Does Marijuana Use help you be more creative musically?

[Crazy~Titch]

loads of people debate about this (I even heard shakespeare used 2 toke on the good shit) but is it true?
does marijuana aid musicians in creation? i make beats and write lyrics, so this info would be greatly appreciated :)

[Vip-xXx]

I'd say it does mate.

But as you're in Prison for murder you aint toking shit :P

[barnsley]

hahahahahaha

[barnsley]

but ye some does i make tunes myself and i find after i smoke a certain weed i get straight onto a beat and sit for hours on it

[a13x]

loads of famous musicians have used it

[BudMan]

It helps you be more creative in loads of ways :)

I love listening to tunes when im blazed, hear loads of new sounds in your fave tunes youve never heard before...

[TheGreenMachine]

I'm a very creative person.
I like using photoshop, I like building web sites, I like writing code, I like making videos in sony vegas, I like mixing music using virtual software, I like drawing and painting..
I am very creative.

However, without a smoke I have no interest in anything or any inspiration.
I find it very hard to focus or maintain my attention span without the MJ.
I'm not really the go out down the pub socialising type and I rarely drink.
So I like nothing better of an evening than to have a few J's when the kids are in bed and get on the PC to do one or more of the above.

@Ben:
Yeah I second that, and also I tend to pick up more when watching films and see things I've not really noticed before.

[Bitterfly]

yes mate it helps enormously, fruity loops and thc go hand in hand; as barnsley stated you can sit for hours making beats, sometimes i may work on just 3 components of a track for up top 4 hours if i've got some nice smoke

[9Samurai]

You can't rely on it for inspiration, but it certainly does give you a different outlook on things.

I do find my tracks become a bit more "out there" after a smoke. In a good way I hope!

I don't know really. I don't find it makes me much better or worse to be honest!

[Crazy~Titch]

when i make a tune when am high, the shits maaaad!! but when i dont smoke, i produce some bullshit :(

[BudMan]

Definaltey TGM, i used to draw a lot when i was younger, and couldnt draw for shit on a straight head, no interest.. give me a bong tho totally different, many ideas... much creativeness ;)

Aye too right Bitterfly, what kinda music do you produce matey? :)

[Bitterfly]

Definaltey TGM, i used to draw a lot when i was younger, and couldnt draw for shit on a straight head, no interest.. give me a bong tho totally different, many ideas... much creativeness ;)

Aye too right Bitterfly, what kinda music do you produce matey? :)

alright dude hows tricks?

i make trance mate, but its not the cheesy shit, a mix of melodic and more experimental, and occasionally drum and bass. what about yourself?

[Basil]

I'm a photographer, I love shooting stuff high, but when it comes to editing (I work digital) I can't do it stoned at all. Drunk, but not stoned.

[ViK]

Making stuff comes in different types is the way I see it... you need the crazy creativity but you also need focus so that you can pursue a single train of thought and follow something through to completion.

Canna gives you the scatty, random creativity for sure. But some kinds of making stuff needs a bit of coherence and single mindedness that you have when straight. That's how it is for me anyway...

For example, when I'm high and do some cooking... I looove all the flavours and smells and taste combo's but I couldn't time a dish in the oven and one on the stove to save my ass :)

[The_Hunter]

creative/famous weed users
1. Barack Obama. El Presidente de Los Estados Unidos!
2. Bill Clinton “…but I didn’t inhale.” Fomer U.S. President!
3. Bill Murray. Yep, everyone’s favorite actor was arrested for possession.
4. Paris Hilton. Socialite. Night Vision Porn-Star.
5. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Basketball star
6. George W Bush Politician and professional hypocrite.
7. John F Kennedy. Politician.
8. Steve Jobs, co-creator of the Apple computer.
9. Queen Victoria.
10. Bruce Lee.
11. Aaron Sorkin, creator of ”The West Wing”.
12. Art Garfunkel , singer, Simon and Garfunkel.
13. Abbie Hoffman, Activist.
14. Al and Tipper Gore Politicians
15. Aleister Crowley, Author and Famous Satanist.
16. Alexander Dumas, Author - “The Three Musketeers”
17. Ali Campbell, Singer with UB40
18. Alice B. Toklas. Famous Cook
19. Allen Ginsberg, Poet.
20. Art Garfunkel. Singer of, “Simon and Garfunkel” fame.
21. Arthur Rimbaud.
22. Balzac.
23. Beatles.
24. Bill Gates. Not confirmed, just very strongly hinted at in his Playboy interview.
25. Bing Crosby. Musician
26. Bix Beiderbecke Jazz musician.
27. Black Crowes, musicians
28. Bob Denver, Star of “Gilligan’s Island”.
29. Bob Dylan, musician.
30. Bob Marley, musician
31. Burt Reynolds, actor.
32. Cab Calloway, Jazz musician. Claimed he only used it once.
33. Carl Sagan, Scientist - SiFi writer - film “Contact” More info here.
34. Carlos Santana musician.
35. Carrie Fischer, Actress
36. Charlie Sheen, actor.
37. Charlize Theron, Actress.
38. Charles Beaudelaire, Author.
39. Cheech Marin, Actor
40. Chris Conrad, Author and expert on Cannabis Hemp
41. Chris Farley. Comedian.
42. Chrissie Hynde, musician.
43. Chris Rock, Actor, Comedian, Producer, Screenwriter.
44. Chubby Checker, Musician. Sang; “Lets Twist Again”.
45. Cilla Black, Musician and presenter.
46. Claire Rayner, Agony Aunt.
47. Cody Kasch Actor. TV series Desperate Housewives
48. Conan O’Brian TV Host
49. Count Basie, Jazz Ban Leader
50. Dame Margot Fonteyn, Prima ballerina.
51. David Bailey, Photographer .
52. Dan Quayle . Politician.
53. David Hockney, Artist.
54. Diego Rivera Mexican Artist
55. Dion Fortune Welsh occultist.
56. Dionne Warwick, Famous singer of “Walk on by”.
57. Dioscorides Pedanius, 1 st cent. AD. Greek physician. Wrote ‘De Materia Medica’.
58. Dizzy Gillespie, Jazz musician
59. Dr Francis Crick. Nobel Prize winner.
60. Dr Lester Grinspoon.
61. Dr R.D.Laing
62. Dr W.B. O’Shaugnessy Re-introduced cannabis to European medicine.
63. Drew Barrymore, actress.
64. Duke Ellington, Jazz Band Leader.
65. Elliott Gould. Actor.
66. Eminem, musician.
67. Emperor Liu Chi-nu, made medical recomendation for its use.
68. Emperor Shen-Nung, made first known medical recommendation for its use.
69. Errol Flynn, Actor
70. Evelyn Waugh. Author.
71. Francis Ford Coppella, Film Director.
72. Frances McDormand , Actress
73. Fats Waller, musician.
74. Fitz Hugh Ludlow - wrote ‘The Hasheesh Eater’.
75. Francois Rabelais. 16 th French author
76. Friedrich Nietzsche, Used it as a medicine.
77. Gary Johnson. Governor of New Mexico - Reformer.
78. Gene Krupa, Jazz musician.
79. George Gurdjieff , Russian Mystic.
80. George Melly, Jazz musician.
81. George Soros, Financier and reformer.
82. George Washington , grew it and there is evidence that he prepared it for smoking.
83. Gerard de Nerval French writer
84. Graham Greene, Author.
85. Grateful Dead musicians.
86. Harrison Ford, Actor.
87. Howard Marks. Ex-smuggler and Raconteur.
88. H R H Prince Harry, Third in line to the British throne.
89. H R H Princess Margaret, sister to Her Majesty the Queen.
90. Howard Stern
91. Hua T’o Medical use as anaesthetic .
92. Hunter S. Thompson, Author
93. Isabel Allende, Chilean author. Mentioned in her book “Paula”.
94. Jack Kerouac, Author
95. Jack Nicholson, actor.
96. Jackie Gleason, actor. Another whom the DEA kept on their pot files.
97. James Brown, musician
98. Janis Joplin, musician.
99. Jane Fonda, Actress.
100. Jennifer Aniston, actress.
101. Jennifer Capriati, Tennis champ.
102. Jesse Ventura, Governor of Minnesota.
103. Jim Morrison, musician.
104. Jimmy Dorsey, Jazz musician,
105. Jimmy Hendrix, musician
106. Joan of Arc, was accused of using witch herbs (another name cannabis).
107. John Belushi, actor.
108. John Denver, musician. He recorded a song about it.
109. John Kerry . Politician. US Senator
110. John Lennon. musician.
111. John Le Mesurier. Actor.
112. John Wayne, Actor, “I tried it once but it didn’t do anything to me.”
113. Jonathan Miller, Theatre Director.
114. Johnny Cash, musician.
115. Jon Snow, Channel 4 News presenter. (UK)
116. Julia Roberts, Actress,
117. Kary Mullis, Nobel Laurate, Biology.
118. Ken Kesey, Author
119. Kenneth Tynan, Playwright.
120. Kurt Cobain, musician.
121. Larry Hagman, actor, of “JR” fame.
122. Led Zeppelin, musicians.
123. Lenny Bruce, Comedian.
124. Lewis Carroll, Author
125. Lewis Wolpert, biologist.
126. Little Richard, musician.
127. Louis Armstrong, Jazz musician.
128. Luke Perry, actor.
129. Louis Hebert, French Botanist
130. Macaulay Culkin. Actor, Home Alone.
131. Mark Stepnoski. two-time Super Bowl champ, Dallas Cowboy.
132. Mick Jagger, musician
133. Mike Bloomberg. New York City Mayor.
134. Mike Tyson, Boxer.
135. Miles Davis, Jazz musician.
136. Milton Berle, Actor
137. Mo Mowlam, Minister
138. Modigliani. Sculptor.
139. Montel Williams Chat show host.
140. Montgomery Clift, actor
141. Neil Diamond, musician.
142. Neil Young, Musician.
143. Newt Gingrich Speaker of the US Senate.
144. Norman Mailer, Author.
145. Oasis, Noel Gallagher
146. Oliver Stone, Film Director.
147. Oscar Wilde, Author.
148. Pablo Picasso, Artist.
149. Pancho Villa, Revolutionary Leader.
150. Peregrine Worthstone, former editor of the Sunday Telegraph.
151. Peter Fonda, actor.
152. Peter Sellers, actor.
153. Peter Tosh, Poet.
154. Pierre Elliot Trudeau, Former Prime Minister of Canada.
155. Pink. Musician. Mentioned in Playboy interview (11/02).
156. Pink Floyd, Musicians.
157. P. J. O’Rouke. Author.
158. Ram Dass, Philosopher.
159. Ray Charles, musician.
160. Richard Feynman, Nobel Prize Laureate physicist.
161. Richard Pryor, actor.
162. Robert Anton Wilson. Philosopher .
163. Robert Mitchum, Actor, was jailed in the 40s for possession of marijuana.
164. Rolling Stones, musicians.
165. Ross Rebagliati, first ever snowboarding Gold Medallist, 1998 Winter Olympics.
166. Rudolf Nureyev, Ballet dancer. Also see entry for Margot Fonteyn.
167. Rudyard Kipling . Author.
168. Ryan Farrell, Australian Sprint Car champion.
169. Salvador Dali, Artist.
170. Samuel Beckett, Author.
171. Samuel Taylor Coleridge, Author.
172. Sinead O’Connor, musician.
173. Sir Paul McCartney, Musician.
174. Sir Mick Jagger, Musician.
175. Snoop Dogg, musician.
176. Steve Martin , Actor.
177. Stephen King. Author.
178. Steven Soderbergh, Film director.
179. Stephen Sondheim. Broadway composer and lyricist.
180. Sting / Gordon Sumners, musician.
181. Ted Turner, of CNN fame.
182. Terence McKenna.
183. Terry Pratchett. Author of the “Diskworld” books.
184. The Who, musicians.
185. Thelonious Monk, Jazz musician.
186. Timothy Leary
187. Tomas Enge, Formula 3000 World Champion.
188. Tommy Chong. Actor
189. Tommy Lee, Musician.
190. Tony Booth, the father-in-law of Britain’s Prime Minister.
191. UB40, Band.
192. Victor Hugo. Author ‘Les Misérables’
193. Walter ‘Stumpy’ Brennan actor.
194. Walter Benjamin, Philosopher.
195. Wesley Snipes, actor. Has been seen in Cannabis Cafes.
196. Whitney Houston, musician. William Butler Yeats. Famous Irish Poet and Occultist.
197. William S. Burroughs, Author.
198. William Shakespeare. Dramatist. .
199. Willie Nelson, musician.
200. Woody Harrelson, Actor and reformer.

[Mr ukthc]

I used to get stuck in to my roland 505 when I was stoned
didn't make tunes with it so much when stoned. I seemed to
work on 1 sound or riff.
I have quite a short attention span and am easley distracted
but when I am stoned I find it quite hard to get distracted.

[chronicjunky]

I produced and performed for Speaker Junkies for 10 years. Just started smoking and omg..it has given me a new perspective on the sounds i choose. A lot more creative in my opinion. I do stray here and there. but when i get going..it's great! check out my stuff at www.myspace.com/speakerjunkies

[The Smoke Machine]

Yeah I'd say it does. Usually find myself on the piano or guitar for a lot longer when I've had a smoke, tend to get quite immersed heh

[denote]

For me it's (painkilling?) effects cause it to dampen previously use-less sounds and serve them up on warmed plates as contrast, on conveyer belts through magni-tronic pollen fibres. Serves me time to go down and grind through programs or go up and get lost up the guitar and try upload shit at slow-motion jaw speed and put it on unsigned dot com forward slash 0 but hear all-sorts listening to it back just don't know what it is about listening to my own music i have listened to it over quite a lot :)

[the shrubman]

i get stoned then lift weights.
or get super baked and go hikeing to my guirilla sites.
or i get super super baked and go for a bike ride along the canal.

it affects us all in different ways

[mrbassline]

makes you consentrate more i'd say,

[funkygreens]

I'm a working musician, i have studied it for over 25 years now and also lectured in it post degree level, trust me there is no question it helps, if im doing a sight reading gig i prefer to be straight as want to make sure i read the dots properly, but if im writing/rehearsing or recording etc, weed definately makes it more fun and usually more flowing. i know many musicians who only touched it when "they were younger" or not at all but they generally tend to be from a classical or church type training, i would say a very high percentage of great tunes from recorded history were worked on in the haze of some very nice smoke :), keep it up is what i say just dont get so mashed you curl up in a ball in the corner unable to function as i have sadly seen on recording sessions sadly.

[blurry-vision]

Yeah love a mix stoned, feel creative and very enthusiastic, it's a match made in heaven really, and you don't just think it makes you better, it DOES make you better.

[The_Purps]

Not really, I suffer with perfectionism at the best of times and when Im stoned it just makes things worse

[Blueberryog]

I think you're more likely to try, experiment and discover, though, structure is handled better sober.

[budgie]

I play classical guitar and jazz guitar. it doesn't help with the classical much, but the jazz is great when stoned,it comes alive :)



(Louis Armstrong) never a heavy drinker, he gave up cigarettes and "from the later 1920s on he smoked marijuana on a daily basis, although Dr. Gary Zucker, one of Armstrong's doctors, saw no evidence that it did him any harm." Armstrong told John Hammond, "It makes you feel good, man, makes you forget all the bad things that happen to a Negro. It makes you feel wanted, and when you're with another tea smoker, it makes you feel a special kinship." Later he wrote President Eisenhower, advocating legalization. It was, he felt, less harmful than alcohol. http://www.veryimportantpotheads.com/armstrong.htm

[-HB-]

I am 10 times better on DJ Hero and Guitar Hero when i'm stoned. Does that count?

[Kid8787]

Of course it helps me be more creative. Whenever i've had some weed i'll be lying down or whatever and ideas for tunes i'm working on will be racing through my head and then it's a bit of a rush to get it out of my head and in to whichever DAW im working with. Not sure about others but have heard it somewhere before that a lot of musicians smoke weed to help them get ideas out. Could depend on weed strain also?

[Groen]

I've played drums in a few bands over the years and I can honestly say that smoking weed at practise and writing sessions was a big no-no.

It didn't affect the way I/we played but after a few smokes we just ended up practising the same few songs over and over again and found it very difficult to finish writing a song when we were all baked.

Each to their own I suppose but it never worked for me.

[javadog]

loads of famous musicians have used it

i believe the best musicians used drugs far worse than weed. as all the best have od.

[prime]

im not musically minded at all ( as far as playing etc) but i do appreciate music much more when im stoned. its wonderful drifting away, especially listening to live recordings.
i imagine writing music would be great when high

[Headfcuk]

As others have said, I believe it is good in some circumstances. I used to get the basics of a track put down on tape (yes, some time ago now) before having a smoke. You need to be pretty straight at this point to keep the thing as tight as possible. Then I'd have a smoke and fill in the middle, which is the best part of the process because you're just going with the flow and experimenting. Weed definitely helps this bit, but not by making you more creative but just by loosening up the synapses, allowing you to be more receptive. I would then let it rest for a day and listen back to it straight because you do find that sometimes the levels have been left at some strange places. ;) If it's generally good then I'd stay straight and spend a while making any final edits, cleaning up etc, followed by another session on the weed for a final listen and maybe (if it's good gear) rip it all apart, re-mix, add stuff and generally waste another couple of days before going back to the first mix and deciding that one was best.

I don't think mj has any direct effect on our ability to be creative. I think it's because weed allows us to forget about all the daily, frustrating crap that fills our minds when straight, so once that's gone we're more relaxed and other things (like music or tastes) are sucked in to the vacuum left by the day-to-day bollox - another way of saying that it makes us more receptive.

HF

[iggypot]

if it wasnt for weed i wouldn't rock like a mother fucker on my guitar !

[scotsman]

I play drums and do a lot of home recording and if i get stuck at a part
i light up and in no time i,m on the click and hitting my fills the way i
want then to sound.......gotta say i love home recording.

[Altered Conciousness]

Depends upon the person.

[teutonic]

awesome thread for an 'oldy' ty for resurrecting AC

stoners and music go together like ........

[Gucci]

All I have to say is Tupac ,Biggie n BOB MARLEY

[vapelife]

making and playing music I find is more based on mood, and MJ does help put me in a good mood....but I do not feel it helps creativity, in fact i wont smoke before recording at least not anymore.

[Tabbatha]

It does on my firs one or two spliffs.. but after that I'm usually sucked into a shooter or movie session. :)

[cocogrower]

MJ does help creativity in Music I believe. I think MDMA is much better for this though. Pure MDMA, Not that shit people sell in pills these days.

[DangerDragon]

when i was racing auto grass if i was straight i would make silly mistakes,
but when i had a few bifdas i would relax & focus a lot better,
i won my class over all in 1998 STONNED :D

i know its not music but i think it boils down to the same thing,
focus & relaxation = results lol