Endless playing?

[MoDz]

Hi. My instrument isn't flute, but it is similar. I suppose the techniques used by flute players are also applicable for me. Is it possible to play endlessly with flute? What is the technique? One teacher had said me, that when my lungs are half empty, I must inhale while exhaling. I made a diagram of air's way when I "inhale while exhaling". But the trouble is, that I don't know how to make this technique. I hope you'll help me. Regards.
Here's the diagram:

P.S. My English isn't very good, so please say me if you can't understand something in my post and I'll try to explain it again.

[dogster]

I just mastered it and its very hard to get it down, however I play the digeridoo so it was easier to figure it out and I do it on the clarinet too. It ok but you need to also play the flute normally with breathing pauses accents and so on


Doug

[MoDz]

How you do it? What muscles are part of this technique and how exactly to use them?

[atoriphile]

Search the Internet for circular breathing and you will find many resources.

Personally, I have never tried circular breathing. I'm sure it would come in handy, but I'm just an amateur and don't think the returns would be worth the investment in time and effort to learn it.

[MoDz]

This technique, which I want to understand is more difficult than the circular breathing and this two techniques are much different.

[Dirty_Dave]

That looks like circular breathing to me.

[MoDz]

In circular breathing the air from cheeks goes into the instrument.
In the described technique one part of the air, which is inhaled into nose, goes into the instrument and the rest of air goes to fill the lungs. When the lungs are full, the player "switches" from this technique for filling to normal playing (the air from the lungs goes into the instrument). When the lungs are half empty, the player uses the technique for filling again and when his lungs are full, he "switches" to normal playing... All this is an endless process.
My question is how to do it.
P. S. Can the circular breathing be applied when playing on flute? I think it can't, because the mouth "farts". If I make a mistake, correct me.

[fluteguy18]

Circular breathing can indeed be used when playing the flute. It is just a little bit different. However, I must point out that it is probably impossible to inhale while exhaling. We only have one windpipe, and air simply won't go two different directions through the same pipe. And it's also because our diaphram is an involuntary muscle that contracts to pull air into the lungs, and relaxes to push air out of them. Muscles really can't contract and relax simultaneously.

So, I believe what you are talking about is Circular Breathing. A man by the name of Robert Dick has a book about it. I would recommend trying that.

[MoDz]

However, I must point out that it is probably impossible to inhale while exhaling. We only have one windpipe, and air simply won't go two different directions through the same pipe.

There's no 2 different directions of air in the trachea. When the air is inhaled into nose, a part of it goes into mouth. I don't know how to do this, that's why I ask you. Maybe I must form negative preassure in the mouth's cavity and it will "attract" a part of the air, which moves from the nose to the lungs.

[pied_piper]

The only technique that will allow a player to achieve "endless playing" is circular breathing. In circular breathing, the throat path to the mouth is closed. That allows air to flow into the lungs from the nose while simultaneously pushing air from the mouth with the cheeks and tongue.

The airflow that you have depicted is simply impossible. When the diaphram lowers it causes a negative pressure in the lungs. Air then flows to fill the lungs from two paths: the nose or the mouth. There is no way for air to flow into the nose and then divert to both the lungs and mouth. The negative pressure in the lungs will draw air from both the nose or mouth. If, as you describe, you were able to "form negative preassure in the mouth's cavity", the airflow at the lips would be going in the wrong direction to play the flute.

Short answer: You can't get there from here...

[MoDz]

OK, I searched for flute circular breathing and I found this. I read that the flutists don't use the cheeks. Instead they expand their throats and use them to store air. Can somebody tell me more?