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Guitar chord forum - chordie → Chordie's Chat Corner → Relaxing while playing.
I've always been told I have to tight of a grip on my guitar. It's weird, sometimes im to tense on my picking hand and some times its my fretting hand. Just depends on what I'm playing. Does anyone have any tips on just relaxing?
I have the same problem and still haven't figured it out, then I start sweating all over my strings and then I need new strings 
I hope there's some good tips here 
Kenny
Heya Selso,
I seem to relax on songs that I have been playing a long time and am comfortable playing alone or in a crowd. When I don't have the lyrics down or have to think to hard I get uptight. It seems practice and more practice going over the same old songs really seems to help.
I don't think Russell gets to uptight anymore, I haven't been playing as long as Russ but I'm startin to mellow, as the years go by you will wonder what you were so uptight about
Red Wine also works, and I know Kenny has loosened up with a couple beers , Some fellas smoke a cigarette or even a lefthander. Then some folks chill out with a little Ice Cream , do whatever gets you in the zone
Think about your posture - are you twisting yourself around the guitar, are you tightening your shoulders,arms, wrists, fingers etc. If so, you could try shaking yourself loose before you play, deliberately thinking about loosening the muscles that you are tightening before you play. you can also shake your fretting hand loose while you play - for instance hitting open strings within the chord - it will often give your muscles the break they need.
Another thing is your breathing. many people stop breathing while they play, and gasp breaths whenever they can. Try finding a breathing pattern that matches the strum pattern. It all reduces the stress level.
StranSong,
Did you have to mention posture? This is one of my bad habits that I need to break! I play a lot in front of the computer rared back in my chair with my feet upon the desk. Then when I actually try to do the song standing or sitting up straight it feels different. As I said,A habit I need to break!
Paddling. Sounds weird, but when you paddle into whitewater you need to be both focused and calm but the adrenaline is rushing from the sound of water falling over rocks and the current getting swifter. So there you are looking at the rapid and heart rate's up and shoulders are tense, but you have to overcome the tension or you're going to spill because you have to be physically loose to navigate the boat. So you have to be both excited and calm at the same time. Once figuring out how to do that, it's transferable to guitar.
- Zurf
I have the same problem. One of the things I do to combat it is to practice without using my thumb. I take it off the neck completely, and only use pressure from my fingers. It's an odd feeling. That, and a sample of Jameson 18, neat, often do the trick.
I'm not sure you need to "just relax" ALL the time.
As a lifelong drummer, when I started playing the uke, I quickly learned that the same principals that applied to gripping the sticks a certain way also apply to the way I finger the fretboard or attack the strings. It all depends on the effect you are trying to achieve.
Certainly, when I'd sit up perfectly straight, straddle the drum stool, and attack the snare drum with my stick at a 45 degree angle, I would produce a much more forceful, robotic type of feel than when I sat back and let my sticks "dance" on the drums. On the uke, I find the instrument sounds completely different when I hug it to my chest, dig the finger nails of my left hand into the frets, and use short, firm strokes to produce a rhythm. This is often a desired effect, as opposed to the sweeter tone and feel created by gently cradling the instrument in my arms and brushing the tops of my finger nails across the strings.
I guess what I'm trying to say is that, maybe, keeping a tight grip on your guitar is not a "problem," but an element of your style. Perhaps, rather than being down on yourself for it, you just need to add "another" style to your bag of tricks!
I agree with Papa. Who says you have to have a relaxed grip. If your grip works for you then do it. Obviously you can't play if you have rigamortis, but if that's the case you wouldn't be playing guitar. You've been playing long enough to know how to do it and what it should feel like. Don't let others tell you how it should be. Everyone is different.
I agree with Papa. Who says you have to have a relaxed grip. If your grip works for you then do it. Obviously you can't play if you have rigamortis, but if that's the case you wouldn't be playing guitar. You've been playing long enough to know how to do it and what it should feel like. Don't let others tell you how it should be. Everyone is different.
I feel like I need to loosen up. It really hinders my playing and my endurance.
>>I feel like I need to loosen up. It really hinders my playing and my endurance.<<<
Then I suggest starting by taking "inventory" of all your muscles before you pick up your guitar. For me, tenseness manifests itself in my shoulders and my jaw. Any time I'm feeling stressed, whether playing or just hanging out, I notice that my shoulders are scrunched up to my ears and my jaw is clenched like a pit bull. Once I identify the problem and take a deep breath, my whole body relaxes.
This whole process takes 15 seconds.
By the way, I didn't mean to marginalize your problem. I had to work through the same problem with my mountain biking. For a while, I was gripping the handlebars way too hard and causing all kinds of aches and pains every time I went out for what was supposed to be an enjoyable ride. Fixing the problem was 100% psychological.
>>I feel like I need to loosen up. It really hinders my playing and my endurance.<<<
Then I suggest starting by taking "inventory" of all your muscles before you pick up your guitar. For me, tenseness manifests itself in my shoulders and my jaw. Any time I'm feeling stressed, whether playing or just hanging out, I notice that my shoulders are scrunched up to my ears and my jaw is clenched like a pit bull. Once I identify the problem and take a deep breath, my whole body relaxes.
This whole process takes 15 seconds.
By the way, I didn't mean to marginalize your problem. I had to work through the same problem with my mountain biking. For a while, I was gripping the handlebars way too hard and causing all kinds of aches and pains every time I went out for what was supposed to be an enjoyable ride. Fixing the problem was 100% psychological.
Oh, I didnt take it that way at all. There's some really good advice here.
I found I needed to relax while reading this thread, so I had a Bud and been workin on gripping it just right. I think it's helping. When I pick up my guitar I have the same problem as Selso so I try to just fret the strings hard enough to have a clean chord. You'll find relaxing the grip will increase your speed.
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