brem

Is drinking beer during a performance affecting your play?

TisEkard

what do you think?

A.N.A. Mendez

"That is the question"


W.S.

brem

Well, I don't mean getting drunk here.

I mean sipping a beer for 45 minutes / an hour.

It doesn't really affect your coordination that much... I'm not talking about the most difficult trumpet passage ever either.

Just casual playing.

I guess, my question was rather... does it affect you physically... as in... lips swelling, burping, etc.

Clarence

Beer makes your tongue very lazy, trust me on this one!

brem

Is it true for any kind of alcohol though? hehehehe

During practices, we usually drink beer (moderately!!!) and I noticed that I get swollen faster... I was wondering if it was a direct consequence. I guess I could try not to drink next time to find out, but it's just funner to ask here isn't it? :)

Brekelefuw

I only drink after the first set, and that is if everything is going well.
Sometimes beer will dry out my mouth, so if I am at all nervous or stressed at the gig, then I won't drink.
On the other hand, I don't drink that much anyways, so drinking at a gig is rare.

Khora

On the serious side (such as it is), beer can make your lips swell a lot more, at least if you have a wheat intolerance or allergy. It is actually pretty common, though undiagnosed. It can wreak havoc on your chops if you don't know you have it - ask Steve Burns sometime....

Dave Mickley

I used to sub in a lot of bands years ago and I remember one lead trumpet player [Berkly grad, traveled with a circus for several years] who would always have a beer by his side from first break on. His tone steadily declined as the night wore on, whether it was the beer or not I never knew because I never saw him without a beer after the first set. Alchohol is a depressant so you figure it out. Dave

lmf

Brem,

It could be drinking beer while playing seems like a good thing, but I suspect affects your playing in a negative way. You may not notice, but your audience does.

I recall that instructions given for recording sessions indicate that "boozing" is not good and it may adversely affect the recording.

Now, I realize that "playing live" is not the same as "playing in a studio", but I suspect band members drink more they think they do (or should) and it shows. Of course, if the audience is "boozed up" it may not be noticed. Then, that would not be much of a compliment to your playing now would it?

With booze in your system, do you really know what you truly sound like? Could be that some band members need the "booze to find the nerve to perform."

It is much like "getting drunk" to "work up the nerve" to go to confession.

Best wishes,


Lloyd