Water while playing

tbdana · by **tbdana** » 2025-06-27 11:34 a.m.

I must have a bottle of water next to me whenever I play, and that includes performances. I sip from it often. This has raised some questions in what remains of my mind, so I thought I'd survey the hive mind here.

*Do you also feel the need to have water available while playing?

*What is the etiquette about having and consuming water during a performance? Is it ever verboten?

*Someone recently told me that it's okay to have water on stage during the performance, but you should not touch it while the orchestra is playing. It's okay to drink between pieces, but not during rests. You agree?

*What about things other than water?

*Does the container matter? I mostly use the plastic bottle you buy the water in, but I also have a blue metal temperature controlled mug I sometimes use.

Because Dana's Super Secret Music Career carries no risk of losing work, it probably doesn't matter what the etiquette is, as I'm going to keep drinking water regardless. But I might consider not bringing a pitcher of margaritas on stage, or at least eliminating the little umbrellas. :D

Edit: Clearly, someone needs to teach me how the list function works on this website.

Doug_Elliott · by **Doug_Elliott** » 2025-06-27 11:41 a.m.

Personally I'd leave the umbrellas there. Even if it's just water.

claf · by **claf** » 2025-06-27 12:00 p.m.

I always drink when I feel the need to.

Even when the orchestra plays, I don't care about the visual effect (especially when I'm at the back row).

I do, however, try not to do it during quiet musical moments.

Kbiggs · by **Kbiggs** » 2025-06-27 12:04 p.m.

[quote="tbdana"]I must have a bottle of water next to me whenever I play, and that includes performances. I sip from it often.
[/quote]

Me too.

[quote="tbdana"]What is the etiquette about having and consuming water during a performance? Is it ever verboten?
[/quote]

People never used to have water onstage. It still seems rare for professional orchestras. I don’t understand why it would be verboten. People are starting to drink more water on a daily basis because we now understand that bodies and brains tend to work better with a constant supply of water.

[quote="tbdana"]*Someone recently told me that it's okay to have water on stage during the performance, but you should not touch it while the orchestra is playing. It's okay to drink between pieces, but not during rests. You agree?
[/quote]

Absolutely not. Why do people feel the need to make up baseless and unnecessary rules, etiquette, and protocol?

[quote="tbdana"]*What about things other than water?
[/quote]

Occasionally coffee, tea, or mineral water. I’ll clean or at least rinse the slide afterwards.

[quote="tbdana"]Edit: Clearly, someone needs to teach me how the list function works on this website.[/quote]

Me too.

musicofnote · by **musicofnote** » 2025-06-27 12:06 p.m.

When I was a trumpet player and suffered from stage fright, I NEEDED my water. But I've never really had stage fright with the trombone so simply got out of the habit of taking a bottle with me on stage. But when I did it, even as soloist, no one ever said anything. I have a bottle with me backstage, but that's it.

hyperbolica · by **hyperbolica** » 2025-06-27 12:06 p.m.

Drink water, even on stage, especially for wind players. The less conspicuous the bottle the better (tuxedo black Yeti?). I would try to go something without a big logo or printing, or clear. I wouldn't use a little flask in your jacket pocket.

So this is how you keep secrets? :good: We won't tell anyone.

ghmerrill · by **ghmerrill** » 2025-06-27 12:14 p.m.

[quote="tbdana"]Edit: Clearly, someone needs to teach me how the list function works on this website.[/quote]
You don't really want to know. It's kind of like learning some sort of prehistoric proto-Latin.

But I'll provide the usual pointers:

Wikipedia page on BBCode: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BBCode

phpBB (that's this board's technology) "BBCode guide": https://www.phpbb.com/community/help/bbcode

How to Use BBCode: A complete Guide <LINK_TEXT text="https://www.bbcode.org/how-to-use-bbcod ... -guide.php">https://www.bbcode.org/how-to-use-bbcode-a-complete-guide.php</LINK_TEXT>

BBcode is a "tag" formatting language that precedes HTML by decades and arose from the old (late 90s) "bulletin board" days. (Aside: phpBB -- this board's software technology -- is an acronym for "a bulletin board (BB) written in the PHP language". "PHP" is a kind of quasi-acronym for "hypertext preprocessor". Hypertext is ... well, never mind ... but it's what you're reading right now.)

You may at times want to be clicking on the little mysterious "</>" button that you see among the formatting buttons in this interface.

Have a good time -- it's never too late to acquire knowledge of ancient technology. And finally, possibly with your sanity at least partly intact, you'll be able to say "Yeah, I speak BBCode. Make my day."

Burgerbob · by **Burgerbob** » 2025-06-27 3:05 p.m.

I always have a water bottle with me. So many people go through life dehydrated... can't do that as a brass player.

Posaunus · by **Posaunus** » 2025-06-27 4:16 p.m.

[quote="tbdana"]Edit: Clearly, someone needs to teach me how the list function works on this website.[/quote]

Clunky, but pretty easy:

Type a few paragraphs.

Highlight each paragraph (separately) with your cursor.

Click either list icon (bullets or numbers).

You're done!

blast · by **blast** » 2025-06-27 6:59 p.m.

In times past, any liquid on stage was considered inappropriate...30 or more years ago. Now, it seems okay for professional orchestra players to take water on the stage. In the pit, it's okay in a self sealing bottle, but not otherwise, because of the floor electrics involved in the pit.

elmsandr · by **elmsandr** » 2025-06-27 7:57 p.m.

Best reason not to drink while the rest of the orchestra is to avoid a spill. Spills happen and it will be a distraction, especially if it makes a noise when setting something down.

I mitigate this risk a bit by putting any stuff I need to have on a folded black towel that I carry. I still don’t generally mess with stuff I don’t absolutely have to while others are playing…. That is unless I really don’t care about the quality of the gig. Concerts in the park? Gimme a beer in a bottle, it’ll be fine.

I did do a run of Cabaret once… I mixed up my water bottles there for various used liquor bottles. That was fun.

Cheers,

Andy

robcat2075 · by **robcat2075** » 2025-06-27 10:30 p.m.

One of my college musician classmates who went on to become a lawyer and, later, a high school "Government and Civics" teacher in Chicago told me that whenever one of his students claimed she had to have a drink of water he would reply, "a human being can survive three days without water."

One of my former manager's least endearing traits was to perpetually have a water bottle in hand as if that were some critical factor in his performance. Every two or three minutes he would pause, unscrew the cap, take the tiniest of swigs, then screw the cap back on.

Of course, as a manager, he did not actually have to accomplish anything so i guess it was OK. I don't miss him, however.

I suppose it depends on the venue. If you are accompanying a male stripper pageant in a Philippine jungle... as one does... frequent water may be necessary.

However, the body generally regulates hydration pretty well. Whenever you take a drink that you don't really need, you are just moving up the time that you will have to urinate.

Then you need another bottle!

AndrewMeronek · by **AndrewMeronek** » 2025-06-27 11:09 p.m.

Notice that professional lecturers and comedians very often have water on stage, especially for longer shows.

ghmerrill · by **ghmerrill** » 2025-06-28 9:01 a.m.

[quote="Burgerbob"]I always have a water bottle with me. So many people go through life dehydrated... can't do that as a brass player.[/quote]
And some people are on medications, or otherwise suffer from certain medical conditions, that dehydrate them to one degree or another. They may need consistent hydration just to keep their blood pressure up to a level where they're not facing hypotension that would either affect their performance or have other unfortunate effects.

JeffBone44 · by **JeffBone44** » 2025-07-08 4:22 p.m.

I have to have water. Due to a medical issue, I frequently get thirsty. My playing and concentration suffers greatly when I'm dehydrated. So I have water with me for all rehearsals and performances.

CalgaryTbone · by **CalgaryTbone** » 2025-07-08 4:54 p.m.

I like to have water when I'm playing in an ensemble. It's a very dry climate here, and I have found it to be helpful. At one of the Alessi Seminars, Joe talked about not liking that for recitals - not great for stage presence with the audience. He suggested having water just off stage so you can have some when you leave the stage between pieces. I found that I liked that approach when I was doing more solo playing.

Jim Scott

CBlair · by **CBlair** » 2025-07-08 4:56 p.m.

Drink. The less conspicuous usage the better, whether rehearsing or performing.

A thermal canister with an internal straw works for me. No tipping required.

At my high school long ago, trombonists were notorious for having full-sized spray bottles--for rewetting one's slide, shooting in one's mouth, pretending to sneeze, and attracting the attention of some cute flute player.

ghmerrill · by **ghmerrill** » 2025-07-08 5:23 p.m.

One issue is that hydration (or rehydration) isn't instantaneous (or even quick). It takes time. And then, of course, so does dehydration. I've always been pretty slack about drinking water during activities, but in my old age I've finally found it necessary to maintain a higher consistent level of hydration. So I do that pretty well during the day. But for band practices and performances I devote even more time to "pre-hydrating" for the period (a number of hours) before the event, and then I don't drink during the event. And then I have a bottle of water I drink after the event or on the way home. It works well for me. I've got more than enough trombone crap on the floor around me when I play that I don't need the extra clutter of a water bottle -- but largely this is just personal habit. The other rule is: no alcohol. Alcohol is the great dehydrator. Also salt. Of course, I don't seem to have ever needed to do this when I was young :roll: -- or even moderately old. Maybe it's just life that sucks the water out of you. :?

elainechat · by **elainechat** » 2025-07-10 10:30 a.m.

Great point about pre-hydrating—makes sense that a quick sip mid-rehearsal doesn’t do much if you’re already dehydrated. Water plays a bigger role than we think in focus and endurance. This explains it well https://bottledevents.com/water-does-a-body-good/

Also agree on the alcohol and salt, easy to overlook how they affect hydration. I’m going to be more mindful about staying hydrated before playing.

BPBasso · by **BPBasso** » 2025-07-10 12:20 p.m.

This Willey/Reinhardt study I've been using mentions consuming two 8oz glasses of water before practice. Doctors recommend 16oz of water in the morning before eating or coffee/tea. Also heard going to bed hydrated is important .. something about how gravity affects where water collects in the body. As much as getting out of bed sucks, so does waking up dry like a raisin.

Posaunus · by **Posaunus** » 2025-07-10 12:46 p.m.

There's an awful lot of folklore and popular media info-gathering going on in this thread. I know a lot of "doctors", and have never heard one recommend chugging 16 ounces of water before coffee or tea (which are are not dehydrators - they're mostly water). I once taught some (introductory) physiology, and prefer to take my advice from established medical research and knowledge. Hydration is important, but thanks to our kidneys and typical diet, we don't need to consume anything like 8 liters of supplemental water daily (or whatever is the current "influencer" advice). It is important to pay attention to your body and how it responds to fluid intake (and lack of it). But there's a risk of taking medical advice from social media (or trombone forums). :idk:

timothy42b · by **timothy42b** » 2025-07-11 11:48 a.m.

I think it depends on how formal the event is, and how visible it is to the audience. It is distracting, and if you're in the front row making it obvious, it's going to distract the audience somewhat from what the rest of the ensemble - or the soloist - is doing.

At a less formal occasion, like maybe an Oktoberfest or polka gig, nobody cares. Sometimes even playing the key signature is optional.

Philosophically, if you're part of the ensemble, you might be more focused on what the ensemble is accomplishing than your individual comfort at that moment. Drinking water is a break in the flow. Maybe a minor one, but still. When the soloist plays, you focus attention on him/her, right?

As far as the container goes, dropping a plastic water bottle is less of a distraction than a stainless steel thermos on tile in an echo-ey cathedral. YMMV. And on the other hand, plastic recycling is worse than bogus, and incredibly harmful to the environment and the health of humans, especially those in third world countries that do all the processing.

tbdana · by **tbdana** » 2025-07-11 12:06 p.m.

[quote="timothy42b"]I think it depends on how formal the event is, and how visible it is to the audience. It is distracting, and if you're in the front row making it obvious, it's going to distract the audience somewhat from what the rest of the ensemble - or the soloist - is doing.[/quote]

Boy, wait until you learn about foot-tapping!

(See how I roped in another thread there? I love call-backs. :) )

JTeagarden · by **JTeagarden** » 2025-07-11 2:42 p.m.

I grew up in a time before the ubiquitous water bottle, where your sources of water were from the tap at home, water fountains, and water hoses.

Life seemed to be largely fine.

BPBasso · by **BPBasso** » 2025-07-11 3:40 p.m.

[quote="Posaunus"]...chugging 16 ounces of water before coffee or tea (which are are not dehydrators - they're mostly water). Hydration is important, but thanks to our kidneys and typical diet, we don't need to consume anything like 8 liters of supplemental water daily ..[/quote]

To be clear, I didn't say chug. I can't remember where I heard it, but I remember being told that chugging water wasnt any better for us than drinking smaller amounts throughout the day.

Besides the quote from a trombone book, my information was from a medical professional. I will add my bit about water before coffee actually has to do with consuming water before eating. I usually hold off on caffeine until I'm preparing breakfast so that runs together for me. I will also add my height might had increased the amount I was professionally recommended to drink.

I personally use the color and frequency of my urination vs my current activity and environment conditions to judge my hydration.

I hope nobody is drinking 8L a day. Sounds miserable.

tbdana · by **tbdana** » 2025-07-11 3:46 p.m.

I don't like to drink a lot of water before a performance, because I don't want to have to pee during the performance. But I do drink during the performance. I use a clear plastic water bottle, I sip from it whenever I feel like it, and if it distracts you from the performance then it must be a pretty shitty performance.

elmsandr · by **elmsandr** » 2025-07-12 8:48 a.m.

[quote="BPBasso"]….

I personally use the color and frequency of my urination vs my current activity and environment conditions to judge my hydration.

I hope nobody is drinking 8L a day. Sounds miserable.[/quote]

Need to update the chart for good brass sections:
<ATTACHMENT filename="IMG_0670.jpeg" index="0">~~[attachment=0]~~IMG_0670.jpeg</ATTACHMENT>

As for 8L… only for colonoscopy prep. Lots of water AND that awful stuff.

Cheers,

Andy

Quick Links

Instruments

Marketplace

Water while playing