I recently conducted an interview with the great trumpet player and teacher Bobby Shew.

Bobby and I spoke for almost three hours on a variety of topics. One of the things we discussed was one of Bobby's specialties breathing.

As Bobby mentions, he has studied anatomy for many years and through that study, he's learned a great deal about the human body and the mechanical operation specific to breathing.

Bobby's journey on this topic started after asking Maynard Ferguson about his particular method of breathing that allowed him to play as he did. Maynard handed Bobby a book on Yoga breathing and after getting a little more instruction from another trumpet great, Bud Brisbois, Bobby began his lifelong exploration on brass excellence.

In this 30 minute segment, I've inserted graphics from Bobbby that illustrate the six steps in what Bobby calls the Wedge Breathing method.

I'll admit that after listening to Bobby and editing our conversation (requiring more focused listening) my own range and overall playing has been strengthened. One of my favorite tips from Bobby is his insistence on relying less on the mouth/face and instead, producing one's sound from proper breathing.

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