I'm an adult learner. I started learning a couple of years ago and had to stop due to ill health. I'm just restarting and I have a huge problem with my breathing. As I'm playing my flute my breath wobbles, like in time with my pulse? It feels like my heartbeat is affecting the volume of air I can let out so it has a slow shake? It's exactly in time with my pulse.
It sure messes up the sound of my long-tones! Playing melodies I'm finding I don't notice it as much while changing notes, but as soon as there's a note held for 3 or more beats it sounds crap.
What can I do to change this? Are there any breathing execises that would even it out?
one thing our band director tells us to control our breathing is to take low note breaths. this means use your diaphragm to take breaths, your stomach should come outward instead of having your shoulders move upward. this has helped my breathing and playing.
if this doesnt help then i honestly dont know what else to do
my band director was just talking about this today in class!
It could be that you aren't supporting your air correctly.
a way to test that is to lay down on the floor on your back and place one hand on your chest and the other on your stomach. once you are in that position take a deep breath like you would do at the doctors office. and if the hand that is on your chest rises first then you are breathing incorrectly. your lungs start a bit below your shoulders and then end a bit above your belly button. when you breath and your chest rises you are only using around 1/3 of your lung compacity. When you breath from your stomach first and then allow your chest to fill with air you are taking in all the air you can. If you watch athletes after they are running they take deep long breaths from their stomach because if they were to take shallow breaths from their chest then they wouldn't be getting enough air.
The more you practice breathing like that the easier it becomes.
My director said that we do this is because we are trying to 'defy gravity'. when his daughter and son were born he looked at how the took a breath and they took it from their stomach [using their diaphragm]. But as we grow older he said that for some reason we start breathing with our shoulders. :\
Also it could be a confidence thing. Don't be timid. really push through the note.
I hope this helps...I think that the other person put the exact same thing..I just worded it differently
Playing melodies I'm finding I don't notice it as much while changing notes, but as soon as there's a note held for 3 or more beats it sounds crap. 
