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onojmai - Posted - 12/08/2006: 18:06:47
i'm a beginner. and i have had trouble getting rolls going- it's frustrating at times to get the speed/consistency.
well, one day i sat down after a long day of class and work, and had a little whiskey while i went thru my rolls (tennessee whiskey- Jack- maybe this just added some goodness to the bango!). i noticed that the booze helped a little with my fluidity- i wasn't as stiff-handed in my right hand and could just get "the feel" down more often. i guess this is a problem with beginners- stiffness/rigidity in the hands.
i didn't drink much, just one or two drinks at most. thought it was kinda nice to relax and just enjoy the feel of my hand moving more relaxed and uninhibited.
guess i just wanted to add my 2 cents. i'm not suggesting anyone try this, just thought it was an interesting experience.
stevena - Posted - 12/08/2006: 18:09:26
I'll drink to That!
Works for me too
What's the best or fastest way to tune a banjo?
Wirecutters.
uncangler - Posted - 12/08/2006: 18:19:54
I must admit. A few brews and I see to play a lot better. I guess it just helps you to stop thinking about the mechanics of the rolls.
Jeremiah
"My heart beats in rolls"
Banjoman - Posted - 12/08/2006: 18:24:44
You only THINK you're playing better.
All you kids that are reading this, the only thing that will make you better banjo players is practice.
Hugh
Playing since 1964
"If the banjo was any good, The Beatles would have used it."- Bill McEuen
Click Here: Banjo Hangout Rules & Guidelines.
Click Here: Bobby Thompson's Home Page
Edited by - Banjoman on 12/08/2006 18:28:02
fixdent - Posted - 12/08/2006: 18:27:45
The more drinks I have, the more fun I have.
--
gordon
shclandler - Posted - 12/08/2006: 18:30:29
I am new to the banjo, one year in, and this is my opinion. I find that alcohol makes me play worse. It messes with my concentration and any kind of flow I might have. I've tried *ahem* less socially accepted methods for relaxation 
while playing banjo, which worked well until it was all gone, then I'd be stuck. This led me to FINALLY stop after many years 
"You have to be somewhat of an oddball to play the banjo" -- to paraphrase J.D. Crowe
shclandler - Posted - 12/08/2006: 18:32:45
I guess it could make you think you're playing better, or maybe care less about mistakes. Could lead to some type of dependency on whiskey 'to play the banjo' like I've experienced above.
Edited by - shclandler on 12/08/2006 18:36:59
lchoat - Posted - 12/08/2006: 18:35:35
Do your fingers work better or is your hearing impaired enough to make it seem to sound better. I heard that the women all get prettier at closing time. Same concept.
Larry Choat
"Got time to breath; got time for music" - Briscoe Darlin
Goodwoodbanjo - Posted - 12/08/2006: 18:39:03
I gotta tell ya, as much as I enjoy a good cold one (and I do), I have learned to wait until the end of the second set before I open the flood gates. Back when I was strumming guitar I could put em down all night and not feel guilty about my playing. With the banjo you are responsible for every one of those notes and those notes are loud! (epecially on a Goldstar). On the other hand.....there are times when moderation is best in moderation. Cheers.
I'm limber where I ought to be stiff, and stiff where I ought to be limber.
wtmtnhiker - Posted - 12/08/2006: 18:45:01
Don't drink and drive, don't drink and play. My mother said if I drink and play banjo I'd go blind 
Proudly playing a Caouette Model K (They don't make em like that anymore)
http://www.geocities.com/caouettebanjos/
Garry G.
Deaf David - Posted - 12/08/2006: 19:31:32
I find I sound much better when everyone else is drinking and I'm not.
seanray - Posted - 12/08/2006: 19:38:28
Wow this is a loaded topic (bad pun intended). I'll kick this topic up a notch by saying booze and weed make most people play a lot worse but I've personally witnessed some very famous pickers "partaking" and it didn't phase them in the least.
It would be foolish to say booze will make you a better picker because it won't but music, especially bluegrass, is about having fun so in the words of a controversial English man, I say "Do what thou wilt".
http://www.seanray.com
banjorookie - Posted - 12/08/2006: 19:47:20
I'm with Deaf David on this one. The line blurs between relaxed and sloppy!
BANJOROOKIE
06 Deering Sierra
75 Fender Precision Bass
02 Schecter 5 string Bass
73 Epiphone Acoustic guitar
04 Rogue B-30 Banjo
04 Rogue Mando
Edited by - banjorookie on 12/08/2006 19:49:08
jimbo78 - Posted - 12/08/2006: 19:59:18
NOW im drunk and caint find my banjo,thanks alot for the bad advice
JimBo
granderman - Posted - 12/08/2006: 20:50:17
i can not see where any thing but practice will make you play better , i think drinking will make you think you are playing better but the reality would be the opposite .
aloha Bradah T
Dr.Ken - Posted - 12/08/2006: 22:55:26
Actually, you guys have discovered Earl's secret! It's why he is so good!
First, smoke 2 huge cigars, drink a 5-th of scotch, then stuff a HUGE WAD of chewing tobacco in your mouth. If you do this, with four nicotine patches on each arm, your playing will be unstoppable!
Now, Ralph Stanley did exactly the same thing, but he also added strong coffee - that's why his rolls are so powerful.
And Don Reno? Same routine, but instead of Ralph's coffee he took a handfull of tranquilizers.
Believe it or not, in his heyday, Arnold Schwarzeneggar was one mean banjo picker. Problem was, he was so good and so fast the strings would actually overheat and snap.
Ladies, gentlemen: It is one of those "taboo" things we banjo players don't like to talk about, not even on the BHO, but . . . if you want to be good . . . you've got to have the right mix of chemicals in your system !
pierce - Posted - 12/08/2006: 23:06:47
I've got to say that I enjoy a drink. But I never found that it helped my picking. If anything, it hurt.
uncangler - Posted - 12/08/2006: 23:25:28
I think there needs to be some clarification. No one is saying that you should get drunk or high to play better. Of course, practice is the only real tool for improving. And since this is a completely subjective experience, I think there is no right or wrong answer. I don't think this is advice so much as it is sharing experiences. Drinking or not, everyone here loves the sound of a banjo.
Jeremiah
"My heart beats in rolls"
Dr.Ken - Posted - 12/08/2006: 23:31:28
"Drinking or not, everyone here loves the sound of a banjo."
AMEN!
Don Borchelt - Posted - 12/09/2006: 00:04:14
Well, poor onojmai, he probably feels about two inches high right now. If it makes you feel any better, I like to come home after a long day of stressful work, pour myself about two fingers of single barrel Jack with a single ice cube, and sit down, relax, and pick a few tunes. I don't know if the Jack makes me pick any better, but it does help me unwind, and its my ritual, and you temperance ladies can all go to preachin' somewheres else, 'cause I got no use for it.
Now, when I used to go out and perform, what little I did, I did learn early on never to have more than one drink before we played. One would help me relax and get over the little bit of stage fright. Any more than that would definitely effect my playing. After our sets were over, well, it depended on whether I was driving or not.
- Don Borchelt
"When I asked my cousin, Horney Rodgers, several years ago how he rated himself as a fiddler, he paused for a moment and replied, "I'm the only man that I ever heard that played the fiddle jest exactly the way I wanted to hear it played.""
- John Rice Irwin
sawyer 12 - Posted - 12/09/2006: 00:22:44
A professional picker can get by with taking a little drink and still play good as long as he doesn,t take too many but there is no way it would help a beginner play better. Like hugh said, he just thinks its better.
david
budforte - Posted - 12/09/2006: 08:31:02
Many years ago when I was much younger, a picker, and a friend of mine, we'll call him Ernie, and I sat and talked for hours about the effects of chemicals on the performance of musicians. I had never tried some of the many substances that Ernie had done, but I liked to have an occassional whiskey. We discussed just about every topic under the sun about speed, rhythm, accuracy, style and so on . Unfortunately at the time of our discussion, I was drunk, and Ernie was stoned and neither of us, to this day, remember what we said.
ibapicker - Posted - 12/09/2006: 09:06:33
He said "Where's the outhouse"
Unplugged - Posted - 12/09/2006: 10:28:29
quote:
Originally posted by Dr.Ken
Ladies, gentlemen: It is one of those "taboo" things we banjo players don't like to talk about, not even on the BHO, but . . . if you want to be good . . . you've got to have the right mix of chemicals in your system !
Golleee! Does that mean banjo pickers will need to have blood and urine tests before each picking contest? Or is that just for the judges?
Actually, one - and a rare two - beers is my limit for each picking session, if anything. Lubricates the voice and just tastes good.
Steve
Love to pick. Love to sing. Let's jam!
fixdent - Posted - 12/09/2006: 11:49:46
Hmmm...I thought this was just a comical post at the beginning....
Surveyor - Posted - 12/09/2006: 12:30:47
Maybe this is why my wife starts drinking when I play the banjo.......
Brian S. Borum
Wind me up and watch me go....
Ninjato - Posted - 12/09/2006: 13:36:20
quote:
Originally posted by Banjoman
You only THINK you're playing better.
I agree...you think you play better. Record yourself and I'll guarantee when you are straight you'll be like, "WTF was that?" when you listed to yourself.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
My SOUNDCLICK:
http://www.soundclick.com/bands/pag...andID=533898lantran@comcast.net
Deaf David - Posted - 12/09/2006: 15:10:42
I was, literally, raised by and among moonshiners--with a long tradition informing the quality of their product. I'm definitely NOT a tee totaler, though I seldom drink store bought stuff.
That said, if you want the answer to this, stay sober and listen/watch while others drink and play. I get far better revues on my playing when the listeners have been drinking and I'm sober.
banjo ron - Posted - 12/09/2006: 16:39:31
I think the old saying holds true in banjo playing and life: Two drinks are just right. Three drinks are too many. Four drinks are not enough!
And it's been my experience that just one or two drinks may actually help me to feel more relaxed whilst playing in a social setting. Anything more and all bets are off.
I recently jammed at with some guitar players at a pig pickin where most of the folks were pretty wasted. I was sober, at least early on. Man, the crowd loved us! And I'm just a rank beginner. So I would like to echo an earlier post: Play for drunk people. It's good for the old self esteem
Also, for what it's worth, I've read some medical reports about a drink or two being beneficial for the heart.
eagleisland - Posted - 12/09/2006: 19:14:57
quote:
Originally posted by 1/6/24
I came to this site looking for banjo advice and I found this. WTF!
Y'all are sick.
Firshtuvall, one-sixsh, weeeelllllcom to th'Hangout. Yuullllreeerlylikeit.
Oopsdammit. Ennnyone gotta towel?
Seriously, 1/6/24, welcome to the Hangout. Don't let this thread throw you - this is a great bunch of people, hardly a collection of rum bums, and there are some fantastic players - and some fantastic people - here on a regular basis. Stick around - you'll really like it.
Back to topic: I find as a one-year-in noob that I play best stone-cold sober. I can fake it one beer in. Any more than that, and I'm better off with my guitar. Can't handle the speed or intricacy of the banjo with any more EtOH on board.
eagleisland
Learning the banjo: It's a process, not an event!
Contristo - Posted - 12/09/2006: 22:49:58
While this ground has been pretty well covered by others in this thread, I thought I would throw in my two cents worth. I'm a new player (six months) and I like the odd drink every so often. I've tried, a couple of times, to have a drink to "loosen up the fingers" a bit. They got loose, alright. They practically fell off. I was startled to see how negatively affected my playing was by even one drink. I suspect experienced folk can get away with it (their fingers know what they are doing) but beginners like me need every bit of concentration we can get.
Learn now - relax later. That's my motto.
Contristo
jdmatthew - Posted - 12/10/2006: 00:35:14
I once worked security for a Hank Williams, Jr. concert, and that guy was loaded before he went on stage and drank from a bottle of Jack D. the whole concert. It didn't seem to bother him at all, as a matter of fact it gave his song "Whiskey Bent and Hell Bound" a whole new ring of authenticity. However, I will say that he acted like an unmitigated jerk to everyone around him after the concert, which I have to attribute to the booze. Maybe he would have been better without the alcohol, who knows, because he was drunk the whole set.
After watching a musician I really liked get slobbering drunk on stage and spout abusive language to everyone within earshot (including me) I just haven't been as big a fan since, and that was 20 years ago.
Jadie Matthew
Lampasas, Texas
jrbanjo - Posted - 12/10/2006: 10:14:59
I've playing in bands for the last 15 years now and here's my take on things.
We all know alcohol loosens your inhibitions which might "relax" you just a bit. However, the later it gets, the more drinks you have, the worse you're going to play (although you might sound great to yourself...). If you've got the sefl control, I'd say drink water. Staying hydrated will make you sing better as well. Plus then you won't have to worry about driving.
Here's a tip: I've had some of my best practice sessions on weekend morning - a good night's sleep and strong cup of joe - just do it in an isolated part of the house so your roomates don't kick you out.
patientpicker - Posted - 12/10/2006: 17:41:19
I'm with jrbanjo. Keep hydrated...same principal with flying. It's better to drink water when flying, than booze...Water keeps you healthy. Booze give you jet lag...
"There is no such thing as failure, only failure to try"
gibsonboy - Posted - 12/10/2006: 18:21:07
Well, i dont know that it helps any...ive never tried it, but as far as that goes...i say just do whatever you like. If you like to take a drink when you get home from a long day and pick a few tunes, go for it. At lease you arent drinking and then getting out on the road to kill a few innocent people.
If you dont like my peaches, dont shake my tree. Stay out of my orchard, let my peaches be. Now she's gone, and i dont worry...Cause I'm sittin on top of the world!
rollinalong - Posted - 12/10/2006: 18:34:20
quote:
Originally posted by onojmai
i'm a beginner. and i have had trouble getting rolls going- it's frustrating at times to get the speed/consistency.
well, one day i sat down after a long day of class and work, and had a little whiskey while i went thru my rolls (tennessee whiskey- Jack- maybe this just added some goodness to the bango!). i noticed that the booze helped a little with my fluidity- i wasn't as stiff-handed in my right hand and could just get "the feel" down more often. i guess this is a problem with beginners- stiffness/rigidity in the hands.
i didn't drink much, just one or two drinks at most. thought it was kinda nice to relax and just enjoy the feel of my hand moving more relaxed and uninhibited.
guess i just wanted to add my 2 cents. i'm not suggesting anyone try this, just thought it was an interesting experience.
He didn't say it made him play any better or any worse. He simply stated that he felt like he played more relaxed.
Bill
I don't want to be on the business end of a bad mistake. Adam -- Myth Busters
sroberts007 - Posted - 12/10/2006: 19:36:09
My opinion is, it doesn't really matter since most of us are doing this for fun and relaxation anyway. Personally, I've done both. I have made it a rule anyway to never drink on weekdays and just have a few beers on weekends, But to me, locking myself in my room with my banjo and a cold beer or two on the weekend is part of the fun, but I also enjoy playing equally with a cup of warm coffee. Its all part of the mix for me, I think balance is the key for most everything. I say as long as your not hurting anyone else or your family, do whatever floats your boat!
crowestyle - Posted - 12/10/2006: 20:44:44
I don't think onojmai was talking about getting loaded while playing. I stick to a rule when practicing and/or playing a gig at a place that serves alcohol, A 2 drink MAXIMUM for the night. Having a drink can calm your nerves and loosen you up a little, but after two I think your playing will really start to suffer.
I played a "bluegrass night" at a tavern about a month ago and we were the second group to go on. It was a Friday night, and after our set was over I went to the bar and figured I would start my weekend with a couple shots. (Yes, I had a designated driver). The last group showed up a little later and asked me to sit in because their banjo player couldn't make it. Well, I didn't play all that bad, but I defenitely didn't play well.
"I don't have a girlfriend, I just know a girl who would get really mad if she heard me say that."- Mitch Hedberg
www.myspace.com/crowestyle
Edited by - crowestyle on 12/10/2006 20:45:20
brewmaster - Posted - 12/11/2006: 00:27:08
As far as my playing goes, I'd rather have a couple fingers of bourbon than a strong cup of coffee. The bourbon makes me FEEL like I'm playing better but I KNOW the coffee makes me play worse. My fingers get all jittery and don't work right when I drink coffee.
-brew
"You need to learn to play quietly"
-Mrs. Brewmaster
fixdent - Posted - 12/11/2006: 08:28:31
I'll drink to that...(this)....
Gordon
RODNEYJOHNSON - Posted - 12/11/2006: 08:51:38
I will tell you how it really is from someone who drank a lot and a long time.When I drank I thought I played good.I needed something to drink to even play sometimes,and it seemed the more I drank the better I played.Then I stopped drinking.It took a while before I even enjoyed trying to play after that.But when I got over the shakes and started playing again something amazing happened.I listened to some old recordings of myself in a band while I was on the booze and then I listened to some recordings of myself with a few nondrinking friends jamming.The difference was amazing how clean my picking sounded sober.It continues to improve with sober practice.
HOTROD<")))><
ole blackie - Posted - 12/11/2006: 18:30:05
Wow! I cant believe so many people have responded to this! This must be a touchy subject to alot of people. I agree with Rodney, however. Liquor and pickin...not good bedfellows. Im not sure theres anything more obnoxious in a jam session than a picker that is plowed.
Ive always found that a good STRONG cup of coffee makes me play much better.
Wil
..."The Lord opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble". I Peter 5:5
garyblanchard - Posted - 12/11/2006: 18:57:45
I'm not going to get into the "to drink or not to drink" discussion; I work as an addictions counselor and have seen people who can control drinking and those who are controlled by it. That is a topic that is for another forum.
I will say what I say to clients I work with. It sounds like what onojmai is saying is that he is too tense when playing and needs to relax more to improve his playing. That makes sense to me. The trick is to find ways to relax other than chemically, since it may not always be possible to have a drink or two before playing. Perhaps some breathing exercises would help in relaxation. Maybe a person can try to remove some of the self-imposed feelings and beliefs that make us self-conscious and tense when we go to play. While chemical help is quick and easy, it is better in the long run if we can find other ways to get the same effect.
Congratulations to onojmai for finding a problem in his picking, and good luck in finding a variety of ways to overcome it.
Gary Blanchard
Preserving the Old-Time/Good-Time Tradition
http://www.brookfieldsmusic.net
5FORFIGHTING - Posted - 12/11/2006: 19:17:09
This thread is making me thirsty ...............
lazyarcher - Posted - 12/12/2006: 03:44:58
Not only will your playing improve, but you will become thinner and better looking, and the chicks will flock to you.
Dave Jack
Banjocoltrane - Posted - 12/12/2006: 15:43:56
quote:
Originally posted by garyblanchard
I'm not going to get into the "to drink or not to drink" discussion; I work as an addictions counselor and have seen people who can control drinking and those who are controlled by it. That is a topic that is for another forum.
I will say what I say to clients I work with. It sounds like what onojmai is saying is that he is too tense when playing and needs to relax more to improve his playing. That makes sense to me. The trick is to find ways to relax other than chemically, since it may not always be possible to have a drink or two before playing. Perhaps some breathing exercises would help in relaxation. Maybe a person can try to remove some of the self-imposed feelings and beliefs that make us self-conscious and tense when we go to play. While chemical help is quick and easy, it is better in the long run if we can find other ways to get the same effect.
Congratulations to onojmai for finding a problem in his picking, and good luck in finding a variety of ways to overcome it.
Gary Blanchard
Preserving the Old-Time/Good-Time Tradition
http://www.brookfieldsmusic.net
very well put.
ole blackie - Posted - 12/13/2006: 05:02:38
Posted - 12/12/2006 : 03:44:58
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Not only will your playing improve, but you will become thinner and better looking, and the chicks will flock to you.
Dave Jack
If you do what, Dave?
Wil
..."The Lord opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble". I Peter 5:5
jpoulette - Posted - 12/13/2006: 07:36:57
quote:
Originally posted by twhite54
soon to be available, banjo neck mounted beer and drink holder...pat. pend...happy pickin' or cheers as the case may be...
Sorry man - that is the funniest thing I've ever heard.
Seriously, Hugh is right - making yourself "less-alert" by self medicating will not make you better at anything, especially banjo. I hear people say the same thing about alpine skiing - all I can do is roll my eyes and stand back.06 Maple Blossom, 71 D28
Stuff I'm working on
liegraves - Posted - 12/13/2006: 09:22:26
I support this thread!
<- swigs makers mark
heads to practice
-dan
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