weed and you bass playing

[Obese Chess]

I don't tend to partake before playing - sometimes while writing - but I just remembered the time I played a house show in high school and the guitarist got absolutely blazed beforehand. We finished our set and he was like "man. That was amazing. I don't think we've ever sounded better than that." and the drummer and I had to explain to him that he had played the entire set in the wrong key.

 

[Charlzm]

I have only smoked a few times in my late teens and taken some edibles recently since it's now legal in CA and I cannot imagine succeeding at anything more demanding than watching TV or laughing while high.

 

[mobeme23]

everyone is wired differently. For me, weed is rather benign compared to many other substances, especially alcohol. my favorite combo is weed and Invalid Link Removed, Invalid Link Removed

 

[Element Zero]

Surprised by the answers here honestly lol. I haven’t smoked for a number of years now, but in the early 2000s into the early 10s, man, every one of the bands I played in were massive pot heads. Wake n bake and get to writing and recording? You bet. With my last roommate of over a decade we recorded every jam session because yeah, we couldn’t remember what we did earlier. Some of the best song writing sessions were done holding the bong for each other while laying tracks down. Is it amazing? No. Did it go anywhere? No. Am I proud of it? Very. Do I let people listen to it? Of course. Am I fond of the memories? You betcha... at least I think I’m fond of them.

I performed a number of times after smoking and honestly, it didn’t really feel much different than sober. If anything, I was a bit more animated, but my playing never suffered. I’d take a few hits from a joint instead of power driving a gram nug from my bong so I never hit the stage totally stoned unable to function. That was just at home or when going to the movies.

I will add, sadly, that I don’t find nearly the amount of enjoyment in listening to music as I used to. Now, it takes quite a lot to impress me and I no longer has the aural ecstasy I used to frequent.

 

[red_rhino]

Used to do it back when I first started playing, but stopped once I realized it was getting in the way. (And not just "getting in the way" of performing, but of actually enjoying the music that was going on around me.) At some point, I realized that the the music itself was the high.

True story: once did a jam type gig with a guitar player who had taken some sort of psychedelic beforehand. Did an amazing free-form Grateful Dead-esq set, at the end of which I suggested we take a break. The guitar player protested that we'd only been playing for 5 minutes, until I gently explained that we'd been playing for almost 2 hours!

 

[Cave Puppy]

Weed is fine. I have been a habitual user since the mid '70s. I find if I get TOO high I have playing issues, but other than that I prefer to be high most of the time, which I feel heightens my creativity. When playing live and high I don't have any issues there either because I try to know my parts so well they're second nature muscle memory for me. Weed just seems to work for me in that regard. In ANY regard, for that matter.

 

[HardNHeavy]

“ ... or I could get up at noon, and learn to play the sitar.”

Man, I miss Bill.



I saw an interview with genius French comics artist/writer Moebius and one of the questions was about weed and his answer was “no, because then I can’t stop drawing.”

lol that's funny...and true....everything in moderation. Like when you have just 2 beers instead of 20...everything is a mess after a certain point

 

[Michedelic]

Pot(and alcohol)enhances the consumption of music, but hinders the production of it. I partook more than my fair share back in the day, don’t really now, but I fully support the rights of others to do so. But ‘on the job’? Nah. However, I used to get a lot done on stage(and after)with the Peruvian marching powder. I’ve been lucky to have been able to dable and walk away.

 

[Thumpin6string]

All weed ever did for me was to make me hungry, horny, sleepy and stupid. I suck enough on bass to want something to make me worse. I also avoid alcohol when playing.

 

[Koshchei]

If you use weed does it effect your bass playing in a positive or negative way?
For me it really helps when I am learning theory and practicing scales arpeggios etc. I am more into it and feel more aware of what is happening. But playing cover songs for some reason it messes me up. I forget certain parts, loose focus and generally do not play as good.
Just wondering how it effects you?

I never play impaired. I don't mind smoking once in a while, but it messes with my ability to perceive time. And it makes my feet itch. Not a great recipe for focusing.

 

[57pbass]

Since we’re not allowed to eat on stage I refrain from indulging before any shows. I get really bad munchies and eating Doritos between songs on stage is not a good look
: )

 

[dbsfgyd1]

If you use weed does it effect your bass playing in a positive or negative way?
For me it really helps when I am learning theory and practicing scales arpeggios etc. I am more into it and feel more aware of what is happening. But playing cover songs for some reason it messes me up. I forget certain parts, loose focus and generally do not play as good.
Just wondering how it effects you?

All I can say is it works for some. Personally, I don’t know how they do it. Weed is known to interfere with the sense of time and impair your ability in logical analysis. In my case, I have miles of tape to prove the point. Heck I can tell with just 2 beers in me.

Since the 1960’s I’ve never heard a stoned player play better stoned than when they were sober. And to your point, I’ve been around players that were not negatively impacted being stoned, but they were pretty good players to begin with.

‘I have a quick question, have you ever recorded yourself while stoned? What I suggest, is take your cell phone and video your next session when you are working through therory and fingering. Then after your sober up record that and compare. That way you will know for sure.

Happy flights!

 

[Lagado]

Many a songwriter has dropped the hint somewhere in their catalogue of material. Take Robert Plant's; Burning Down One Side, for instance. It certainly isn't about falling asleep on the beach. As to what he implied with the lovely track; Big Log, I still to this day have no idea.

 

[Heroinsheep]

OK Just to balance out all the negativity here... Weed is OK as long as your the drummer is NOT smoking.
If you are smoking and the drummer is also smoking it's also not a disaster but it can become very big problem potentially.
And yes, I do play much better without weed...
But in favor of weed I gotta mention the 2nd best Bass player I know in person smokes somewhere between 4 to 20 king size joints every single day including on nights he plays infront of 10k-20k people...
the #1 best bass player I know in person smokes quite alot too, but he does only smoke after he goes off stage on any given gig.

So just know how to balance things and your good

 

[fishdreams]

I like it, It is like giving the ole brain a bit of a vacay. However, IME it also tends to reinforce my natural tendencies among which are an inclination to absentmindedness, feeling claustrophobic and occasionally a little paranoid. So I barely smoke, it's just not a good hobby for me to do on a regular basis.

 

[Dr. Keebs]

I smoke bass and play weed. The other way around, doesn't work for me.

 

[gidbass]

Weed isn't my thing, and neither is alcohol (anymore).

I do find that I enjoy both practice and gigs much more now without any influences/mind altering substances.

Good Luck!

 

[Yellow Bang66]

If you use weed does it effect your bass playing in a positive or negative way?
For me it really helps when I am learning theory and practicing scales arpeggios etc. I am more into it and feel more aware of what is happening. But playing cover songs for some reason it messes me up. I forget certain parts, loose focus and generally do not play as good.
Just wondering how it effects you?

Its positive for me when practicing, but detrimental when perfoming live.
I tend to practice longer, feel more "into it"when smoking, but I can't if im gonna be performing, It makes me too paranoid,& self conscious in a Live situation.
to be honest Idk, as I never held an experiment if it made me better or worse. My guitar player says it helps him get into it more, I toyed with the thought it made me more creative. But Its the same with drinking & playing, some guys swear they need to "lube" up be fore they play, but IME it makes them sloppy, & gives them an excuse! I prefer not to have a "crutch" when I play. "I play better"high or Drunk" not for me

 

[And I]

i'm a pretty regular user but not during gigs or rehearsals. afterwards? sure. i am more prone to making boneheaded mistakes, missing transitions between parts, forgetting things altogether...

 

[Johnny Crab]

@ics1974 this:

You may think you are learning and remembering but in reality cannabis effects your memory, and not in a positive way.

It may seem fine for a while but I've come across one too many folks who have the above mentioned added feature. Older folks that do not use their minds a lot or take ginkgo(?) sometimes refer to it as CRS disease for Can't Remember <deleted word>. People I've known for decades including roadies, musicians, friends, ...and not so long ....even our lovely young tour guide in Ciudad Del Carmen ALL now have memory issues. Our guide blamed not being able to remember most of her time in South America while raising her daughter b/c of smoking it a lot.

Doesn't mix with engineering or remembering 400+ songs.