Tips on increasing lung capacity?

This question is very basic and requires a simple answer. The BEST way to increase your lung capacity is through YOGA and Meditation. By maximing your breathing, inhale and exhale, everything will fall in place.

What your having problem with is AIR Management of the Lungs. Check out YOGA techniques and you WILL see that it will unlock the secret to your breathing.

Here are some of the things that my trumpet prof. has given me:

1) Do a breathing excercise involving counts. Start at 2/4, 3/4, etc. Work your way up, breathing in 2, out two. Make sure to do it slowly, around 60 BPMs, and that your exhaling ends right on the last beat. If you completely fill and empty your lungs, this will help not only with capacity but also control.

2) This one's going to sound weird. Go online and look up a breathing bag (you want the rubber black one, despite the fact that it's more expensive.) Now, before you start practicing a piece of music, breathe in and out of the bag in time with what you would be playing. Example: Your music is in 4/4, so breath out and tongue the rhythms of the first measure, the breath the air back in on beat 1 of the second measure. This is going to make you dizzy. Really dizzy. So make sure not to overdo it, or you'll make yourself sick. However, this benefits you in that after you do this for a bit, immediately start playing the music with your instrument with little to no pause in between using the bag. You should notice an immediate difference, as using the bag trains your body to use proper air according to what your playing. You'll be surprised at what you can do with a small amount of air when it's utilized properly.

I hope this helps. Good luck and keep up the music!

Practice whole notes with a tuner and a metronome. Start with scales up and down and work your way into melodies. Following the breath marks on the music will improve your phrasing and lung capacity. Don't forget the dynamics, that will really stretch your lung capacity.

Deep breaths, when you exhale push the remainding air out 20 min exercises a day should drastically increase lung capacity.

Other suggestions may be helpful but add these

Practice breathing in quickly

Sustain a single note as softly as possible and still maintain a quality sound.

This should be the first part of your warm up each practice or performance.

start blowing of balloons for increasing the capacity of lungs

This works for screaming, should work for playing that.. I use this to Help me hold longer screams. Try to flex the lower part of you abdominals, and breath in really deep. Release and push while trying to blow outwards.

Try doing some breathing excersises :)