Playing while high?

[eddievanbassman]

Its inspiration.

 

[Bassman316]

I've never gigged before, so as far as playing in front of an audience after getting into a little smoke, I have no experience. BUT- I have had many a spirited jam with my guitar buddy after a few tokes, and recorded it. Usually then we're talking in the 35-40 minute range, and under the conditions each chord change seems to sound like the best thing that ever happened. +1 to jamming and listening back to what you've done, but probably not a good idea to go onstage completely ripped and jamming off of two or three chords for 45 minutes. More likely than not by the time you open your eyes again the place will be near empty.

 

[Lammchop93]

I know my old drummer played MUCH better when he was high. He was already a good drummer, but when he was high he hit every single not on the exact time and played extremely hard. It was like a drum machine. He was more on time than anybody I have ever heard.

 

[bgressman82]

Except getting high and playing bass doesn't kill anyone.

i saw a local punk band stoned out of their heads do an hour long set one time. i barely made it out alive.

 

[(b)Assman]

Here's an interesting and well written essay marijuana and music.
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Many musicians, including myself, feel that marijuana allows you to feel a strange connection to the music, paying attention to details of the groove that you normally wouldn't. In one study, it was noticed that musicians did not need to go back and smoke more to maintain this connection with the music, which indicates that marijuana only brings your mind to that state, but does not create it.

Many pioneering jazz musicians, including Louise Armstrong, used to smoke bud A LOT. So some think that weed had a big influence on the creation of Jazz. As the artist's short term memory began to weaken, they were forced to improvise much more.

In my opinion, marijuana is an absolute blessing when combined with music. You feel that strange right brain connection with not only the music but your band members as well. It just requires you be in the correct state of mind, not wanting to feel goofy or lazy. Many musicians use it as just another one of their tools. (John Mayer, Bob Dylan, Santana, Armstong, Miles Davis, the list truly goes on and on) I'm not saying that marijuana must be smoked in order to "feel the music." Not by any means. But when used correctly, you may find your bass and hands expressing feelings that you never knew you had.

So well put that it belongs on page 2 as well.

i saw a local punk band stoned out of their heads do an hour long set one time. i barely made it out alive.

Omg, watching a band play punk while they're too high for an hour? That's vomit worthy.

 

[Phalex]

I used to think an open E was the coolest thing I had ever heard back when I used to partake of the herb. It's great for entertaining yourself, but add one additional person either a listener or someone playing along with you, and it aint so great IMHO.

I know people that can do it, but I'm not one of them.

 

[5StringBlues]

Practice ,practice,practice.






IBTL

 

[G00D+~VIBES]

for me:

when jamming with friends: absolutely. its fun, relaxing and puts me in a fun, exploratory mood.
when playing on stage: absolutely NOT. the band i play with plays complex stuff that is fully composed w/NO JAMMING. I need discipline to play this stuff so I don't smoke or drink before we play.

+1

The clarity/discipline factor, IME, seems to be one of the primary deciding factors. That is of course, if one is still in the position of "thinking" about what they are doing whether it be their relationship with their tool(s) or with the music at hand i.e. changes etc. Once all of these things become internalized... it appears to be a different ball game all together.

Just think of all of the GREATS before and their known substance use abuse situations: Ray, Jimmi, Jaco...to name a few.

I am also of the firm belief that substance use alone is no factor on which to make judgments regarding individuals character. Often times an irresponsible-decision-making-process becomes manifest most obviously through substance related issues, but addicts/junkies/irresponsibility is a PROCESS involving MANY decisions over time. These poor choices, when compounded regularly over a given duration, make for less than desirable results most often. However, it is the individual and their decisions/responsibility (or lack their of) that must be held accountable rather than placing some sort of stigma on any given substance.

 

[bgressman82]

Omg, watching a band play punk while they're too high for an hour? That's vomit worthy.

the music wasn't bad, what almost got me was the singer trying to stage dive when there was barely a crowd. he was a big dude, i got out of the way just in time.

 

[jworrellbass]

It worked great for Jimmy Page.

 

[gregmerrill]

Makes music sound real good. Makes you dig in more at times because you are loving your tone. It can make you feel at one with the music as all your other problems in life disappear as you are focused on nothing but the music. Seems to alter sense of time and confidence of where the beat lies. Can make you less confident at times and insecure at wanting to try new tunes you don’t know or licks. On a social level can make you less wanting to go out and talk to your fans and meet new people in the crowd. After initial buzz you may start to get tired and burned out. Memory that’s the real killer. Short term memory effected greatly. You forget where you are at in the form and how the song goes. I look at the real successful artist and feel that most of them are straight and work very hard at what they do. Getting high can really mess up your motivation level especially the next day and throughout the week. You will only do the bare minimum to get by and will never go the extra mile like a world class athlete would. But it may work for some who are even making the big bucks in this business.

 

[chondro776]

Smoking = Duh!
Drinking = 1 beer max, otherwise I have coordination issues.

Honestly, there are a million things more distracting or challenging than being blazed (for me).

Tech. difficulties, Hotties in the front row, Being nervous, Not feeling well physically, being fatigued, douche bag band mates, crappy sound system/engineer.......

I can remember ONE time in 15+ years, that I was 'too lit to play well'.
Turns out, I was my own worst critic. The band thought I was right on.

 

[G00D+~VIBES]

Getting high can really mess up your motivation level especially the next day and throughout the week. You will only do the bare minimum to get by and will never go the extra mile like a world class athlete would. But it may work for some who are even making the big bucks in this business.

Careful with your generalizations here my friend. Let us not forget the MOST PROLIFIC ATHLETE IN OLYMPIC HISTORY (Mr. Phelps) is a known user...

 

[wildhorse]

I think it effects your ability to spell correctly, punctuate and have good grammar.

 

[rtav]

To add to my previous post...

The kind of music we play is extremely structured and technical (Dream Theater stuff, Liquid Tension stuff, etc.), and I can't imagine being buzzed and roaring through Metropolis part I (for isntance), because the instant you are distracted from your part (or even pause too long to think about it) you're TOTALLY and UNFORGIVINGLY screwed; the song becomes a complete train wreck.

Now, if we're just jamming on some Zeppelin stuff, very informally, or goofing off and just riffing, it's not such a big deal, because the style is much more forgiving and fault-tolerant (to borrow from another discipline); in fact, an argument could be made in that case that certain chemicals enhance one's playing, or whatever (not that I buy into that, personally).

However, when it gets serious and I'm expected to play every single note exactly right in a very structured piece filled with a flurry of extremely fast notes and shifting irregular times, there's absolutely no fun at all in being even slightly buzzed - for me or anyone else.

 

[ryco]

When I was younger I did it all the time. On & off the court.

Then I stopped for no reason. After awhile I tried playing stoned and found I liked playing straight a lot more.
It's almost like being stoned was starting to separate me from my true spirit.
IMO, YMMV = I'm not judging anybody or their beliefs! As long as the music's good!

To be fair, sometimes I will have a beer after a set or two.

I'm not a teetotaler, but I've cut down on everything a lot. BOF!

 

[(b)Assman]

I think it effects your ability to spell correctly, punctuate and have good grammar.

1. What does that have to do with the question.
2. Are you referring to me?

 

[eligos36]

Playing high takes all my musical tendencies, good and bad, and magnifies them. I have more of a feel for what harmonies, dissonances and counterpoints sound sweet, but I start playing very....





very......



slooooooooooooooowly.

Not necessarily good for melodic black/death metal. But then again, it is, as we're more of a mid-tempo band and there's plenty of wiggle room.

 

[unclekebm]

Years ago I did an experiment;

Got 'high', jammed and recorded it...
While jamming it felt like I was Deep in the pocket and very cool to explore,
listening back 'stoned' it sounded great, felt great
listening back 'sober' it sounded rambling, long-winded and in & out of 'pocket'

Jammed 'sober' recorded it...
great pocket, steady meter a little harder to be totally free with exploring...
listening back 'stoned', sounded & felt great, deep pocket, solid meter
listening back 'sober' sounded & felt great (same as listening stoned)...

my conclusion was; for self indulgence & coming up with ideas, getting high was awesome
for actually recording or nailing arrangements, 'sober' was best

If I'm playing a "Corporate" or "lounge" gig, Sober is best
for "Festivals" or "Jamming" either way, but being 'high' We don't have to know as many songs

 

[StyleOverShow]

I work a show that has been rehearsed to death...can do it in my sleep...so a hit or two actually increases my interest in the execution of the music.

When I'm in a sit-down and read situation, I need to be as alert as possible with all my faculties.

I think alcohol affects my motor skills more than the herb.