Does Drinking (Alcohol) help you play Guitar?

Myth or real? Does Drinking Alcohol help you play Guitar? (We’ll cover the science)

The subject of if drinking before a gig or a jam has always been one I’ve heard come up in the years of playing guitar with bands. I’ve heard everything from “It makes me more creative” All the way to, “if you drink before this gig you’ll ruin our set.” (That buzzkill line was right from one of my old vocalists, needless to say we kicked him out pretty quick since he was talking to our buddy about just one beer.)

So, right here right now I’m going to go ahead and bring out some real facts on alcohol and performance, so that there will be no doubt if alcohol is going to be a good or bad idea at your next gig, jam, or good old practice session.

Without a doubt, having a beer or two makes you more creative.

(Articles cited below)

So, after reading over a dozen articles from all sorts of reputable sources (MedicalDaily, Psychology Today, MensHealth, etc.) it turns out that drinking actually does boost the creative process pretty significantly.

Many different Researchers and Universities have found this, my two favorites being one from some incredible researchers in Austria, and the other from the University of Illinois.

In fact, they both are very similar and have very similar results:

Here’s How They Did It:

Both had test subjects where there was a group that didn’t drink, a group that did and The University Of Illinois took it a step further even and had a test subject that was allowed to drink as much as they wanted.

All of the test subjects were required to creatively decide on two different types of test-

The Austrians were told to figure out what linked certain words, for instance the words “Swiss, Blue, and Cake” were all linked by the word Cheese.

The University of Illinois performed a very similar type of experiment, except with there’s they simply had a third group that was allowed to drink as much as they wanted. Funny thing, the highly intoxicated group did the best.

Other Similar Tests:

So, this is actually a super popular subject among scientists apparently, guess everyone likes booze…..right?

A quick Google search will show you tons of research on the topic, but you can find my favorites here.

Here’s a fun video that tells you a little about it, also covers what happens when you smoke marijuana as well.

So, it makes me more creative……..but How can I use this?

Super simple.

Next time you want to write something incredible just try simply having a drink. Seriously. Maybe even a few.

From personal experience, I can say that some of the best music I’ve ever written has been under the influence.

Actually, some of the best music of all time has been written under the influence, with all time hits like White Rabbit, I’ve Always Been Crazy, and many many more. Many albums and careers have been made under the influence and that’s really no secret at all.

Now, of course there was alcohol involved…..but there was also other drugs involved with many of these hit songs, and sadly, there really just aren’t many studies done on if drugs really do make you more creative.

I personally think that the evidence is obvious however.

Fun Fact- We might not have the Iphone if Steve Jobs had never took acid.

What about Concerts and Gigs? Still ok to have a drink?

First off, I’d like to say that everyone is different.

And for some people (like my girlfriend who is a huuuuuge lightweight) it’s just never a good idea to have a drink before a show.

As for my answer, I’m going to have to say it depends.

I mean think about it, having a few drinks and playing a simple acoustic show might not be too difficult for most people. But playing a super complicated solo where you have to be in perfect harmony with another guitar player? You might just want to lay off the Jack.

Look…

If you drink before a show….just know that even though alcohol does improve creativity….It does make it harder to focus. Link

That doesn’t mean it’s a bad idea to have a drink before a show, just that it could make it harder to play.

Even so, alcohol has helped many people who have a little bit of stage fright, so if that’s you I do highly recommend to have a drink or two before a show. I have a few friends who have gone on many tours and sometimes still get nervous. They swear by a few drinks and you’re good. Everyone gets a little stage fright, right?