Review

David Vining
The Breathing Book for Tenor Trombone:

Flagstaff, AZ, United States
Publisher: Mountain Peak Music
Date of Publication: 2009
URL: http://www.mountainpeakmusic.com

32 pages

Primary Genre: Study Material - method

As David Vining states in the introduction to The Breathing Book, “trombone players who breathe well create a resonant tone quality and trombone players who do not breathe well lack resonance. To breathe well means to breathe free of tension, and tension-free breathing occurs when we move in cooperation with how we are built.” In addition to clearing up misconceptions about the mechanical aspects of breathing, Vining’s book can help trombonists develop skills that are likely to carry over into improved music making.

The Breathing Book is divided into 13 chapters, each consisting of a page of information along with a page-long exercise designed to reinforce the information presented. Sample chapter titles include: Know Where the Air Goes, Let the Air Drive Your Tongue, Quality of Effort and the Valsalva Maneuver, and The Truth About the Diaphragm. Each page of text includes an illustration, most of which are straightforward anatomical diagrams.

When it comes to a tricky subject such as breathing, a little misinformation can go a long way towards creating bad habits. Interpreting the written word always comes with the opportunity for misunderstanding. Fortunately, David Vining presents each concept in a clearly-stated and factual manner. This text may help trombonists overcome habits picked up from well-intentioned teachers who happened to say the wrong thing at a critical time in a student’s development. The Breathing Book is an excellent reference book for any music library. 

-Donn Schaefer
University of Utah