recording and breathing

[ukejon]

My early recording have this very phenomenon, especially in tough passages or after the song is over. You learn not to do it, or at least you try not to do it. Open mouth breathing helps a lot, and I look like a total goofus during a recording session....but it works.

[Pete on guitar]

I suffer generally from a somewhat blocked nose, but when I'm recording, it's so loud that I'm tempted to give it a credit on the CD cover. My solution is Sudafed nasal spray which does a great job of opening up the ol' turbinates for a couple of hours. Your mileage may, of course, vary.

Pete

[Trevor B.]

Originally Posted by Bob Womack

This is gonna sound pedantic but there are some things to do:

1. Find a position that doesn't force you to breath heavily. That's really important. Seating position can require you to do funny things like shove the guitar into your diaphragm. Not good. Get REALLY comfy so that you can play and breath easily.

2. Record enough that you don't get "red light syndrome." That's where you get tense when the record light goes on. Record, throw away, record, throw away. Do it until recording becomes boring. Boring. That will eliminate some tension from the breathing issue.

3. Practice breathing deeply before the performance to hypo-oxygenate yourself. When you get really oxygenated you don't breath as much or as deeply. Practice working into this as you play as well so that you can hold your breath at places where you pause or stop.

4. Practice editing your recordings and punching-in so that you can pick up performances if you breath too heavily. You'd be surprised how the ability to clean up any mistake or breathing problem will give you enough confidence that you don't make mistakes and are so relaxed that you don't have breathing problems.

These are some things that have helped me in the studio. If it sounds kind of mechanical, um, it is. But taking charge of yourself and your environment can really help you get control of any tension that may be influencing you problems.

Bob

This is an outstanding post. All four points are "within our sphere of control" and can be practised. I don't mean to highjack the op but would like to express my gratitude to Bob for these terrific suggestions!!!