Circular Breathing

Circular breathing is a technique that allows you to produce a continuous sound both on the blow and on the draw notes and chords of a harmonica.

I started playing didgeridoo about 15 years ago and after a while I mastered the circular breathing technique, but a couple of years later I realized it could be done the other way around, that is… inhaling! And what instrument produces sound when inhaling? That’s right! The harmonica!

I actually realized it could be done by watching a friend of mine smoke: he took a puff on a cigarette and, at the same time, he was releasing the smoke that was inside his lungs from the previous puff, through his nose. He was indeed inhaling through the mouth (smoke, yes) and exhaling through the nose (smoke, yes) at the same time! Right there I pictured myself playing an endless and juicy chord on my harmonica. I went home, grabbed a G harp and there it was. As simple as that!

I now find inhale circular breathing even easier than regular circular breathing, that is blowing. And I definitely find draw chords way richer than blow chords!

For years I used these endless chords on low harmonicas to accompany sound meditations, together with my didgeridoo, overtone singing and Tibetan bowls.

The first time I played inhale circular breathing on a harmonica set-up was in 2018, at the Harmonica Masters in Trossingen, with a very special guest, le fabuleux, l’unique Greg Zlap. See it for yourselves!

Encouraged by Joe Filisko and Andras Csaba I started to develop the technique and I learned how to play different rhythms, add some voice sounds and try to emulate a didgeridoo with the harmonica.

I have come to realize that learning this technique forces you to get out of your comfort zone and compels you to work more consciously on your breathing, especially on your diaphragm.

In 2025 I was offered the chance to attempt a World Record for the “Longest Harmonica Chord”. I inhaled a chord for 31 minutes and 31 consecutive seconds at the World Harmonica Festival in Trossingen, Germany. You can find the whole video on hohnerharmonica’s Instagram.

You can also use inhale circular breathing when playing regularly, as an accompaniment, for instance, or when you run out of air on a particularly long inhale. It’s another breathing technique you can have in your pocket just in case.