Does alcohol help you sing better?

SBassman · #1 08-19-2008, 10:51 AM

Do you think drinking something with alcohol content during a gig helps you sing better or worse?

I always thought Beer loosened up my throat. People have told me it's not possible, but I really think it helps my vocal chords.

Am I imagining it?

LowDown Hal · #2 08-19-2008, 11:02 AM

It helps you hear worse, er, better, I mean it all starts to sound better :-)

Visirale · #3 08-19-2008, 11:05 AM

Well I don't sing at all without alcohol, and with alcohol I always seem to end up doing karaoke. So take that for what it's worth.

But no one wants to hear a baritone/bass singing anyway

... unless I joined a barbershop quartet!

dave64o · #4 08-19-2008, 11:06 AM

The first time I ever sang in front of people I was extremely nervous. Did a few shots while warming up before the show and calmed down enough to get through it with no problems. That was the only time I ever did that though.

I haven't gigged in years, but when I did I always drank water or a soda.

Buskman · #5 08-19-2008, 11:09 AM

Alcohol helps you to think you sound better!

I'm pretty sure water (or something similar) would have the same effect on loosening your vocal chords.

But in all fairness, I'm guilty of "drinking on the job" too. So if it works for you - kick 'em back!

bongomania · #6 08-19-2008, 11:15 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Buskman

Alcohol helps you to think you sound better!

Exactly. Even though it also has the benefit of relaxing your nerves, it simultaneously reduces your ability to make the quick mental reactions needed to stay on pitch and in time, making you sing worse in reality- but everything sounds awesome to you.

SBassman · #7 08-19-2008, 11:23 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bongomania

Exactly. Even though it also has the benefit of relaxing your nerves, it simultaneously reduces your ability to make the quick mental reactions needed to stay on pitch and in time, making you sing worse in reality- but everything sounds awesome to you.

Is that true? That it will promote singing More out of tune?

Is there not any scientific benefit to beer on the throat/vocal chords, like some other known remedies:
- Greasy, salty potato chips
- Tea and honey

?

Philbiker · #8 08-19-2008, 11:29 AM

Grapefriut jiuce is better. But beer is more fun.

bongomania · #9 08-19-2008, 11:29 AM

Alcohol is an astringent, it dries your tissue out rather than moisturizing it. That's one of the reasons people want another drink even if they're not "alcoholics" or needing to get drunk- drinking alcohol actually makes you thirsty.

Greasy potato chips: the grease coats and lubricates your throat.
Tea: warm water moistens tissue and relaxes muscles.
Honey: coats and soothes surface tissue in throat.

bongomania · #10 08-19-2008, 11:32 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SBassman

I always thought Beer loosened up my throat. People have told me it's not possible, but I really think it helps my vocal chords.

Your first post actually paints the whole picture. A person who's been drinking will feel more relaxed (loosened up the throat) and will think they are singing better because their judgment is impaired.

SBassman · #11 08-19-2008, 11:46 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bongomania

Your first post actually paints the whole picture. A person who's been drinking will feel more relaxed (loosened up the throat) and will think they are singing better because their judgment is impaired.

Reading all your posts, it's clear you know the science of this.
Thanks.

Regarding me Thinking the beer loosens my throat:

I feel this even with half a beer, so it can't be the alcohol
messing up my judgement.

I guess I'll just chaulk it up to - wishful thinking - because the reality is - I can't sing very well. Ok, I suck.

Phalex · #12 08-19-2008, 11:50 AM

The more alcohol the audiance drinks, the better the band sounds. It really doesn't do me much good at all.

Rathead123 · #13 08-19-2008, 12:02 PM

Go watch a bunch of karaoke drunks and you decide..

*smb · #14 08-19-2008, 12:06 PM

You'd be better off with some warm water.

ric1312 · #15 08-19-2008, 12:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SBassman

Do you think drinking something with alcohol content during a gig helps you sing better or worse?

I always thought Beer loosened up my throat. People have told me it's not possible, but I really think it helps my vocal chords.

Am I imagining it?

One drink may help you relax a bit, wether that is beer or shot or a mixed drink. Sometimes the problem with singing is that you just need to relax.

However, alchohol dries out the lining of the throat and makes singing harder. Drink a few drinks and the alcohol fumes that evaporate as you drink effect your vocal cords and make singing well impossible. I was drinking vodka at a party and tried singing as joke after about five of them. Nope, sounded like a duck. Drinking alchohol will make you sound much worse beyond one or two drinks.

I have however drank ALOT and sang in the past in my wilder days. Here is my drinking and getting FUBARD guide, if you are intent on doing it.

1. avoid beer. It causes too much phlegm after just one and will clog your throat. Avoid drinks you know clog you up.

2. drink a lot of water while you are drinking to mitigate the drying effects of the alchohol.

3. If you are going to drink hard alchohol, make it a mixed drink, not a shot or straight. Again this will mitigate the drying effect of hard alchohol on the throats lining. My favorite was jack and coke. Got my buzz from the jack and the coke kept it from being to harsh. The caffiene in the pop also kept me from wanting to take a nap and relax too much from drinking.

4. Realize that you would most definately sing/sound better tottally straight, but the alchohol makes you relax and enjoy it more in many cases. Often times the quality of your singing isn't appreciated as much by an audience as you enthusiasm. Realize that you may be using drinking as crutch to get you into the performance. Keep in mind I could pull this off alright because I am a skilled singer and had practiced with this band for a couple of years. So, all the songs were well practiced in both straight and inebraited conditions. But, I would have sounded better were I always straight when singing.

Also, when you drink any fluid it does not directly flow over your vocal folds. When you drink or eat a little flap goes down to protect the airway from things getting into the lungs. This is why sometimes you choke on water, sometimes things get around this flap. This is why when it is really dry out and you have to sing it's a good Idea to use a humidifyer, the steam will go directly to the cords.

I'd also like to warn against having to have a drink or few to get in the mood or get over stage fright.

I and many musicians I've known have developed drinking habits because of performance. Best to nip that in the bud so you can seperate the two.

Now I use having a few as a reward for singing well AFTER a show. I don't even touch a beer before singing. After show, I have one or ten.

ric1312 · #16 08-19-2008, 12:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Visirale

Well I don't sing at all without alcohol, and with alcohol I always seem to end up doing karaoke. So take that for what it's worth.

But no one wants to hear a baritone/bass singing anyway

... unless I joined a barbershop quartet!

Baritone bass is lot of range, sure people want to hear that. Baritone + bass is full three octaves. It's not the range designation it's what you do with it.

ric1312 · #17 08-19-2008, 12:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SBassman

Is that true? That it will promote singing More out of tune?

Is there not any scientific benefit to beer on the throat/vocal chords, like some other known remedies:
- Greasy, salty potato chips
- Tea and honey

?

None of those things go directly over the vocal folds, see my other post.

Bard2dbone · #18 08-19-2008, 01:36 PM

Ric had it right in that just a little bit of alcohol may let you relax enough to sing. But that's all in your head. When I was really young, a lot of the opportunity I got to jam with older experienced players was at my parents parties. My dad was a pretty darned decent guitarist and singer and would jam during his lunch break at work. A few of the folks he'd jam with would come to the parties. Several of them were surprisingly good musicians who just made better money as petro engineers(This was during a previous oil boom.)

My own mother surprised me by telling me I played a lot more adventuresomely after two drinks. So I started doing that with my band: Two drinks before the gig. Nothing more until afterward.

I couldn't sing for squat back then, but I got better over the years by writing songs and being the only one who knew what I really wanted them to sound like. Trying to sound like the guy in my head when I wrote a song made me get a LOT better. I was still using the 'two drinks before, none during, party after' gig drinking rule, so I guess I would have credited teh alcohol with helping me. But again, it's all in your head.

guitfiddle0409 · #19 08-19-2008, 02:12 PM

I always want at least two beers before I start belting. But then again, I want two beers before I do a lot of things.

Deacon_Blues · #20 08-19-2008, 02:14 PM

If you're very nervous when trying to sing sober, you might activate some constriction muscles that will directly impair your singing. So in this sense, some alcohol might help to loosen up. Anyway, when you advance and you aren't that nervous anymore, alcohol won't do anything but impair your performance. Water, especially in the form of steam, is much better. The best thing for your throat, actually.