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I was listening to a classical music and I noticed the breathing of the cellist. I've heard that there is a finer way of singing without the breathing sound of the singer. Can this be applied to wind instrumentalists?
Well, I have never come across a cellist breathing while playing the instrument but for one, it takes practice for a string player to know to best play an instrument without their breathing being noticeable. It is important for a cellist to understand how to develop playing techniques (articulating the lips and lungs taking in air).
mamoss wrote on Sat, 13 April 2019 02:04 Well, I have never come across a cellist breathing while playing the instrument. . . You know they're breathing while they play, right? Otherwise, they'd be dead. That's a tongue in cheek response as I'm sure that's not what you meant. A cello is a string instrument, not a wind instrument. Compared to other types, playing most of the string instruments is more similar to aerobic exercise. It requires quite a bit of stamina to move the bow like that and some of these instruments aren't easy to hold. Playing a musical instrument is also a form of communication so it makes sense that a cellist's breathing might be more noticeable during the most passionate parts. I agree though that sometimes it seems overdone and it can be distracting. Wind instruments require different breathing techniques for the most part.
Well, I'm not quite sure what you guys are getting at with the cellists breathing, but sometimes I do notice sounds from the musicians while listening to classical music. It can be a bit distracting, but it doesn't take away from the beauty of the music for me.
Here's an example, The Wanderer. I don't particularly notice how anyone breathes, but it's not uncommon for others to see it and complain. I think it's one of those things that once you notice it, you'll always notice it and it's distracting. While looking for an example video of string players, I found this one. I'm much more distracted by the lack of shoes. I mean, I see their shoes right beside the two women. Put them on please. You're in a church and you're performing in front of people for goodness sake.
Hmm, I'm not sure I want to check out your examples if it's going to taint my listening experience for life. But seriously, thanks for providing some examples. Those sounds don't really bother me. It's all part of the feel of the recording.
As I was reading back my own post, I was confused by it as well because a cello is not a wind instrument. A flute player is what I was thinking that time, but my fingers wrote a cellist.
I would assume that recording studios have microphone filters or something to make the sound quality better. Live performances don't have sound filters, so we get all the background, including the breathing sound of the performer.
When it comes to breathing, having great timing is essential both for singers and wind instrumentalists. You would have to relax instead of aggressively gasping for air. To do this, the person should know how to do diaphragmatic breathing.
To get an idea on breathing technique. Watch some old clips of Dizzy Gillespie playing his horn. His cheeks blow out like an old bull frogs throat when he pushes his lungs into that trumpet.