Pay Attention to Tension

Over the past three weeks, we’ve explored the three essential elements for creating a beautiful shinobue tone: the quality of your breath, the direction of your breath, and your fingering.

But there’s one hidden culprit that can quietly undo all of your hard work—tension.

Whether it’s in your mouth, shoulders, throat, hands, or even your thoughts, tension robs your playing of freedom, resonance, and expression.

This week, let’s talk about how to recognize it, release it, and let your sound flow effortlessly.

How tension can sabotage the quality of your breath

In daily life, breathing is automatic—we don’t think about it with each inhale and exhale.

But have you ever noticed that when you’re nervous or tense, you hold your breath?
It’s as if you “forget” to breathe.

When we’re panicking, people tell us to take a deep breath because it helps us relax. That’s how deeply tension and breath are connected.

With shinobue, you can’t simply leave your breathing on “automatic mode.” To improve the quality of your breath, you have to breathe with intention.

When your body is tense, your breath can’t move freely. Tight shoulders or a stiff chest limit how much air you can take in. Instead of a smooth, steady stream of air, you get shallow or uneven breaths—making your tone airy, unstable, or weak.

And tension isn’t just physical—it’s mental. Thoughts like, “I have to nail this kan-on,” or “Why can’t I play this phrase without running out of air?” or “I must play perfectly in front of this audience” can cause your body to stiffen without you realizing it.

When that happens, don’t rush straight into playing. Chances are, you’ll “forget” to take a full breath and just push through the notes with all your might.

Instead, pause.

Check your posture.
Relax your shoulders.
Take a conscious, low breath—feeling your diaphragm drop.
Only then, begin to play.

How tension affects the direction of your breath

In the newsletter two weeks ago, we talked about how the direction of your breath is mostly shaped by your embouchure—how you use your lips.

But tension in your lips, jaw, facial muscles and even your tongue can stop you from forming a relaxed embouchure. And a tense embouchure creates a tense sound.

Sometimes, even trying too hard to create the “perfect” embouchure can backfire—making you more tense without realizing it.

Pressing the shinobue too firmly against your lips is another common cause. This pressure can subtly change the angle of your breath and throw off your tone.

As you play, OBSERVE your mouth without judgment.

Don't try to create any specific embouchure shape. Just FEEL your mouth and check if there is any tension.

Use a mirror to visually observe your mouth. Do you see a lot of tension around your mouth and cheeks?

A relaxed embouchure doesn’t happen overnight. It takes trial, error, and gentle adjustment. But the more you practice with awareness, the more natural—and beautiful—it will become.

Tension and fingering

When your hands, wrists, arms or shoulders are tense, your fingers lose their agility. Instead of moving freely and quickly, they feel stiff and sluggish—making it harder to seal the holes cleanly.

Tense fingers often land too softly, leaving the holes partially open and creating fuzzy or unstable notes.

Tension also slows you down. When you’re gripping the shinobue tightly or holding your hands in a rigid position, your muscles have to “unlock” before they can move. That split-second delay can throw off fast passages and smooth transitions.

As you play, pay attention to shoulders, arms, elbows, wrists and hands, one part at a time.

Feel each part and relax it as you play.

When your body is relaxed, you can think more clearly too.

Then you can tackle fingering issues your song presents with clarity.

Be present. Pay attention to your body.

Tension is sneaky—it can creep into your breath, your embouchure, and your fingers without you even realizing it.

But the moment you NOTICE and let it go, your tone, control, and expression can transform.

The more you practice playing in a relaxed state, the more natural it will become—on stage, in rehearsal, and even in everyday life.

Remember, a free body makes a free sound.