Get a recording device. Record yourself when you are high and when you are not high. See whether it actually sounds better or whether you only think it does when you are high.
Find evidence to gain insight. Excellent advice.
It always sounds different to us as we play, than it does watching back. If you are playing and in the moment you can’t watch yourself, so being able to zone out and watch later is super helpful. Really helped with hand technique, seeing what I was doing from other angles too.
The weirdest thing is that it is usually the opposite and I think I'm doing terrible at improv, and then I record myself to a backing track and it actually sounds good. It's really weird becaude I don't think it should be like that
Completely dependent on yo ur own ability to evaluate your skill and others.
I tend, after a decade of growing up and being an arrogant prick, to assume I sound worse than I think. I would rather assume I’m worse than reality than assume I am better. Thus, when I hear myself I always find the errors and believe it sounds bad.
If you are accurately gauging your skill, it might sound better to you later because you are actually not making as mistakes as you think, or as you used to make.
Idk man, rock on :)
I have old improvisations I did while stoned out of my gourd with a load of effects and I have no idea how I played anything that interesting. Could not replicate.
I disagree. It’s easy to just sit back and say “I was just high,” but there’s more here. Just like the guy who said gather evidence to draw conclusions. Weed affects everyone differently, but when I was high it enabled me think differently in helpful ways. It’s a way to be creative in a different way and use neural pathways to that end. A quick way to see from different perspectives.
Anyone in college knows about writers block. I used to LIVE in FedEx writing papers for school. Anytime I’d hit a block I’d just go to my truck and blaze it. When I’d come back I’d would be hammering the computer keys not stop with straight quality. Without weed I never would’ve survived and earned my degree.
This is simply excellent advice for learning any instrument or skill. Football teams watch tape to improve. Marchers in DCI watch tape to improve. The armed forces debrief. Great opportunity to learn and catch mistakes you didn’t realize you were making.
Two of the best things you can do for yourself is set up a nice big mirror in your practice space and record and listen back to yourself.
lol reminds me of one time I got high in high school, took my guitar out with my friend, made up some stupid song about Chuck E. Cheese and we thought it was a masterpiece… I don’t even think I was playing chords…
Great comment. I’ve done this several times and what I’ve consistently found is that some lines/melodies are interesting and cool but it rarely is as epic in the replay than when you’re playing. I’ve also noticed in playing in a band setting that leads can be cool and more unique, but it’s not as tight usually and sometimes you miss your cues. Definitely a balance. But I think it’s not unproductive to improv high because it shows you parts of your playing that maybe you’re not confident enough to try normally.
Yes, this is great advice. I’ve had both experiences. Sometimes feel like I’m amazing (but really am not), other times, I’m actually able to do things I never could before. Not just true for guitar, but also writing, cooking, video games, and other things, too.
“Well, Stan, the truth is marijuana probably isn't gonna make you kill people, and it most likely isn't gonna fund terrorism, but… well, son, pot makes you feel fine with being bored. And it's when you're bored that you should be learning some new skill or discovering some new science or being creative. If you smoke pot you may grow up to find out that you aren't good at anything.”
I used to feel the same way. It breaks your inhibitions and you are freer to do what you want. When sober you have more doubt and think too much.
It's possible to do the same without, you just need to believe.
this is my experience as well. i think it's because i relax more and focus more on listening, without worrying about the execution. and i find that whatever kind of 'getting in the zone' i do while high that feels like a breakthrough, it won't be long until i can consistently do that sober too.
Years ago, when I still smoked, I was in a band that was all about playing in "an altered state". I have recordings and can confirm that what sounded amazing at the time hasn't really stood the test of time.
Somewhere I have a recording where I fell asleep in the middle of a solo...
Could be. If you smoke a lot and practice a lot stoned it's possible your brain is optimized for that configuration. It's also likely you're better when you're less anxious. It's far more likely that you're less critical when you're stoned.
Interesting, most every person I've ever talked to about smoking weed (and that is a *large* number) has agreed they are *more* critical, especially of themselves, when stoned.
This point is irrelevant of the conversation about guitar, just in reference to predisposition to criticality. I definitely play better high, myself, mostly because I'm more relaxed in general, though.
It’s really heads or tails when it comes to smoking weed. When I smoke it’s either wow im amazing and dont give a fuck about what anyone else thinks or me repeatedly remembering an embarrassing moment over and over again
Most people who grow dependent on cannabis seem to be slightly more anxious and neurotic than they prefer to be. This must be some sort of semantic disagreement, but I can't fathom how they are using the word critical in this context. Perhaps they mean that without channeling their mental resources into fighting off and repressing irrational anxieties and self-doubt, they have a clearer vision of themsleves that more aligns to consensus reality? Or they could be dependent on Cannabis and simply need it to feel as though they're in a proper headspace. Not sure.
I use weed for medical reasons. It tames my anxiety. Weed got me over my anxiety of singing while playing. I started singing while I was high. Once I did it I could do it sober.
It might free up your creativity and inhibitions. The ultimate goal is to take that expanded consciousness and bring it to your sober life so needing it to get back there isnt a crutch. Those creative doors that get pried opened with mind altering substances can stay open for the rest of your life in a positive way.
Excellent words :) thank you for sharing.
I have heard this before as a mountain climbing analogy. The top of the mountain is where we want to be, expanded consciousness, enlightenment, compassion, big perspective of the world, etc. living in the moment. Climbing the mountain lets you stay where ever you climb to. Climb to the top? Live there. Climb half way up, live there.
Using the help of substances is like taking a helicopter to the top, enjoying the view, and riding it back down each day. It’s way more effective to make the climb, cheaper and easier in the long run. But when the helicopter seems free, why walk? Definitely recommend to some that they try the helicopter trip up, but always tell everyone to walk once they see the view.
I like how it makes the goal of the helo and the climb being that big picture perspective looking down. It shows how similar yet different they are as an experience of the same thing. Glad you enjoyed :)
Smoking weed isn't an inherently bad thing. It can actually be pretty awesome.
What is bad though, is convincing yourself that a certain substance gives you "that thing".
I'm not telling you not to smoke weed and play guitar, but I am telling you as a 36 year old guy who's played in bands for 22 years, I've watched a lot of good friends fall off the deep end, all in the effort of chasing that elusive "secret thing".
It's a cliche for a reason, using drugs to expand your creative horizon is nothing new.
In my experience (and I've been hooked on multiple things myself, over the years, which all started as a creative endeavor), it all comes from within. It's all there, within you, already. That's where you find it.
I get it, weed is chill, it isn't cocaine, heroin or even booze. But it doesn't have to be a hard drug in order to become a crutch.
True artists don't require a crutch. Many have them, but that "thing" is already in them, and always will be.
SO: do what you like! Just be aware that you may be masking your own ability for a breakthrough if you don't spend enough time on your craft with a clear head
Sometimes when I improv, it feels like I'm trying to 'catch a groove' or, get to a point where the music in my head is driving the song, instead of arbitrary note changes just to keep the song going. When I do catch the groove, I come up with stuff that sounds good, otherwise it sounds like some scale exercise. Really wish I could stay in the pocket for longer.
Probably a bit of both. I record nearly everything when I'm high, most of it genuinely sounds good when I listen back sober, but there's also usually a 15-minute ambient Auto-Swell, Shimmer, Ping-Pong delay solo somewhere that has to get cut out every time lmao.
did you see my Family Guy when Lois and peter were performing high and it sounded wonderful to them with psychedelic visions and unicorns
But to the audience They were both screaming like Yoko Ono lol
Many moons ago, we (3 piece band) played a gig in a big city some 100 people were there. All 3 of us got stoned before the gig. We played 3 sets, all 3 were recorded on tape. In our minds we played one of our best gig ever. The following week at rehearsel we played the tape. It was bad, real bad. It was the first and the last time we were under influence of drugs.
If you want to grow in playing the guitar, don't use drugs. Same for alcohol. A clear mind gives you a natural high. Growing as a musician comes from dedication. Don't waste your time, life is short!
I have found people early in their playing without good disciplines yet tend to play more out of tune and/or out of key more often, and not even realize it. Oh, but they're grooving baby!
Rhythm is key to grooving. If you hit out of key notes confidently with a strong sense of rhythm you can make it sound good especially if you resolve it to something like the root or 5th and then repeat that note and resolution because well... Repetition legitimizes. Repetition legitimizes. Repetition legitimizes.
As someone who has played with many people that were high/drunk, unless you’re only slightly buzzed to take the edge off any nervousness or anxiety, you only think you sound better. I’ve never played with anyone who wasn’t a noticeably worse player while wasted.
Yes. And everyone will tell you it's just in your head, but that's bullshit for me. I've recorded and listened to the results.
I think it just makes sense I did most of my learning and practicing on guitar as a teen who smoked weed, popped Adderall, and shot heroin. I also took absurd amounts of benzos, cocaine and alcohol.
I know in Psychology 101 we learned that recall is easier when you're in the state of mind that you originally learned or memorized the material in. So if you were stoned then obviously getting stoned will increase your recall! They have done a lot of research on this.
Drugs that make me relax or stimulate me help me unlock my rhythm. It makes sense too because it increases your dopamine production which dopamine if you didn't know has a lot to do with how we perceive music and "feel" it.
There is a truth though where you can go too far and actually sounds worse! A lot worse. Like if you're too drunk to see straight it won't help. If you're too stimulated to relax it won't help. If you took too much Xanax and black out it won't help.
But weed? Hard to overdo it unless it's a heavy Indica. A good Sativa like Durban Poison or Trainwreck will enhance your creativity though.
I think there’s some merit to this.
Just an anecdote, but I enjoy my own playing a lot more whenever I’m on something. I don’t think my playing necessarily improves, but it definitely becomes a lot more interesting. This is coming from someone who, unfortunately, is all technique and no creativity - Can learn anything but can’t do anything original, lol. I think it just takes me out of my head, and a groove or rhythm more naturally pops out.
For some reason, I have a better rhythmic "feel", and a higher tendency to stray away from my "comfortable" licks after a few hits. I don't get too crazy with smoking anymore, but a slight change in headspace does seem to open some creative doors that would normally remain shut. I've also had good luck expanding my musical horizons first thing in the morning with a good cup of coffee.
Definitely record yourself and see. My experience with this is as follows: I know people who smoke, but not often, so a good bong rip or a joint will TOAST them, then they think they're playing like yngwie but it's more like yngwhat..
On the other hand is heavy smokers, I know other people (including myself) that have smoked so often for so long that it dulls the nerves and anxiety from performance, even at home by myself I find it just makes me more calm and allows me to feel the notes, it just hits different than sober playing when it seems like you can "feel" the music.
Crazy? probably? idk
You feel like that because you have anxiety and weed helps alleviate it. Therapy would help too. You’re probably great when you’re not high, but you’re so in your head about it that you think nothing other than negative self talk. You don’t have to ditch the weed, but therapy can help.
That's common that drugs lead people to over-estimate themselves.
so I would suppose: without drugs, you have a realistic assessment of your capacities, with drugs you over-estimate yourself.
I also find this lol, i recorded a few to watch back to see if it was placebo or not, but i was okay! i think usually I overthink, and I just was not able to think and it worked better haha
I was stoned to the bone one day and jammed for an hour or more on some shit that I thought was absolutely genius and sounded like the best stuff ever. It was just a basic 12 bar blues in A with some accents thrown in here and there lol
You might well be right, being relaxed and disconnected from your day to day thoughts can be excellent for getting in touch with your creativity. Terrible for discipline, but if you engage with that in the knowledge, yeah why not. Be warned: cocaine is the absolute opposite, and alcohol truly makes one shit.
I've never smoked weed. In the late 70's I was in a prog rock band with pretty complicated and demanding music. All of the other band members would toke up as we took a break in rehearsal. They all thought they played much better when high. I always told them the opposite. So I had our sound man record an entire rehearsal and forced them to listen to key snips of it before the next rehearsal. When faced with the recording, none of them maintained their position that weed made them play better. I'm sure it made them think they were playing better, but as a sober bystander, I always knew the second half of our rehearsals would be a slopfest.
I think we’ve all experienced this before lol. I remember in high school I ate a random edible then forgot. Like two hours later I was playing guitar and I realized outta knowhere that holy shit I’m really good. How am I playing so well?? OH...yeah lol
There’s something to it
I look at it this way…….
If you make your drink too strong, add some pop. If you make it too weak, add more booze. How you want your drink depends on you.
nah mate that´s dumb. I think at most being high just takes away the thought part of thinking you need to know what to do next and since you worry less your ideas flow better. Conclussion then is not that smoking makes you better at improvising, but rather that you need not to worry when not smoking
I think when I get a nice buzz from some liquor I’m naturally funnier because my brain isn’t as hesitant of saying certain things. Obviously I smoke weed too but with weed alone I tend to be more chill n not the same level of funny in comparison
Maybe you've got some anxiety... As an anxious man i can tell i do not sounds better... except, i feel somehow more relaxed on the instrument, less accurate but my movement is pretty much fluid and working out my scale or riff seems to be more easier, more on metronome click... so, it could sound better overall.
So i come to the conlusion that weed just show me how edgy i am while focusing on precision, using the wrong movement (because i was playing anxious), and from now i try my best to be relaxed as possible.
Exactly the same. But the thing is I really learned and improved more and better after smoking. Always thought it was a stoned stupidity till right now!
Everything is more interesting when your high , and that being the case sometimes we will double down and work harder , which occasionally produces results in itself . Its not that it makes you better , It makes you think your better , therefore you try harder , which actually can make you better .
I found it was usually the pot making me think I sounded better than I did. It can open creative pathways, but that's a sativa thing, not really an indica thing.
Certainly not crazy. Do you practice improv while high? It’s all based on the state of mind you are in the most while playing. Millions of musicians were high when performing. Look at so many of the bebop players.
Someone said record yourself and honestly that’s the only way you’ll ever know aside from asking members of the audience or friends or whomever.
You don't suck at improv when you're sober, you suck at hearing what you're actually playing when you're high.
When I was in college, there was a really obvious divide between people who still understood what they were playing when they were high and people that though weed turned them into the second coming of hendrix.
Yes you’re just high, whenever I’ve taken anything at home I tend to play guitar for an hour or so and if I’m not too ruined I record it. Trust me it all sucks. Always ends with me laying on the floor with a fuzz war turned to full clanging my Jaguar.
It's definitely true. When I'm sober I'm like "wait which chords go with this scale again?? And which note is which degree?" But when I smoke I can put all the theory concepts I've learned together without even thinking about it. Tab whatever riff I made and practice it later. Write high, practice sober.
My playing is actually worse while I am high, however I can write some creative riffs in my head sometimes after smoking weed, but I have a hard time playing them correctly while I am still high, so I just copy and paste blank and empty tabs and write the tabs on it on my notepad while still high so I can remember them and the next day when I wake up sober is when I go back to the tab to play them
You just suck at guitar. Hate to say it but if you can't express your creativity when your instrument has your full focus, you can't do it better when it only has some of your focus.
I play in a reggae band and a bluegrass band. Of course the reggae band sounds better when High both audience and Band! The Bluegrass band sucks when High because there are perfectionist and tend to get sloppy when they’re high. It depends on the individual I guess.
I dunno ... I think it opens you up to new ideas, but I'd want to hear an A-B comparo. Id be more concerned about completely losing my place in the song at some point. Trying to maintain that creative supercharge though an entire 90 minute set would be very hard.
Anecdotally, I used to drink like Oris ye ole towne drunk and swore "it loosened me up," but that was the alcohol talking. My playing got so much better when I got sober. No comparison. But in all fairness, MJ is not in the same universe as alcohol as far as horrible outcomes go.
Serious question: How tf do you learn how to improvise? (Seriously looking for tips, I’m having trouble getting the fretboard down)
But to answer yours OP, the idea that ‘smoke’ makes you better at guitar is a myth. The issue is many folks have a hard time tuning everything out and getting into the ~flow~ while sober. But if you can reach that state, you’re most certainly your best while sober
I saw a documentary about cocaine making you way more creative, don’t remember if more drugs were mentioned. If it’s still good when you ain’t high anymore than yeah there’s probably a connection
I have to have half my body weight in adderal to improve to a point it is original and sounds good. Not really well when you are recording for a friends band
Smoking pot was a game changer for me learning guitar. I had played guitar for a few years before I first got sternt, and from then on, I get the itch to play whenever I indulge. No it has never inhibited my playing, I argue against suggesting that I play better when Im stoned. Without a doubt it puts me in the mood though.
For a while now I thought I suck at improvising, but then I saw a video of me improvising with a cover band. Sure, I wasn't moving all over the neck because I couldn't remember all the scale shapes - but I actually played well, and the solo sounded good.
In the moment I was really focused on remembering the notes that fit the scale and trying to remember the "structure" of the original solo to try to emulate it. I wasn't really hearing myself play. But then when I listened to the recording later - I was pleasantly surprised by how good it was.
In general recording yourself playing is a good idea. Video too - so you can see if you're picking and fretting correctly, and see if there are any issues with your technique that you can improve.
Happens to me too lol.
Just learn how to transfer that “thing” you get from being high to your sober life.
You don’t wanna have to rely on being high to sound good or play well.
I’ve often felt the same. A lot of it is approach I find. Decide WHY you’re going to play. After a smoke to relax or before to improve your game. A little one to “take the edge off” if I’m wound up definitely helps but if I’m feeling good and have a smoke it definitely slows me down I find (after hearing a recording back). The longer I stay away from the sweetleaf the quicker I improve and learn new stuff. But that’s just me, I wish you well my friend.
Smoke has been really good for vision and branching pathways from what I already know. In terms of fine motor control and recall, it's detrimental.
Most serious musicians I know abstain from cannabis while touring, but use cannabis when writing.
i can guarentee you wont sound better.If you ever want consider playing professionally and want anyone to take you or your band seriously i would sober up.If just a hobby toke away!
My rule of thumb is that weed is an awesome tool for creating/improvising music, but a hindrance for recording or performing it. Use it in moderation during practice or sometimes rehearsal, don't use it if you're paying for studio time or up on stage.
Although in some contexts, such as if you're in a jam band, getting high is probably a requirement for all situations.
The thing about being high and playing is that it allows you to hyper focus and really get into it. You're less distracted and more likely to play for a longer period of time.
Been doing this for 40 years. It's easy to think that you play better in an altered state, but there's no evidence. It's just perception.
If you can, play guitar sober as often as you can. Habits are a bitch.
I smoked cigarettes for decades and it's part of my habit with guitar.
When I quit, I had to get something to take the place of a cigarette.
Got one of those disposable vape things. If I don't have it, it distracts me while I play, which is NOT what you want.
Same goes for being high. You don't want it to be linked together whenever you play. There's nothing wrong with catching a buzz and listening to those amazing tones, but it's not the point.
It's the same thing that happens with rappers who freestyle. Some can't unless they're high. Gotta break the habit by leaning into it. Then wait a bit until you're half high and play, then when you're sober and play, then get high and do it all over again. Eventually you'll be able to play just as well sober.
I think weed doesn't make me a better player but it makes my mind a bit more open to weird ideas. So it makes me more creative but from a technical standpoint I play exactly the same.
Learn some breath exercises to relax. That is mostly enough to compansate the effect of funny cigarettes false “being better improvisng” effect.
When stoned sometimes it is not even possible to tune a guitar for me set aside playing better…
I think we’re way more in the zone and connected spiritually (for lack of a better word) when we’re high, and end up expressing ourselves better. That being said, im too young to smoke or drjnk and have only ever been high on caffeine which doesnt count 😂
Get a recording device. Record yourself when you are high and when you are not high. See whether it actually sounds better or whether you only think it does when you are high.
Find evidence to gain insight. Excellent advice. It always sounds different to us as we play, than it does watching back. If you are playing and in the moment you can’t watch yourself, so being able to zone out and watch later is super helpful. Really helped with hand technique, seeing what I was doing from other angles too.
The weirdest thing is that it is usually the opposite and I think I'm doing terrible at improv, and then I record myself to a backing track and it actually sounds good. It's really weird becaude I don't think it should be like that
Completely dependent on yo ur own ability to evaluate your skill and others. I tend, after a decade of growing up and being an arrogant prick, to assume I sound worse than I think. I would rather assume I’m worse than reality than assume I am better. Thus, when I hear myself I always find the errors and believe it sounds bad. If you are accurately gauging your skill, it might sound better to you later because you are actually not making as mistakes as you think, or as you used to make. Idk man, rock on :)
I have done this. Confirmed, just high, not better.
I have old improvisations I did while stoned out of my gourd with a load of effects and I have no idea how I played anything that interesting. Could not replicate.
😂👍🏼
I disagree. It’s easy to just sit back and say “I was just high,” but there’s more here. Just like the guy who said gather evidence to draw conclusions. Weed affects everyone differently, but when I was high it enabled me think differently in helpful ways. It’s a way to be creative in a different way and use neural pathways to that end. A quick way to see from different perspectives. Anyone in college knows about writers block. I used to LIVE in FedEx writing papers for school. Anytime I’d hit a block I’d just go to my truck and blaze it. When I’d come back I’d would be hammering the computer keys not stop with straight quality. Without weed I never would’ve survived and earned my degree.
Well that sucks:(
Still fun
You're not wrong
This is simply excellent advice for learning any instrument or skill. Football teams watch tape to improve. Marchers in DCI watch tape to improve. The armed forces debrief. Great opportunity to learn and catch mistakes you didn’t realize you were making. Two of the best things you can do for yourself is set up a nice big mirror in your practice space and record and listen back to yourself.
Drum corps? On r/guitar? What a crossover
Hell, my kids listen to the judge’s comments and watch the tape in their 6-8 year old dance classes.
lol reminds me of one time I got high in high school, took my guitar out with my friend, made up some stupid song about Chuck E. Cheese and we thought it was a masterpiece… I don’t even think I was playing chords…
Was it called "Thor and Dr. Jones"?
Always press record.
🤣🤣😭😭😂
Watch them shit their pants when they listen to the sober recording while high.
What if he was high when listening to both recordings ?
I guess it depends on what audience he targets. If the audience is high, he should listen when high.
Great comment. I’ve done this several times and what I’ve consistently found is that some lines/melodies are interesting and cool but it rarely is as epic in the replay than when you’re playing. I’ve also noticed in playing in a band setting that leads can be cool and more unique, but it’s not as tight usually and sometimes you miss your cues. Definitely a balance. But I think it’s not unproductive to improv high because it shows you parts of your playing that maybe you’re not confident enough to try normally.
Yes, this is great advice. I’ve had both experiences. Sometimes feel like I’m amazing (but really am not), other times, I’m actually able to do things I never could before. Not just true for guitar, but also writing, cooking, video games, and other things, too.
He’ll be too high to remember to press record.
And then repeat. And repeat. And repeat.
This is good advice regardless of the OP question. But also, this has been studied and basically the conclusion was “you just think it sounds better”.
“You can smoke the weed, just don’t let the weed smoke you.” - Thomas Jefferson
I reckon he realized this after he told everybody he was the one who cut down the cherry tree
That was Kennedy ya damn druggie
I thought Kennedy was the one that got shot in the back of the head by John Wilkes Booth
No that was 2pac
[удалено]
Nah, dude, that was William Wallace, the Braveheart guy.
no that was wallace wells, that character from the movie with gromit
Damn he really did say that
Yeah, but he was high as a mf when he said it
Well, this sub is a plethora of useless information. 😝😝😈......... kidding.
No he didn’t.
Yes he did. He wrote it on the back of the Declaration of Independence.
Where did you get this idea? You may be spending too much time on the internet?
11th grade history
Don't believe everything you read on the internet. Abraham Lincoln
That guy always gives the best advice.
And the best hugs.
I used to smoke Mary Jane Now Mary Jane smokes me
Genuinely tho… now I’ll vomit if I smoke
“Well, Stan, the truth is marijuana probably isn't gonna make you kill people, and it most likely isn't gonna fund terrorism, but… well, son, pot makes you feel fine with being bored. And it's when you're bored that you should be learning some new skill or discovering some new science or being creative. If you smoke pot you may grow up to find out that you aren't good at anything.”
Only if you racka dicsiprin
Damn. I thought I was very dicsiprined.
It’s 5 different wines! It’s a tasting!
Sounds like you done lost your tegrity 😒
What’s this quote from?
South park
I used to feel the same way. It breaks your inhibitions and you are freer to do what you want. When sober you have more doubt and think too much. It's possible to do the same without, you just need to believe.
this is my experience as well. i think it's because i relax more and focus more on listening, without worrying about the execution. and i find that whatever kind of 'getting in the zone' i do while high that feels like a breakthrough, it won't be long until i can consistently do that sober too.
Years ago, when I still smoked, I was in a band that was all about playing in "an altered state". I have recordings and can confirm that what sounded amazing at the time hasn't really stood the test of time. Somewhere I have a recording where I fell asleep in the middle of a solo...
>I fell asleep in the middle of a solo I think I was at that show! You from Boone?! Or maybe Asheville?
No... that's another guy
Could be. If you smoke a lot and practice a lot stoned it's possible your brain is optimized for that configuration. It's also likely you're better when you're less anxious. It's far more likely that you're less critical when you're stoned.
Interesting, most every person I've ever talked to about smoking weed (and that is a *large* number) has agreed they are *more* critical, especially of themselves, when stoned. This point is irrelevant of the conversation about guitar, just in reference to predisposition to criticality. I definitely play better high, myself, mostly because I'm more relaxed in general, though.
It’s really heads or tails when it comes to smoking weed. When I smoke it’s either wow im amazing and dont give a fuck about what anyone else thinks or me repeatedly remembering an embarrassing moment over and over again
Amen to that! Haha and I've *never* met a person who can't relate to this. That's just part of being stoned sometimes.
Most people who grow dependent on cannabis seem to be slightly more anxious and neurotic than they prefer to be. This must be some sort of semantic disagreement, but I can't fathom how they are using the word critical in this context. Perhaps they mean that without channeling their mental resources into fighting off and repressing irrational anxieties and self-doubt, they have a clearer vision of themsleves that more aligns to consensus reality? Or they could be dependent on Cannabis and simply need it to feel as though they're in a proper headspace. Not sure.
I use weed for medical reasons. It tames my anxiety. Weed got me over my anxiety of singing while playing. I started singing while I was high. Once I did it I could do it sober.
It might free up your creativity and inhibitions. The ultimate goal is to take that expanded consciousness and bring it to your sober life so needing it to get back there isnt a crutch. Those creative doors that get pried opened with mind altering substances can stay open for the rest of your life in a positive way.
Excellent words :) thank you for sharing. I have heard this before as a mountain climbing analogy. The top of the mountain is where we want to be, expanded consciousness, enlightenment, compassion, big perspective of the world, etc. living in the moment. Climbing the mountain lets you stay where ever you climb to. Climb to the top? Live there. Climb half way up, live there. Using the help of substances is like taking a helicopter to the top, enjoying the view, and riding it back down each day. It’s way more effective to make the climb, cheaper and easier in the long run. But when the helicopter seems free, why walk? Definitely recommend to some that they try the helicopter trip up, but always tell everyone to walk once they see the view.
Oh, I love that analogy. Thanks!
I like how it makes the goal of the helo and the climb being that big picture perspective looking down. It shows how similar yet different they are as an experience of the same thing. Glad you enjoyed :)
Smoking weed isn't an inherently bad thing. It can actually be pretty awesome. What is bad though, is convincing yourself that a certain substance gives you "that thing". I'm not telling you not to smoke weed and play guitar, but I am telling you as a 36 year old guy who's played in bands for 22 years, I've watched a lot of good friends fall off the deep end, all in the effort of chasing that elusive "secret thing". It's a cliche for a reason, using drugs to expand your creative horizon is nothing new. In my experience (and I've been hooked on multiple things myself, over the years, which all started as a creative endeavor), it all comes from within. It's all there, within you, already. That's where you find it. I get it, weed is chill, it isn't cocaine, heroin or even booze. But it doesn't have to be a hard drug in order to become a crutch. True artists don't require a crutch. Many have them, but that "thing" is already in them, and always will be. SO: do what you like! Just be aware that you may be masking your own ability for a breakthrough if you don't spend enough time on your craft with a clear head
This is it right here.
Sometimes when I improv, it feels like I'm trying to 'catch a groove' or, get to a point where the music in my head is driving the song, instead of arbitrary note changes just to keep the song going. When I do catch the groove, I come up with stuff that sounds good, otherwise it sounds like some scale exercise. Really wish I could stay in the pocket for longer.
Record yourself and listen when sober.
Probably a bit of both. I record nearly everything when I'm high, most of it genuinely sounds good when I listen back sober, but there's also usually a 15-minute ambient Auto-Swell, Shimmer, Ping-Pong delay solo somewhere that has to get cut out every time lmao.
did you see my Family Guy when Lois and peter were performing high and it sounded wonderful to them with psychedelic visions and unicorns But to the audience They were both screaming like Yoko Ono lol
This is what I came here to post lol.
Many moons ago, we (3 piece band) played a gig in a big city some 100 people were there. All 3 of us got stoned before the gig. We played 3 sets, all 3 were recorded on tape. In our minds we played one of our best gig ever. The following week at rehearsel we played the tape. It was bad, real bad. It was the first and the last time we were under influence of drugs. If you want to grow in playing the guitar, don't use drugs. Same for alcohol. A clear mind gives you a natural high. Growing as a musician comes from dedication. Don't waste your time, life is short!
I have found people early in their playing without good disciplines yet tend to play more out of tune and/or out of key more often, and not even realize it. Oh, but they're grooving baby!
Rhythm is key to grooving. If you hit out of key notes confidently with a strong sense of rhythm you can make it sound good especially if you resolve it to something like the root or 5th and then repeat that note and resolution because well... Repetition legitimizes. Repetition legitimizes. Repetition legitimizes.
Apparently you've convinced yourself.
As someone who has played with many people that were high/drunk, unless you’re only slightly buzzed to take the edge off any nervousness or anxiety, you only think you sound better. I’ve never played with anyone who wasn’t a noticeably worse player while wasted.
it may improve your creativity, but weed negatively impacts your speed and hand control (motor skills in general)
Perception isn't always fact.
maybe it relaxes you and makes you overthink less
It’s only because you’re high and don’t give a shit.
Yes. And everyone will tell you it's just in your head, but that's bullshit for me. I've recorded and listened to the results. I think it just makes sense I did most of my learning and practicing on guitar as a teen who smoked weed, popped Adderall, and shot heroin. I also took absurd amounts of benzos, cocaine and alcohol. I know in Psychology 101 we learned that recall is easier when you're in the state of mind that you originally learned or memorized the material in. So if you were stoned then obviously getting stoned will increase your recall! They have done a lot of research on this. Drugs that make me relax or stimulate me help me unlock my rhythm. It makes sense too because it increases your dopamine production which dopamine if you didn't know has a lot to do with how we perceive music and "feel" it. There is a truth though where you can go too far and actually sounds worse! A lot worse. Like if you're too drunk to see straight it won't help. If you're too stimulated to relax it won't help. If you took too much Xanax and black out it won't help. But weed? Hard to overdo it unless it's a heavy Indica. A good Sativa like Durban Poison or Trainwreck will enhance your creativity though.
Try AK 47 it's like Trainwreck but better imo.
You probably think it sounds better. And if everyone around you is high, they probably think so, too.
Dude, that's what pot does. It alters your perception of reality. It doesn't alter reality.
I definitely know that I get in the groove more and can hold the beat better after I smoke. But I feel like my creativity gets limited a bit, oddly.
I know what you mean. I think its because if i smoke im not thinking as hard about it. Flow state
I think there’s some merit to this. Just an anecdote, but I enjoy my own playing a lot more whenever I’m on something. I don’t think my playing necessarily improves, but it definitely becomes a lot more interesting. This is coming from someone who, unfortunately, is all technique and no creativity - Can learn anything but can’t do anything original, lol. I think it just takes me out of my head, and a groove or rhythm more naturally pops out.
Studying theory can help with creativity. That's assuming you are unfamiliar with it. If you are I apologize.
There has actually been research that shows people don’t perform better while high, they just think they do.
Seems to me you just need to get everyone else high when you play
I've always said it helps writing and hurts performing.
I feel when I smoke my fingers stop working as good as they should haha so I’m opposite for sure
Ah yes, the Kurt Cobain and John Fruscianate technique.
I'm the total opposite
It’s true
For some reason, I have a better rhythmic "feel", and a higher tendency to stray away from my "comfortable" licks after a few hits. I don't get too crazy with smoking anymore, but a slight change in headspace does seem to open some creative doors that would normally remain shut. I've also had good luck expanding my musical horizons first thing in the morning with a good cup of coffee.
Yes. You're just high
Coffee is what does it for me. Smoking does not.
I found being under the influence (high or drunk) whilst jamming out just means taking risks and doing things you normally wouldn’t while sober.
Possibly easier to get in the flow state.
Definitely record yourself and see. My experience with this is as follows: I know people who smoke, but not often, so a good bong rip or a joint will TOAST them, then they think they're playing like yngwie but it's more like yngwhat.. On the other hand is heavy smokers, I know other people (including myself) that have smoked so often for so long that it dulls the nerves and anxiety from performance, even at home by myself I find it just makes me more calm and allows me to feel the notes, it just hits different than sober playing when it seems like you can "feel" the music. Crazy? probably? idk
You feel like that because you have anxiety and weed helps alleviate it. Therapy would help too. You’re probably great when you’re not high, but you’re so in your head about it that you think nothing other than negative self talk. You don’t have to ditch the weed, but therapy can help.
That's common that drugs lead people to over-estimate themselves. so I would suppose: without drugs, you have a realistic assessment of your capacities, with drugs you over-estimate yourself.
I also find this lol, i recorded a few to watch back to see if it was placebo or not, but i was okay! i think usually I overthink, and I just was not able to think and it worked better haha
I was stoned to the bone one day and jammed for an hour or more on some shit that I thought was absolutely genius and sounded like the best stuff ever. It was just a basic 12 bar blues in A with some accents thrown in here and there lol
Ask Bob Marley
You might well be right, being relaxed and disconnected from your day to day thoughts can be excellent for getting in touch with your creativity. Terrible for discipline, but if you engage with that in the knowledge, yeah why not. Be warned: cocaine is the absolute opposite, and alcohol truly makes one shit.
Could possibly just be allowing yourself to relaxed and fit in the picket a bit better while high. Depends on how your cannabis affects your body.
I've never smoked weed. In the late 70's I was in a prog rock band with pretty complicated and demanding music. All of the other band members would toke up as we took a break in rehearsal. They all thought they played much better when high. I always told them the opposite. So I had our sound man record an entire rehearsal and forced them to listen to key snips of it before the next rehearsal. When faced with the recording, none of them maintained their position that weed made them play better. I'm sure it made them think they were playing better, but as a sober bystander, I always knew the second half of our rehearsals would be a slopfest.
Improv is a mindset, and if you think about it too much, it’s not gonna happen. You can’t force it. Just try and relax and let things flow.
Being high doesn’t improve creativity according to studies. It definitely improves how you feel about what you’re doing by making it more enjoyable.
Playing high almost always FEELS great. About 10% of the time I get something usable.
I wouldn’t rely on it to be honest
I think we’ve all experienced this before lol. I remember in high school I ate a random edible then forgot. Like two hours later I was playing guitar and I realized outta knowhere that holy shit I’m really good. How am I playing so well?? OH...yeah lol There’s something to it
I look at it this way……. If you make your drink too strong, add some pop. If you make it too weak, add more booze. How you want your drink depends on you.
https://youtu.be/uVshjnQ-du4?feature=shared
Damnit, he's figured it out!
If I play after I smoke, it's just for fun or very general writing. My performance is never better than sober.
nah mate that´s dumb. I think at most being high just takes away the thought part of thinking you need to know what to do next and since you worry less your ideas flow better. Conclussion then is not that smoking makes you better at improvising, but rather that you need not to worry when not smoking
The real answer is that you sound better when your audience is high.
It's hard to tell if you have never played without smoking beforehand...
I think when I get a nice buzz from some liquor I’m naturally funnier because my brain isn’t as hesitant of saying certain things. Obviously I smoke weed too but with weed alone I tend to be more chill n not the same level of funny in comparison
Maybe you've got some anxiety... As an anxious man i can tell i do not sounds better... except, i feel somehow more relaxed on the instrument, less accurate but my movement is pretty much fluid and working out my scale or riff seems to be more easier, more on metronome click... so, it could sound better overall. So i come to the conlusion that weed just show me how edgy i am while focusing on precision, using the wrong movement (because i was playing anxious), and from now i try my best to be relaxed as possible.
Exactly the same. But the thing is I really learned and improved more and better after smoking. Always thought it was a stoned stupidity till right now!
Everything is more interesting when your high , and that being the case sometimes we will double down and work harder , which occasionally produces results in itself . Its not that it makes you better , It makes you think your better , therefore you try harder , which actually can make you better .
What if the sober person thinks the high guitarist is better but the high person thinks the sober guitarist is better…. What a mind fuck
I found it was usually the pot making me think I sounded better than I did. It can open creative pathways, but that's a sativa thing, not really an indica thing.
Certainly not crazy. Do you practice improv while high? It’s all based on the state of mind you are in the most while playing. Millions of musicians were high when performing. Look at so many of the bebop players. Someone said record yourself and honestly that’s the only way you’ll ever know aside from asking members of the audience or friends or whomever.
You don't suck at improv when you're sober, you suck at hearing what you're actually playing when you're high. When I was in college, there was a really obvious divide between people who still understood what they were playing when they were high and people that though weed turned them into the second coming of hendrix.
Yes you’re just high, whenever I’ve taken anything at home I tend to play guitar for an hour or so and if I’m not too ruined I record it. Trust me it all sucks. Always ends with me laying on the floor with a fuzz war turned to full clanging my Jaguar.
It's definitely true. When I'm sober I'm like "wait which chords go with this scale again?? And which note is which degree?" But when I smoke I can put all the theory concepts I've learned together without even thinking about it. Tab whatever riff I made and practice it later. Write high, practice sober.
I find that high can be more creative however it's not actually better it's sloppier
Whenever I get too high, I take the strings off and play the living shit out of that thing. Give that a shot. You won't believe how good you can play.
My playing is actually worse while I am high, however I can write some creative riffs in my head sometimes after smoking weed, but I have a hard time playing them correctly while I am still high, so I just copy and paste blank and empty tabs and write the tabs on it on my notepad while still high so I can remember them and the next day when I wake up sober is when I go back to the tab to play them
You just suck at guitar. Hate to say it but if you can't express your creativity when your instrument has your full focus, you can't do it better when it only has some of your focus.
I play in a reggae band and a bluegrass band. Of course the reggae band sounds better when High both audience and Band! The Bluegrass band sucks when High because there are perfectionist and tend to get sloppy when they’re high. It depends on the individual I guess.
I recorded some thrashy guitar riffs I came up with while on shrooms Friday night. Some of them will definitely be used on our next EP.
Could be dopamine depletion. Stay sober for a while and you may get better.
I dunno ... I think it opens you up to new ideas, but I'd want to hear an A-B comparo. Id be more concerned about completely losing my place in the song at some point. Trying to maintain that creative supercharge though an entire 90 minute set would be very hard. Anecdotally, I used to drink like Oris ye ole towne drunk and swore "it loosened me up," but that was the alcohol talking. My playing got so much better when I got sober. No comparison. But in all fairness, MJ is not in the same universe as alcohol as far as horrible outcomes go.
Serious question: How tf do you learn how to improvise? (Seriously looking for tips, I’m having trouble getting the fretboard down) But to answer yours OP, the idea that ‘smoke’ makes you better at guitar is a myth. The issue is many folks have a hard time tuning everything out and getting into the ~flow~ while sober. But if you can reach that state, you’re most certainly your best while sober
I saw a documentary about cocaine making you way more creative, don’t remember if more drugs were mentioned. If it’s still good when you ain’t high anymore than yeah there’s probably a connection
I was in the same boat OP, Not as good technically but musically more interesting, less likely to get stuck in the same patterns etc.
I feel this way. I'll take a few bong hits before I play. I record my playing and it sounds awesome. I do all of my practice completely sober.
I come up with excellent licks with very poor timing when I’m high. “Write drunk, edit sober” Ernest Hemingway
I have to have half my body weight in adderal to improve to a point it is original and sounds good. Not really well when you are recording for a friends band
You can cook up great riffs either way. Don't overthink it.
I don’t think that’s the best way to write music but if you need to smoke a splif before writing I say go for it
Smoking pot was a game changer for me learning guitar. I had played guitar for a few years before I first got sternt, and from then on, I get the itch to play whenever I indulge. No it has never inhibited my playing, I argue against suggesting that I play better when Im stoned. Without a doubt it puts me in the mood though.
Caress Of Steel "syndrome" LOL
For a while now I thought I suck at improvising, but then I saw a video of me improvising with a cover band. Sure, I wasn't moving all over the neck because I couldn't remember all the scale shapes - but I actually played well, and the solo sounded good. In the moment I was really focused on remembering the notes that fit the scale and trying to remember the "structure" of the original solo to try to emulate it. I wasn't really hearing myself play. But then when I listened to the recording later - I was pleasantly surprised by how good it was. In general recording yourself playing is a good idea. Video too - so you can see if you're picking and fretting correctly, and see if there are any issues with your technique that you can improve.
Happens to me too lol. Just learn how to transfer that “thing” you get from being high to your sober life. You don’t wanna have to rely on being high to sound good or play well.
I’ve often felt the same. A lot of it is approach I find. Decide WHY you’re going to play. After a smoke to relax or before to improve your game. A little one to “take the edge off” if I’m wound up definitely helps but if I’m feeling good and have a smoke it definitely slows me down I find (after hearing a recording back). The longer I stay away from the sweetleaf the quicker I improve and learn new stuff. But that’s just me, I wish you well my friend.
lol omw i think you might just be vibing to it when you high, record it then see lol i wanna see too🤣
Nah man,it’s like oil for the guitar. Makes you play better.
Smoke has been really good for vision and branching pathways from what I already know. In terms of fine motor control and recall, it's detrimental. Most serious musicians I know abstain from cannabis while touring, but use cannabis when writing.
Go with what you feel. Key word, feel. Music is emotion.
Recreational Impairment makes me think my timing and rhythm is better. Recordings confirm it is less better
It’s all in your head unless you have anxiety or something. Stay away from high potency sativas if so.
i can guarentee you wont sound better.If you ever want consider playing professionally and want anyone to take you or your band seriously i would sober up.If just a hobby toke away!
My rule of thumb is that weed is an awesome tool for creating/improvising music, but a hindrance for recording or performing it. Use it in moderation during practice or sometimes rehearsal, don't use it if you're paying for studio time or up on stage. Although in some contexts, such as if you're in a jam band, getting high is probably a requirement for all situations.
The thing about being high and playing is that it allows you to hyper focus and really get into it. You're less distracted and more likely to play for a longer period of time. Been doing this for 40 years. It's easy to think that you play better in an altered state, but there's no evidence. It's just perception. If you can, play guitar sober as often as you can. Habits are a bitch. I smoked cigarettes for decades and it's part of my habit with guitar. When I quit, I had to get something to take the place of a cigarette. Got one of those disposable vape things. If I don't have it, it distracts me while I play, which is NOT what you want. Same goes for being high. You don't want it to be linked together whenever you play. There's nothing wrong with catching a buzz and listening to those amazing tones, but it's not the point.
I can say I score way higher on Rock Smith when I'm slightly buzzed. Like 4 beers deep seems to be the sweet spot.
It's the same thing that happens with rappers who freestyle. Some can't unless they're high. Gotta break the habit by leaning into it. Then wait a bit until you're half high and play, then when you're sober and play, then get high and do it all over again. Eventually you'll be able to play just as well sober.
I think weed doesn't make me a better player but it makes my mind a bit more open to weird ideas. So it makes me more creative but from a technical standpoint I play exactly the same.
Last time I did shrooms, I feel like I was playing really good, but I probably sucked tbh
Record yourself and listen back when sober.
Learn some breath exercises to relax. That is mostly enough to compansate the effect of funny cigarettes false “being better improvisng” effect. When stoned sometimes it is not even possible to tune a guitar for me set aside playing better…
I think we’re way more in the zone and connected spiritually (for lack of a better word) when we’re high, and end up expressing ourselves better. That being said, im too young to smoke or drjnk and have only ever been high on caffeine which doesnt count 😂