You may have asked yourself this question before if you're a singer like me. Trust me; you're not alone. I found out in college that after a drink or three, I sound freaking amazing. Is it confidence? Is it all a lie? Does it affect certain people in a certain way only?
It turns out that loads of people think they sound better when tipsy or drunk. Some professionals swear by a glass of their favorite wine or hard drink before going on stage.
One thing's for sure; I'm not here to judge. I just want readers to be aware of some factors that are at play when you mix singing with alcohol. There are pros to this combination, and there are even more cons.
You are likely sounding great while singing because you have lower anxiety levels, and your inhibitions are released while your confidence grows.
Almost everyone can relate to getting more confident while singing, so this should come as no surprise. Many musicians swear by a drink before a performance to get rid of performance anxiety, and it technically works pretty well.
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Since you are less anxious, your body is likely more relaxed when you pair drinking and singing.
Not only is your body generally relaxed, but the muscles in your larynx, tongue, and mouth are more relaxed. This can help you with your vocal range and give you better pitch accuracy.
You are likely feeling the music extra hard with some alcohol in your system. Everything sounds great, and the lyrics speak directly to you.
Your body is in tune with the rhythm of the song, and you feel like the song is all yours. You're in your zone.
The music sounds better than usual, and you may feel like your voice is sounding better than usual as well. Be careful with this: you might be sounding better for the reasons above, but the alcohol might simply deceive you.
Don't be surprised if sober people around you aren't feeling your vocal performance as much as the tipsy or drunk ones are.
You are prone to overusing your voice when drinking and singing. People drinking are often in loud environments where they subconsciously raise their volume levels for a long time to the point that it is harsh on their vocal cords.
We all know that people drinking love to be loud when speaking, so imagine how much louder you may be singing some of your favorites.
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On top of the possibility that you are singing at louder levels with alcohol in your system, those drinks are also drying out your voice, which can make the vocal fatigue even worse.
Soon after, you may end up with a sore, scratchy, or lost voice. Try to pair your drinking with plenty of water if you can to avoid dryness and possible damage to your voice.
When we get dehydrated, our body tries to fight back by overproducing mucus in our throat and nasal passage. Singing with a dry throat is bad, but singing with mucus in your throat can be equally annoying.
You'll likely have this problem if you are drinking for a long period of time and singing, so this effect won't be one of the first to hit you. Either way, it won't be pretty.
This may not be much of a concern depending on the genre of music that you are performing, but drinks can slur your speech and your singing.
You may sound pretty great, but be singing some lyrics that no one can quite catch since you are naturally tempted to drop and combine consonants.
Who knows, this might add to the entertainment side of your performance, but it may kill the vibe.
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Along with your diction, your rhythmic ability may also be negatively affected. This is especially true if you're trying to sing a song with a fast tempo.
Alcohol is a depressant that relaxes you, so you won't want to be singing fast-paced songs with many lyrics if you're getting drunk and planning to get on stage.
Have you ever seen an intoxicated person knock out a fast song with a lot of lyrics during karaoke? I haven't.
This one really varies person by person, but alcohol may lessen the enthusiasm in your performance. This rings more true the more you drink.
Some people get really connected to the music while drinking, as I mentioned above, which can enhance enthusiasm, but sometimes the depressant takes away from your overall performance.
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As a session singer, writer, and producer that has worked with over 300 clients to provide high-quality jingles, singles, and features, Yona spends her time creating and marketing new music and helpful resources for creators. Check out Yona’s latest releases on her Spotify, her Youtube and share if you like it!
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