Tension

Sometimes when we play, certain parts of our body unnecessarily tighten up, when they should really be relaxed. Such tension can limit your ability to play. This lesson will focus on finding and getting rid of such tension.

Finding Tension

The first step is to find if there is any tension. Follow these steps:

• Put the guitar away. Your body will be naturally relaxed.
• Take your guitar, and get into the proper playing position. Notice if any parts tighten up when you get into position (This tension could be anywhere: your toes, your fingers, or your tongue and eyebrows ). Moreover, your shoulder should not be raised; it should be in a normal position.
• If you found any tension, then you need to try to get rid of it. Try playing without the tension, and keep practicing until you feel naturally relaxed when in proper playing position.

Once you have gotten rid of such tension, we need to find tension that occurs when you play something. Follow these steps:

• Start playing something you know.
• Stop playing. Just as you stop playing, notice if any part of your body seems to relax. If there was a body part that immediately relaxed when you stopped playing, then the body part was tense, and we need to fix it.
• Now that you know the part that tightens up, try to play with that part relaxed. It may tense up even if you try to play with the part relaxed. In such a case, reduce your playing speed significantly, and then try to play without the tension. Practice playing without the tension for a while, and gradually increase speed until you are back at your normal speed, without the tension.

Sometimes, tension occurs when you play a particular song, or use a particular technique. Therefore, you should try the above process with different songs, especially the ones you find difficult.

Also note that finding and getting rid of tension is not just a one-time process. It is a life-long process that should be included into your practice routine, as tension can creep in anytime!

Here are two articles that deal mainly with the issue discussed above. I highly recommend giving them a read:

• Discover Your Discomfort - An article that will help you find tension.
• The Secret of Speed - Mainly about getting rid of such tension.