Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Cardiopulmonary changes during clarinet playing

  • Original Article
  • Published:
European Journal of Applied Physiology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Since playing wind instrument impedes normal respiratory functions, its effect on expiratory and blood gases as well as on cardiac function was investigated. In 15 skilled clarinettists expiratory PO2 and PCO2 were measured in gas drawn from a modified clarinet barrel when playing a composition (Robert Schumann’s “Phantasiestücke” Op. 73 for clarinet and piano) with increasing difficulty from movement 1 to movement 3. Blood gases were measured in arterialized ear lobe blood at the end of each movement and the electrocardiogram was recorded continuously. From the expiratory gas pressures one may conclude that the most advanced players adapt their ventilation to the requirements of the composition and sustain expiration during difficult parts of the composition until hypoxic alveolar PO2 values are reached (minimum 77 mmHg). Less trained clarinettists tend to hyperventilation or shallow breathing. Oxygen saturation in arterialized blood showed a slight step-wise decrease from movement to movement [control 96.6 ± 0.5 (SD)%, end of concert 95.6 ± 1.0%]. SO2 was significantly higher because of possibly more effective ventilation in instrumentalists with practise time exceeding 2 h daily. Mean heart rate increased to values like during moderate to heavy physical exercise depending on artistic fitness and the difficulty of the movement (maximal individual value 173 beats/min). Additionally, a large variation might be caused through intrathoracic pressure changes, changing exertion, respiratory influences and emotion. The electrocardiogram showed no pathological events. In general, clarinet playing at a professional level imposes strain on ventilation and circulation but usually not on a pathophysiological level.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4

Similar content being viewed by others

Notes

  1. See glossary at the end of the article.

References

  • Borg G (1998) Borg’s perceived exertion and pain scales. Human Kinetics, USA

    Google Scholar 

  • Borgia JF, Horvath SM, Dunn FR, Von Phul PV, Nizet PM (1975) Some physiologic observations on French horn musicians. J Occup Med 11:696–701

    Google Scholar 

  • Bouhuys A (1964) Lung volumes and breathing patterns in wind instrument playing. J Appl Physiol 19(5):967–975

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Bouhuys A (1968) Pressure-flow events during wind instrument playing. Ann New York Acad Sci 155(1):264–275

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bouhuys A (1969) Physiology and musical instruments. Nature 221:1199–1204

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Boutellier U (1998) Respiratory muscle fitness and exercise endurance in healthy humans. Med Sci Sports Exerc 30(7):1169–1172

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Brown SE, Thomas M (1990) Respiratory training effect in wind and brass instrumentalists. Med Probl Perform Art 5(4):146–150

    Google Scholar 

  • Cugell DW (1986) Interactions of chest wall and abdominal muscles in wind instrument players. Clevel Clin Q 53:15–20

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Faulkner M, Sharpey-Schafer EP (1959) Circulatory effects of trumpet playing. Br Med J 1:685–686

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Fuks L, Sundberg J (1996) Blowing pressures in reed woodwind instruments. Quarterly Program Status Report, Royal Institute of Technology, QPSR-TMH-KTH 3:41–56

  • Grassino A, Gross D, Macklem PT, Roussos C, Zagelbaum G (1979) Inspiratory muscle fatigue as a factor limiting exercise. Bull Eur Physiopathol Resp 15:105–111

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Haider M, Groll-Knapp E (1971) Psychophysiologische Untersuchungen über die Belastung des Musikers in einem Symphonieorchesters. In: Piperek M (ed) Stress und Kunst. Gesundheitliche, psychische, soziologische und rechtliche Belastungsfaktoren im Beruf des Musikers eines Symphonieorchesters. Universitäts-Verlagsbuchhandlung GmbH. Wilhelm Braumüller, Wien

  • Hunsaker LA (1994) Heart rate and rhythm responses during trumpet playing. Med Probl Perfom Art 9(3):69–72

    Google Scholar 

  • Iltis PW (2003) Ventilation, carbon dioxide drive, and dyspnea associated with French horn playing: A pilot study. Med Probl Perform Art 18(2):47–51

    Google Scholar 

  • Jones N (1984) Normal values for pulmonary gas exchange during exercise. Am Rev Resp Dis 129(2 Pt):44–46

    Google Scholar 

  • Loewy A, Schroetter H (1926) Über den Energieverbrauch bei musikalischer Betätigung. Pflügers Arch 211:1–63

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Nizet PM, Borgia JF, Horvath SM (1976) Wandering atrial pacemaker. Prevalence in French horn musicians. J Electrocard 9(1):51–52

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Overgaard K, Friis S, Pedersen RB, Lykkeboe G (2006) Influence of lung volume, glossopharyngeal inhalation and P(ET) O2 and P(ET) CO2 on apnea performance in trained breath-hold divers. Eur J Appl Physiol 97(2):158–164

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Pawlowski Z, Zoltowski M (1985) Chosen problems of the aerodynamics of playing the wind instruments. Arch Acoust 10(3):215–228

    Google Scholar 

  • Schultze-Florey A, Schwab B (2004) Bläser unter Druck. Das Orchester 3:24–30

    Google Scholar 

  • Schumann R “Phantasiestücke” für Klarinette und Klavier Op. 73. Nr. 2366 a. Edition Peters

  • Smith J, Kreisman H, Colacone A, Fox J, Wolkove N (1990) Sensation of inspired volumes and pressures in professional wind instrument players. J Appl Physiol 68(6):2380–2383

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Stauffer DW (1968) Physical performance, selection and training of wind instrument players. Ann New York Acad Sci 155(1):284–289

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Takano N, Sakai A, IIdo Y (1981) Analysis of alveolar PCO2 control during the menstrual cycle. Pflügers Arch 390:56–62

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Thomasson M, Sundberg J (2001) Consistency of inhalatory breathing patterns in professional operatic singers. J Voice 15(3):373–383

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Tucker A, Faulkner ME, Horvath SM (1971) Electrocardiography and lung function in brass instrument players. Arch Environ Health 23:327–334

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • White DP, Douglas NJ, Pickett CK, Weil JV, Zwillich CW (1983) Sexual influence on them control of breathing. J Appl Physiol 54(4):874–879

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

The study received support by a doctorate grant of the State of Berlin, Germany. We kindly acknowledge the assistance of Dr. med. Matthias Hüttler in the planning phase and of Jutta Nadol for her sensitive manner in dealing with the musicians during the experiments (Institut für Sportmedizin, Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin). We thank Dr. med. Folker Boldt (Zentrum für Sportmedizin, Berlin) for the cardiologic advice in the interpretation of the ECGs. On the artist side (Universität der Künste, Berlin), we thank Prof. Georg Zeretzke (Professor for Clarinet and Principal Clarinettist at the Deutsche Oper Berlin) for the construction of the technically modified clarinet barrels, pianist Monika Gröbel for her romantic interpretation of the piano part and student Burkhard Osteneck (Institut für Tonmeister) for production of the compact disc. Finally, we thank all clarinettists for their interest in taking part in the research and allowing the project to become reality.

Conflict of interest

The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Musik- und Tanzmedizin, Am Tiergarten 17, 52078, Aachen, Germany

    Maria L. Hahnengress

  2. Institut für Sportmedizin, Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany

    Dieter Böning

Authors
  1. Maria L. Hahnengress
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Dieter Böning
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Maria L. Hahnengress.

Additional information

Communicated by Susan Ward.

Glossary of musical terms

Attacca

Immediate continuation of the next movement

Bar

Group of notes within bare lines

Barrel

Piece of the clarinet between mouth piece and upper finger board, important for intonation and sound quality

FINE

End of the composition

Fingering

Finger technique

Measure

Single beat in a bar

Movement

Single part in a set of parts within a composition

Pitch

Height/intonation of a note

Reed

Sound producing part of the clarinet at the mouthpiece

Score

Composition in a written form

Timbre

Sound colour

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Hahnengress, M.L., Böning, D. Cardiopulmonary changes during clarinet playing. Eur J Appl Physiol 110, 1199–1208 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00421-010-1576-6

Download citation

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00421-010-1576-6

Keywords

Search

Navigation