Muscle and mind relaxation

[faa2010]

The topic is very wide, but if there are solutions, playing piano will be easier.

Is there a way to know your muscles are relaxed to play?

What exercises could be useful, according to your experience, in order to relax your muscles and body?

How can you know that tension is built up only in muscles and not in mind or viceversa?

[keyboardclass]

Is there a way to know your muscles are relaxed to play?

No.  Only an experienced teacher can tell.

What exercises could be useful, according to your experience, in order to relax your muscles and body?

See You Must Relax by Jacobson

How can you know that tension is built up only in muscles and not in mind or viceversa?

Tension in the mind!??  Tension is using more effort than required - the instructions are in the mind, the tension in the body.

[nyiregyhazi]

Tension is using more effort than required - the instructions are in the mind, the tension in the body.

No, the specific type of tension known as MUSCULAR tension is using more effort than required. Mental tension also exists. It is a psychological state- which can manifest itself in physical tensions. While I personally feel that this aspect is vastly overstated (and that severe tensions are almost always caused by insufficient sensitivity towards the useful activities) to speak of mental tension is neither controversial nor open to being "corrected" via ill-judged attempts at pedantry. Have you honestly never heard such a broad word as tension used in a context other than of the very specific one that relates to muscles being overworked? That is a mere subset of the word's definition. Mental tension is a widely accepted concept and can most certainly contribute to muscular tensions.

[keyboardclass]

The Stalker Returns!  Be very afraid  

[nyiregyhazi]

The Stalker Returns!  Be very afraid  

I'm not rising to any bait. I posted to illustrate a transparent attempt to put down another poster, with a bogus correction. The single thing that draws the pedant in me is seeing someone trying to play devil's advocate via pedantry, but displaying less factual accuracy than what they purported to "correct". However, I'm done, thankyou.

[jayeckz]

There are many ways to check whether you've built up tension.

1) After playing a passage turn your palm towards your face.
2) Check your wrists while you play.  Lightly tap the bottom of your wrist while playing a passage with one hand.  You'll be able to tell if you're tense or not.  If someone is around, have someone randomly tap the bottom of your wrist while you're playing.
3) Look at your hands.  Do they look tense?  For example, a lot of beginners have a tendency to put unnecessary pressure in their thumbs and make their thumb curl outwards.

There are many more methods.  If you have a teacher and the teacher hasn't taught you how to recognize tension in your playing, you need to find a new teacher.