The Secret to Being Relaxed Playing the Piano

Welcome to LivingPianos.com. I’m Robert Estrin. Today we’re going to uncover a powerful secret that can transform the way you approach your piano playing—how to truly relax at the piano. To demonstrate, we’ll take a look at Chopin’s Waltz in A-flat major, Op. 34 No. 1. But before jumping into the music, let’s lay a foundation with some essential principles.

Strength Is the Foundation of Relaxation
There’s a common misconception that relaxation at the piano is all about letting go and staying loose. But as my father used to say, “The secret to relaxation is developing strength.”

If your hands and fingers are weak, you’ll find yourself contorting your body to make the music come out. Think about trying to lift something heavy—if you don’t have the strength, you’re going to strain, and strain is the opposite of relaxation. But if you’re strong, lifting becomes fluid and easy. The same concept applies to the piano. Without strength, you can’t play with control, and without control, there’s no real relaxation.

Sit Right, Play Right
Before even playing a note, your sitting position can make a huge difference. It’s easy to overlook—maybe you’re in a rush and just sit down without thinking. But the bench position should be precise. You don’t want to be too close, with the bench pressed against the back of your legs. You also don’t want to be too far away. The height matters too—your arms should be relatively parallel to the floor. A proper setup makes relaxed playing possible just like the precise embouchure of a wind player is critical.

The Practice Habit No One Talks About
Here’s something I do all the time when practicing—and I don’t think I’ve ever mentioned it before. When playing a passage, I intentionally give my hand micro-breaks. I let it go completely limp in between small segments of notes.

Let’s look at this Chopin Waltz. There’s a passage that’s long and flowing, and if you try to play it all at once, it can feel tight and awkward. It can even sound forced! But instead of tackling all eight measures at once, break things into small groups. Take just the first few notes. That’s it. If that’s still difficult, break it down further, making sure your fingers are comfortably in position over each next group of keys. Eventually, your hand learns the patterns and positions, and the notes just fall into place.

Let Your Hand Go Limp
Now here’s the secret—when moving from one group to the next, let your hand go totally limp. No tension. But—and this is key—be exactly over the next notes. That’s what keeps you from reaching and straining, which is where tension creeps in. When your hands land already in place, the next group of notes can be played effortlessly. You’re not stretching or fighting the keyboard. You’re just flowing from one hand position to the next.

Build Passages the Smart Way
This technique works throughout the passage. Take the next segment and break it down the same way. You can go as small as you need to. Practice until each group feels totally natural, with no excess effort. Eventually, you’ll have seven little passages that make up the full section. When putting them together, allow that moment of complete relaxation between each one. That’s what makes it all feel light and fluid. Even at full tempo, your hand remembers the shapes and motions. You’re not thinking of an eight-measure phrase anymore—you’re just playing short, relaxed bursts of notes.

Shrink the Space, Keep the Ease
First, take all the time you need. Really let go in between each note group. As you improve, you can shorten the space between them until it flows naturally. Try practicing just two groups at a time. Make the space between them smaller with each repetition. You’ll build control and ease step by step.

Practice Relaxation
This is the secret: Practice relaxation as part of your playing. Don’t just power through long passages. Break them into manageable parts, and insert moments of complete relaxation between them. Of course, make sure you’re sitting properly and continue to build strength—that’s essential. But right now, start practicing these built-in moments of relaxation, and you’ll notice an immediate difference. You won’t feel like you’re struggling through long lines of notes. You’ll be dancing through them in small, comfortable phrases.

Give it a try, and see what a difference it makes in your playing! Let us know how it works for you in the comments here at LivingPianos.com Your Online Piano Resource.