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weed and you bass playing

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I use it for medical purposes and it's legal for me. Another member in my band also uses it for medical purposes too. IMO it depends on the individuals tolerance too, some people can't handle it and think they're into the music and groovin but they're really not. Since it's part of my daily routine I don't have any difference to my playing unless I have too much. I've listened to sessions of my playing high or not high and no discernable difference. Like I said, I use it for medical reasons and not to just be high and feel the music.
 
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If I don't practice stoned or drunk, I don't try to perform stoned or drunk. It almost never works out well. I've seen some monumental trainwrecks, musical and personal, from attempting that one.

Considering I have practice sessions several times a week, and I don't want to get buzzed that often, there is no point practicing buzzed, and no point trying to change my brain chemistry before or during a show.

FWIW, I don't smoke, but we have an amazing selection of awesome edibles at the shops in trail-blazing Colorado. It's so potent these days I really have to reserve it for special occasions where I have zero responsibilities. I don't see how people can make today's super-hybridized, refined, hydroponically grown weed part of their daily lifestyle. Even 10mg of today's MJ is too potent for me to trust myself behind the wheel of a car, that's for sure. And I was a stoner back in the day when the good stuff came from places like Mexico and Panama, so I have a point of reference.
 
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The Beatles created "Help" and Rubber soul" while pretty much continuously stoned. Not to mention all those Jazz cats in the 40s and 50s...
So I guess it can be done.
Back in the 70s, we pretty much did EVERYTHING stoned...
I think... :wacky:
Nowadays, I'm sorta over it. Makes it hard to keep a job.

When you look at how many takes it took to record some of those songs, I am not sure the MJ helped. Compare it to the early days when they would knock out ten tunes in a day. Of course they might have been on OTC speed at that point.
 
Back when we started as kids we played high all the time. Then we made an amazing discovery, the tape recorder. We never played live high again.
Yup. I had a guitar player that always thought he was so great when he was high. We recorded him and he never played out high again. If you're just screwing around, having fun, and everyone is OK with it, I have no problem with people indulging; but when you take the stage, you'd better be sharp. I didn't practice for years, learn a bunch of tunes, rehearse with the band, get a gig, haul a load of equipment just to have some idiot screw it up. Have some respect for fellow band members and the audience.
 
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At the risk of drawing social ire, weed is dumb.

No, I've never done it, but I've been around it a lot over the years. I've seen it affect different people in different ways, but never for the better (and not always for the worse), IMO. I think it has legitimate medical uses and should be used accordingly with supervision, but I have yet to meet anyone who I thought was better when they were self-medicating. I'd say the majority of my serious musician friends (full time pros) typically agree.

So I personally wouldn't know or care how weed affects my playing, but I have enough anecdotal evidence to suggest that I'm better off without it. I need every bit of cognition I can muster, anyway.

Yeah, I don't smoke weed either.
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The Beatles created "Help" and Rubber soul" while pretty much continuously stoned. Not to mention all those Jazz cats in the 40s and 50s...
So I guess it can be done.
Back in the 70s, we pretty much did EVERYTHING stoned...
I think... :wacky:
Nowadays, I'm sorta over it. Makes it hard to keep a job.
The thing that everyone who makes this argument seems to miss is, 99.99999999999999% of us aren't the Beatles. ;)

On February 25, 1964 Mohammad Ali beat Sonny Liston to become the heavyweight world champion. It doesn't mean I could do it.
 
I have extremely low tolerance (especially given that I've been a regular pot head for around 25 years), I also don't like to get totally blasted. I prefer a nice subtle bake. There really isn't a difference in my ability whether I'm high on the reefer or not (and I record practically everything, so I know).

Where I find a huge difference though is when I'm playing in front of people. It helps me get over stage anxiety and really let's me get into the moment to let go and just play my heart out, so I find it helpful.
 
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IME that is due to the relaxation and detachment from any other tasks or obligations in a persons life. It very much can help you with letting go and allowing mind and body flow freely and take you where the music wants to go. On the other hand learning a cover or a technical piece of music is a different part of the brain and is a very analytical task rather than creative. There are no mistakes when being creative and you need to be in a headspace that's free from the fear of making them. There are mistakes when being analytical and learning something that needs a specific outcome....like a math problem for instance.

Personally cannabis has never mixed well with me and especially if it's indica. The full body high from it makes me loose all motor function and coordination. Tried that once years ago with a new guitarist that wanted to jam. He wanted to smoke beforehand so I said what the heck and partook....well...you'd think I'd never picked up an instrument in my life! It was horrible. Had a little better luck with Sativa as it doesn't make me sleepy feeling and is just more of a head high that leaves the motor skills mostly in tact. Still don't prefer it. I've found other mild psychedelics that work much better.

A couple members of my band play much better and much more pocket or relaxed if they've had a couple puffs. It's really all about body chemistry and what works for you. I think my severe ADD is what makes it affect me so negatively. Personally I just sip on a good glass of whisky before a gig! But I'm not the type of person that because something doesn't work for me thinks everyone around me should be bound to the same perspective. As long as a person can handle themselves with out turning into a mess it's all good!
 
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I have a medical card and get the good stuff, I eat it mostly and find it can help in v small quantities, smoking it wipes me out to the point of not being able to control my fingers and making lots of mistakes, not a good learning aid IME
I don’t drink so it’s my only vice
 
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No one likes to hear it but unimpaired life is the best life.


which is sort of the root (pun intended) of this thread....does weed impair or enhance your skill?
it's really interesting to read through everyone's points of view. I really appreciate the diversity represented here on this thread, and on TB in general.
 
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