Yes! We’ve all got to breathe when playing but arrangers will often not write the breathing into a chart, but if they do, make sure you recognise the symbol.
There are two symbols, an apostrophe or a tick (just after the note) to indicate that you breathe between that note and the next.
I was recently sent a baritone part that was ’unplayable’ if I were to play every note as the full length notated on the chart – I was essentially emulating a bass guitar part on the baritone. This doesn’t mean the chart was wrong. As the player it’s my responsibility to make breathing decisions on the fly. That means picking the spot that makes the best choice for the music as a whole (maybe every 4 or 8 bars) and doing the same on each repeat of the phrase.
You could look for a big leap and breathe between the notes, allowing a fresh tongue on the new higher or lower note but only if doing this does not interrupt the flow of the phrase (a good example is when a vocalist breathes in-between syllables, which always annoys me!). Or look at the phrasing and see if it’s better to make the lines run smoothly by breathing mid-bar.
Recreate the written part with the minimum disruption to the music.
Make sure you mark the breathing for yourself and always play it the same. I will often want to play a long phrase in one breath but need a reminder at the start of the phrase to take a “big breath”. Write those words in. It helps me. In fact, never be afraid to write ANYTHING on a chart that helps you personally to perform the music better.
Finally, if the arranger/composer is around, discuss it with them to decide what is best for the music.
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