Hi all,

Often when I read on here I see people talking about releasing tension when they play. Can someone explain to me how you do this? It is something that has never been explained to me in my lessons.

I find smashing a sledgehammer through the instrument works a treat in releasing any pent-up tension*




*just kidding... Not sure what you mean, but I find that playing something attuned to your mood is very therapeutic (which may be the same sort of thing.)

Hmmm don't think it would quite work. Especially if i wanted to play again after.

Probably only works the once. Still, worth bearing in mind...

I forgot the disclaimers:

* Do not try this at home.
* Only do this if you have more money than sense.

This is a serious and significant question and deserves a more serious answer.

It is certainly true that excess tension gets in the way. Apart from the mental problems of increased risk of wrong notes, uncontrolled dynamics, stilted rhythms, memory lapses and the like, there is a purely physical effect too. The hands are stiffer and simply do not work properly. At worst the whole hand can literally sieze rigid and stop functioning. For singers and wind players the problem can be tension in the diphragm and rib cage - restricting the breathing. At worst this can make it impossible - lterally physically impossible - to play or sing a single note The mind and body are not separate so far as tension and its effects are concerned.

Like most things in music I don't think there are any short cuts to learning to relax under performance conditions (apart from beta blockers perhaps). It takes time to learn to be calm and relaxed when you are performing. In part it is just a matter of becoming familiar and comfortable with the situation, but so far as I can tell that is not sufficient in itself to be enough.

Percy Grainger used to walk from city to city for piano recitals - sometimes dozens of miles - so as to arrive exhausted, and hence incapable of being tense. But I do not recommend that. Besides I think Grainger was certifiably nuts, if the biogrpahers are to be believed.

Many many musicians proactice Yoga or TaiChi and I testify that both are very effective. They are probably also the least expensive way to learn relaxation and calmness

Also very useful is body re-education with the Alexander Technique or its offshoots and imitators, but at about 25 pounds a time for one-on-one sessions, and for the need to continue them at least weekly for several months make it a more costly option.

NLP (Neuro Linguistic Programming) has a bad reputation in some quarters - and its efficacy has been grossly overstated - but under a practitioner that knows what they are doing your habitual patterns of thought and action can be quickly changed for alternatives that are more conducive to your goals. But it tends to be expensive. Typical fees are in the hundreds of pounds per session.

Other options, of which I have no personal experience, but that are used by some are massage, TM, and hypnosis.

Hypnosis could be worth a look. Several people at work have stopped smoking this way, so I don't see why it couldn't be adapted to address anxiety. Would this be considered as "cheating" by purists, and could it have negative side effects, I wonder?

Releasing tension is a huge subject that is often not discussed in lessons. Every situation with tension is different, just as our bodies and mannerisms are, but there are also common trends that appear in a number of players.

Releasing tension whilst playing is something unconscious for many players who don't realise they are doing it, it is just a natural part of playing. Generally speaking, the release of tension whilst you are playing is done in the wrists - it is important not to have static wrists and to allow them to ebb and flow. Everytime you move a finger, muscles are tensing then releasing in the up and down action. The same is true of your writst, although it is more common here not to do the releasing!

If you think about it terms of music - in traditional harmonic patterns, there are tension points and release points (Bach's 2nd Prelude from WTK Bk 1 is a prime example!). So it is with your wrist - if there is a tension point when your wrists may tighten up for a particular movement, then there should be a release point created to negate the tension in the previous movement - does that make sense?

Somtimes tension is due to a lack of finger strength or a weak hand position. When you are playing more complex/difficult pieces where your fingers have to do more work and you have weak fingers, your wrists and arms will start to compensate by tensing up to 'take the strain'. In cases like this, it can often be a long time before the cause of the tension is discovered. The main reason is because, if I for example asked someone with wrist tension caused by weak fingers to change their hand position so that their fingers did the work instead of the arm, they would find it very difficult to play as the fingers are not used to this! You would have to start seriously focusing on uilding strength, which is hard and needs discipline, so it is often simpler and easier for the player to continue as they were before. People with this problem tend to find that they "can't play" certain pieces that are within their level, and this is frequently put down to the piece "not suiting their hand shape" or some nonsense like that. This can lead to people reaching a point where they can't progress any further after a while, which is sad, because if time was taken to correct the problem, a whole new world of music would be opened to them!

Tension can also be caused by tension in the back and shoulders, which may be a result of a not-optimal sitting position. Tension in this area can also be due to stress or anxiety completely unrelated to your playing, such as a family problem, money worries, etc, which is where general relaxation and things like the Alexander Technique and Yoga come in - It is unbelieveably important for musicians to understand the importance of the effect of thier lives on their music and to create a balance in their minds and bodies so that their playing might also be in balance. The way we play and express ourselves on our instrument is so integrally linked to our inner being.


There are a number of things you can do to check whether you are releasing tension and to remedy it, although it is a huge subject and for a tension problem, it involves being aware of your playing and may take a couple of practice sessions to resolve, or several months.

As one example: sit at the piano, shake your arms out at your sides, take a few deep breaths and relax your shoulders and arms. There is a good sitting sequence that you can try to begin with that really helps with aligning your body in a relaxed, yet focused and alert position, which also helps relieve tension:

• sit at the piano in your normal position
• place your feet square on the floor, about hip width apart
• lift up your toes, keeping your heels on the floor, then lay them down slowly - 1 at a time if you can (works best with shoes off!)
• lift your heels, keeping your toes on the floor, then place them down and slightly back, establishing a firm grounding
• tighten/draw in your abdominal muscles slightly - this supports your spine and can help you feel more alert (I don't know if you like yoga, but it is believed that the stomach can be the centre of the body's energy)
• roll your shoulders forward, then back, placing them back and slightly down - not too much than is comfortable though!
• stretch your arms down at your sides, armpits slightly open, palms facing outwards - reach through your fingertips to the floor
• turn your hands so that your hands are facing frontwards, reaching down and feeling a warm stretch in your arms
• after this, take a few deeps breaths and feel more centred and relaxed

This is a basic exercise to begin with, which can help instil a calm and focus in you. After this, you can try an exercise to promote flexibility in the wrists, which I mentioned on another thread about wrist flexibility here a while ago.

It goes like this and is so so beneficial to anybody:

- Place your fingers on E, F#, G#, A# & C. (or I guess F, F#, G# A#, B might be better if you have small hands)
- Press the notes down (gently - don't use much force, just enough to make them go down)
- Now rotate your wrists slowly a few times in 1 direction, aiming for full circles rather than side to side motion, which is what tends to happen when you have inflexible wrists.
- Then do the same with the other hand.
- Lastly, do both hands again, but in the opposite directions to the first time.

Really try to make ths circles as large as you can, making your wrist sink deep below the keys. If you can make big circles, don't worry - that is what this exercise helps you do - just start with what you can and aim to gradually increase the distances. Try also to lead with the bone on your wrist (the little bump that sticks out slightly).

If you do this a couple of times each day (not too much and not strain yourself) you'll find that your wrist flexibility gets better.

Sorry for such a long post, but tension release is so important! Piano playing should be like wearing an onld pair of slippers that are so comfortable you hardly feel you are wearing them - by this I mean that you should not feel uncomfortable whilst playing, every movement should be easy and fluid. Now of course this is simple to say and not always so simple to do, but that is part of the learning process of the instrument!

And you are the man for the job no doubt

Thanks to Mad Tom and Cadence for their detailed replies.

This is a huge topic and more than can be satisfactorily covered on here. I'm trying to clobber this one with a couple of books I have on the go; one is Mastering Piano Technique by Seymour Fink ( ) and the other is Improve Your Piano Playing by John Meffen. (You see, MT I do listen!)

I think any book that addresses the way you hold your posture and use your arms/wrists will be useful in dealing with the problem of tension (although I can't quite get my head around some of the exercises described in the Fink - it should come with a dvd!)

At first, I wondered if the OP was meaning how to build tension and then release it in the music, which would be a different thing altogether.

If you look on sheetmusicplus.com i believe you can get a dvd version of the Fink

So you can. Thanks! It's the thick end of £20 but pay day approaches so I might treat myself.

Thanks all for your replies. It was in general just a question that i had wondered about, however recently I hve found that my forearms do tense whle playing certain pieces.
I will try soem of the advice given here.
Thanks all.

What can you all tell me about tension in the back? I often get tense at the top of my back near my shoulder blades and across my shoulders after practising for a while, but i've found that I only get this tension when I use our piano at home (which I obviously use the most, which is annoying), but not on my piano teacher's piano. Is there anything I can do to prevent this?

Jacob.

Preliminary things to check for:

- is the stool at a different height or less comfortable?
- does one have a 'lighter' or 'heavier' action than the other?
- are there any extra pressures or worries on your mind when you are playing at home or do you have to concentrate harder (background noise perhaps)?

Cadence, what do you mean by a 'release point'? I understood the rest of your very detailed answer but this has baffled me.

Well in music we talk about tension and resolution - is it easier to think of in that way?

I didn't think that "resolution" really worked as a description when I was talking about physical tension.

What I meant by 'release point' was simply the point/moment that you release, or begin to release, the tension that you have just briefly made.

- is the stool at a different height or less comfortable?
The piano stool we have at home isn't adjustable, which is rather annoying, where as my piano teacher has a very nice adjustable one. Thinking about it now, our piano stool at home is quite high. I like to play with the stool fairly high, and will always make it a little taller when I go to my piano teachers house (and I'm over a foot taller than her), but I'm never uncomfortable at her house.

- does one have a 'lighter' or 'heavier' action than the other?
My piano teacher has a Steinway Concert Grand that seems to have exactly the touch I want, it's not too heavy, nor too light (it's a bit of a Goldilocks and the three bears piano!).
At home, we have an electric Roland which I hate, but the action isn't too bad, it's pretty good as electrics go, but i've never noticed it as a huge problem for strain, it only frustrates me because It doesn't do what it's told like the Steinway usually does!

- are there any extra pressures or worries on your mind when you are playing at home or do you have to concentrate harder (background noise perhaps)?
I wont play certain things if certain people are in the house. My mum is a piano teacher, so she knows what i'm supposed to play, but I don't see this as a problem as such, it just annoys me when she nags!
I think i'm a little tense if my dad is around, because as far as he's aware, i'm a concert pianist (which i'm far from!), so thats a little stressful.
I also have to compete with drums at certain times!

Jacob.

Right thanks. I've got that but am still a little unsure about how to actually go about releasing it, or is it different for everyone, I am probably being a little slow here.

Yes, indeed.

I'm sure tension in varying ways and degrees is much more of a problem than is often thought.

I remember a young concert pianist demonstrating the difference between tense/relaxed arm and shoulder in playing a fast fluid run of notes - and the difference in tone was enormous - the tense state seemed to block the sound, whereas the relaxed arm allowed resonance.

I take great care with sitting and posture of pupils, and often do a few minutes of relaxation at the start of a lesson - especially with adults who seem to harbour tension more than children do. However there are things Cadence's list I have not generally tried - so thank you for a more comprehensive list and some other ideas.

I think I recognise that!

In my case it's because of my bad eyesight. It's really not that bad (and I wear glasses when reading music), but being tense, or tired, or unconfident about the notes I'm reading makes it worse. The sum effect is one of leaning into the music on the stand. It's not just eyesight, it's a feeling of "I need to really examine this music closely otherwise I'll get it wrong". Hence it can happen to anyone in certain moods, even if they have perfect eyesight.

Try this as an exercise:

a) Sit at the piano with your back absolutely straight. You want to feel that your head, neck and back are sitting comfortably right on top of the bones you sit on, and your back curves inwards from your waist to a point halfway up your back. Pull the stool forward or backwards so that your hands are able to reach and play the keys. Put your hands reasonably far apart on the keyboard - maybe as far apart as the they are when you let them hang by your side - and leave your elbows relaxed. Ignore any music on the stand.

b) In contrast. Lean forward from the position in (a). Put your hands closer together. Your elbows fly outwards and upwards. Drop your head forward and downwards - as if you were unable to read the music on the stand and had to get closer to it. Notice how your back collapses backwards so it's no longer curved. Your shoulders rise and your shoulder-blades may move inwards towards your spine.

Then move back to (a) again.

(b), of course, is the wrong position - a deliberately exaggerated wrong position! I don't recommend holding this position - doing it is just to make you conscious of what it feels like. What may well be happening is that you're doing (b) - to a much smaller extent of course - but enough to tense up your shoulders and back.

A mirror can really help, or having someone (your teacher?) watch you as you sit and play. There may be something about your home piano that encourages you to do this:

a) Bad light, so the music's hard to read?
b) Stool can't be adjusted upwards/downwards or forwards/backwards to give you the best position?
c) Different height of keyboard, or pedals harder to reach?
d) Not having a teacher watching you and correcting your posture? (I get this effect when I'm practising!)

It's really easy to sort out, it just takes noticing what's happening and gently changing it (my account of what causes this for me may not be entirely correct for you). Hopefully your teacher can help with this.

Good luck!