply of breath beforehand, and to this end should spread the throat and chest wide; draw up the shoulders; try to keep as much air in the chest as possible; and then very sparingly let it flow into the recorder.......

The “poor” man was simply an inhaler!

The following characteristics can be seen by the different types of breathing

Inhalers

Like to move a lot whilst playing but the instument remains static (they move around the recorder)

Fingers straight on the recorder, preferably with the tips over the openings

Relaxed fingering with active opening and passive closing of the holes

Play with a lot of lip tension

The air moves more slowly

Cheeks are puffed

Playing seated; prefer (actually!) to rest lazily against the back of the chair so that they have more breathing support in their sides.

Playing while standing; often the right leg forward and leaning on their heels

Exhalers

Play statically but move the instrument (they “play” with the recorder)

Prefer fingers slanted on the recorder, wrists turned inwards

Hammer more with their fingertips and close the openings actively

Play with loose lips

Air moves faster

Cheeks more tensed/taut

Playing seated; prefer to be upright without a backrest so that they can use their flank muscles properly

Playing while standing; often the left leg forward and leaning on the fore foot

For the determination of ones own respiration type the influence of the sun and the moon has to be evaluated. You can refer to the website www.terlusollogie.de to determine your own breathing type.

For all clarity, here is a part of their website :

“This doctrine starts with the observation that there are two (opposite) respiration types. We call these types inhaler (Einatmer) and exhaler (Ausatmer). Each person can be assigned to exactly one type and your type cannot change during your lifetime.

The inhaler stresses her inhalation. Inhalation is supported by an upside-down position. When sitting the inhaler stretches her legs and has an easily lifted head, she needs a seat-back. At desk her elbow joints are stretched and the wrists are bent as possible. The inhaler does not like to walk on high heels. The head is raised, when running the torso is bent forward. The inhaler runs with stretched kneeling and arm joints, her arms swing clearly; she prefers left curves. The inhaler necessarily needs a warming-up before any sport activity and holds her extremities at the body. She breathes in the thorax and feels cold very easily. The favorable

climate are humid zones.

inhaler standing inhaler sitting

We very often observe type-adverse behavior. If an inhaler for example walks highheeld steadily she will (over a short or long period) get serious health complaints. Unfortunately these complaints are not always associated with the wrong respiration behavior (see in addition the case studies). Therefore determing its own respiration type and learning the type-correct behavior is of great importance for your health.

The exhaler stresses her exhalation. Exhalation is supported by a prone position. When sitting she does not need a seat-back and prefers bent legs. The exhaler tries to bring her feet under the seat and writes with stretched wrist. The exhaler can stand well on high heels. The head is easily lowered (despite an upright torso). Her arms swing calmly, the arm joints are never stretched; she prefers right curves. She keeps her arms somewhat distant from the body and prefers retaining work; she breathes into the abdominal cavity. The favorable climate is dry, only an exhaler tolerates desert climate.”