Apparantly I am really tense when I play, and someone commented on it tonight as well. I try to relax but it obviously doesn't work.

Any tips?

Before you start playing, loosen your arms and hands and shake them.

Get a friend to sit by you while you play, and at random suddenly tap lightly under your wrist (where it joins the hand). If your wrist is tense, your whole hand will lift off the keyboard. If it's loose, the fingers should stay in contact with the keys.

I described ways of countering this problem here.

Steve

Thanks Steve.

Helpful as always

as well as what steve said, which is all fantasic stuff....sometimes its useful to check where you tense up.

like, take a short passage, play it at a challenging speed, and stop at certain points, and completely relax - ie make your wrists floppy, elbows out, shoulders relaxed, back muscles relaxed as well...........it will probably give you a good indication as to what type of passages tense you up the most.

I'm too tense all the time.