What things do you do to relax the hands and forearms?

[Bob]

Mine seem a bit tight lately.  Although I'm 100% sure that necessarily bad.

[j_tour]

First thing:  if you have to wear gloves as part of a straight job, take them off every chance you can, just air them out.

Second:  I stretch my fingers, elbows, and probably more importantly, my arms, shoulders, and backs pretty religiously.

That's my secret weapon -- really combats day-to-day stress, loosens you up, gets your core/upper-body in shape to sit down for a number of full sessions a day.

No, jokers, I'm not talking about some Schumann finger stretcher, just carefully working all the elements.  Takes five minutes, but I repeat it at least a few times a day.

Aside from that, just scales either from the Czerny Op. 740 (ones he cribbed straight from Beethoven), or a few select passages from Beethoven.  Or other passage-work from others.

Unfortunately, even though the Bach Sinfonias are part of my daily routine (I don't do them all, every day, but eventually I work through once a week or so), they aren't IMHO ideal for just relaxing tension -- even if they're not the most demanding music, they take some doing.

OH -- hey, just hand-drumming (LIGHT touch) to....I don't know like Clyde Stubblefield with James Brown. 

That keeps you loose, I guarantee it, even if James Brown is a little "uptight."  Substitute any other kind of simple pop music -- second-line New Orleans stuff.

Anything that works the kinks out does it for me -- plus basic relaxed posture IRL and some careful but still productive stretches.

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And, of course, just BREATHING while playing your basic repertoire routine -- that was a huge lesson for me that helped a lot.

I know some internet know-it-all guru is going to link to some book, but all I know is what I do.

[hardy_practice]

It's really a don't do.  Reading Jacobson's You must Relax won't hurt though.

[j_tour]

It's really a don't do.  Reading Jacobson's You must Relax won't hurt though.

Well, the title sounds promising.

And, who could argue with the premise, at least stated in the title?

To me there isn't any option -- I can't get results without correct, relaxed upper body. 

Sure, you can struggle through some pieces, but another idea is that you just plain won't enjoy it, playing like that. 

Even though real art music is serious, it should still be somewhat enjoyable, even if it's hard work to mentally concentrate.

[Bob]

Still thinking about this.  I stumbled upon "nerve flossing" which is interesting along with this.  I'm thinking even movement at the extreme of motion range, pushing that a bit, and relaxing, is probably good.  Although the nerve flossing videos I've watched also include a certain "ok" hand position for the movement.