Need help relaxing

[brad9292]

My teacher has really been tryin to get me to relax when I play lately. Now that I actually look I do notice I tense up alot when I'm playing almost anything. I've tried stopping (for a few weeks) but I always seem to end up tensing up again. I've tried thing like thinking of the ocean and stuff like that while playing but I always tense up. Is there anything you guys do to relax?

[Victor_se]

Well I have the same problem but the only thing that works for me is start to play VEEEERY slow and check my Posture and tension.

I only play a Basic groove and slowly get the speed up, but if i feel tense I reduce the speed

it has been working for me really Well, now i can relax a lot while playing

[jeffwj]

I find that students who are tense usually need to work on their technique. Poor technique breeds tension. Start with a pad or snare drum and analyze your technique. Are you choking up on the stick? Are you throwing the stick down and letting it bounce back or are you bringing the stick back yourself? These are questions you need to ask of yourself.

Joe Morello's DVD, A Natural Approach to Technique is a great resource in helping you develop a loose grip.

Jeff

[Royal]

My teacher has really been tryin to get me to relax when I play lately. Now that I actually look I do notice I tense up alot when I'm playing almost anything. I've tried stopping (for a few weeks) but I always seem to end up tensing up again. I've tried thing like thinking of the ocean and stuff like that while playing but I always tense up.





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[zambizzi]

Bwuahaha! The Connecticut Housewives' Cocktail...hilarious Royal.

I tensed up quite a bit when I started...not from nerves but more from excitement and adrenalin. I've since learned that you can play with the same energy and intensity but without killing yourself...but rather playing very, very relaxed.

Sit up straight, let the shoulders rest, let the arms rest at your side...move with your fingers and your wrists, for the most part. Watch the big names play...they have a way of making it look so smooth and effortless...this is how it should feel when you play.

[Royal]

That's the difference between practicing in your home & playing a gig with your band.....
The nerves/tension/edge, call it what you will.
Makes us play better....

Love it.

[Big_Philly]

I accidently took an overdose of Ibuprofen (a pain killer / muscle relaxant medicine) the other day, that helped against both my hangover and the tensing up. Too bad i had an overdose though... I didn't notice they were double concentration pills. I was a little ill after that... So I wouldn't recommend it.

[Meditative Drumz]

I went to Jojo Mayer's amazing clinic last weekend and personally asked him a similar question.
I asked him if he ever needs to remind himself to relax while playing. He basically said yes, that we are all human and relaxing is primarily a mental perception. He also said getting tense can just creep up and build to the point of discomfort, so it's important to have the right perception... that "it's just music".
I used to become tense and received comments from some of my teachers to "relax". It was frustrating because it seemed like I could not control my level of relaxation. That is until I figured out what I was doing... I was so concerned and intent upon expressing myself through the drums and the music that I would actually tense up. I was really "into it" so who cares if I was tense, right? Wrong. Tensing up destroys groove fluidity and can make your wrists and forearms become temporarily paralyzed. I now know that being "into the music" and "feeling it" does not mean you have to "try harder".
I find that technique practice and repetitive motions help to relax and can be quite meditative.

[foursticks]

My teacher has really been tryin to get me to relax when I play lately. Now that I actually look I do notice I tense up alot when I'm playing almost anything. I've tried stopping (for a few weeks) but I always seem to end up tensing up again. I've tried thing like thinking of the ocean and stuff like that while playing but I always tense up. Is there anything you guys do to relax?

Take a deep breath! Work on breathing. You'll be surprised by how breathing seriously affects tension, etc. So if you make sure you're breathing regularly and comfortably whilst playing then you will be able to relax more.

[spw]

You have to practice NOT being tense.

[zambizzi]

You have to practice NOT being tense.

Exactly, I think of it as part of my everyday practice regimen now. I've repositioned my kit so that I use less of my shoulders to move around the kit. Like foursticks said, breathing plays a big role. When I would really get into a jam with the band, I'd notice I was taking shorter breaths, or even holding my breath sometimes....baaaad news!

I literally have to remind myself when I stop being aware of my tension while playing - "sit up, breathe, and relax...just take it easy!" This is all internal monologue, BTW, or I'd be strapped to a cot in a padded room somewhere by now.