Staggered breathing
DEFINITION
Staggered breathing is a shared technique of wind instrument musicians, as part of an ensemble, in which the musicians are rotating turns in which they take a breath in order to create the effect of a continuous sound emanating from them and with no perceived breaks. The effect is created by each performer in a section taking a breath at staggered times so the others in the section continue to sound long notes, passages, and/or sections.<br>