Check this out If you can read Spanish, it's a lot easier to understand sometimes, because his English isn't the best, but the tutorial's quite good, even though I still can't do it

I really want to learn to do circular breathing, but I'm having a bit of trouble. I'm trying the straw thing, where you have to blow through the straw into water and breath through your nose at the same time without sipping the water by accident... I can do it for about two seconds and then I end up choking!

Does anybody have any tips?

another you tube tutorial

This is by an American oboist. She has uploaded a few different oboe tutorial type vids which are quite interesting.

I am still trying to sort out my normal breathing technique so won't be bothering with circular breathing for a while yet!

Thanks The problem I have is co-ordinating the breathing in with the breathing out. Which is the whole point of it I suppose, so I've got a lot of work to do!

I could never do it with a straw but I can do it (not particularly well) on oboe. First practice filling your cheeks with air, closing your throat and using your cheeks to push the air through to continue the note. Once you've done that, try opening your throat again at the end and continuing the normal breathing. Once you can do that start taking a small breath through your nose while your cheeks are deflating and start breathing out again through the oboe before your mouth runs out of air.

It's tricky, I recommend high, more resistant notes to practice with as the air lasts longer, high C is a good one.

Hope this helps!