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alot of people have told me i should be wearing earplugs and ive usually kinda brushed off the idea but last band practice my ears were really hurting, we had a show the next night and again more pain. my problem with wearing them is everything is muffled and i find it hard to sing with them in anyone else have this problem??

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Yeah store bought earplugs are terrible due to all of the resonance issues i've found in using them. One option is to see an ear/nose/throat doctor and have special ear plugs made by the doctor. They run around 100 dollars and are essentially a model of your inner ear cavity. I've had people in bands I've been in use them and they have nothing but good things to say about them. I am actually going to be getting them soon as well. Hearing is not something to be screwing around with. I already at 23 have been told that i have significant high frequency hearing loss. Scary.

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Good topic idea -- My two cents:

 

Anyone being exposed to loud music for prolonged periods of time should use them. However, I think there are a number of factors that make your volume level (as a band) more damaging. The biggest one I can think of is the drums. I played in this band for a while and the drummer would pound the shit out of his drums. He was a great drummer, but really played hard. My ears would ring and hurt after every practice and every show we had.

 

I tried ear plugs, with a similar result as you: very hard to hear yourself sing. So, I went without them. After about a year, I noticed that I couldn't hear conversations well at certain volumes / in certain areas. It was never a case of "low" volume, as much as certain pitches of voices were very hard to distinguish. After our "loud drummer band" broke up, my hearing went back to normal after a couple months. I can imagine, however, that I did some permanent damage.

 

The current band I'm playing with has a very skilled drummer, with a great amount of touch -- my ears never ring after we play. The drummer's volume allows everyone in the band to play softer, which is better for everyone's ears.

 

Perhaps your band could turn down a little? I know it's way easier said than done.

 

If your ears are ringing/hurting after practice, you should definitely be wearing ear protection. Look into a earplug style that has removable filters. You can get filters that cut a certain dB amount, which might make it easier to sing, etc. I think "hearos" brand makes some of these. Maybe check with the percussion department at a music store and see what they recommend.

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Yeah store bought earplugs are terrible due to all of the resonance issues i've found in using them. One option is to see an ear/nose/throat doctor and have special ear plugs made by the doctor. They run around 100 dollars and are essentially a model of your inner ear cavity. I've had people in bands I've been in use them and they have nothing but good things to say about them. I am actually going to be getting them soon as well. Hearing is not something to be screwing around with. I already at 23 have been told that i have significant high frequency hearing loss. Scary.

 

I was going to post this exact idea...my pop is an ENT doc and they can easily fit personal plugs...many docs get sample earplug from venders, and they would be free...

 

 

 

j

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Back in the day, the drummer in my band always wore earplugs, but the rest of us did not. I now wish I had. Every now and then out of the blue my ears will start ringing (thankfully not all that often). So, while earplugs are inconvenient and make it hard to sing, they will be worth it in the long run. Another (albeit expensive) option would be to have an in-ear monitor/earplugs.

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I don't wear them, even though I know I should.. Not just because I can't hear myself sing with them, but because I pay close attention to the levels of the other instruments etc while performing, and I can't have them muffled.. But my band really isn't all that loud. It just depends on what the venue is. Most venue's, my ears will not ring afterward, but the smaller places, they will.. And those are the times I really should be wearing ear plugs, but I'm too damn stubborn..

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I kinda think this would be the best option (esp for the singer), but you're right about the $$.

I thought of looking into this,what have your experiences been?

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I thought of looking into this,what have your experiences been?

Sorry, didn't mean to imply experience, just that I also don't enjoy the superloud sessions and can understand not wanting to sing with everything muffled. I'm sure others around here can point you in the general direction, though. I looked into this and was scared away by the cost. Maybe if I can get a consistent working band put together I will drop the cash, but probably not until then.

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WHAT???

 

WHY ARE YOU MUMBLING???

 

 

Sorry. It's solid advice to wear earplugs but for all of us listening carefully for tones and nuances in the music it's tough to actually put the things in. I'm sure I'll regret it later, but for now I want the full experience.

 

Oh, and speak up next time.

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I thought of looking into this,what have your experiences been?

 

Unfortunately, my experience has been that this was way too expensive an option for me to pursue -- at least back in the days when I was still playing in bands. However, a quick browse of Musician's Friend shows that such a device may now be had for around $100.

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Being a drummer who does have a tendency to play hard, I've really looked into hearing protection, though I've not taken as many precautions as I should-at a price-almost constant ringing and losing the ability to hear low frequency sounds....

 

Essentially, earplugs should be worn whenever you're exposed to noise that is louder than every day levels(playing musical instruments, going to concerts, etc.). Though I do understand the idea of losing clarity and such when wearing them. I've found that if worn for a few minutes before rehearsal/the concert begins, your ears "adjust" and you begin to hear things almost as normal. And yes, you can spend a lot of money on really good earplugs, but there are a lot of store-bought, less expensive alternatives. My favorite brand, Hearos, offers a variety of shapes(intended for different uses). The foam ones are the worst when it comes to maintaining clarity, but they do make a few different rubber types that are great for reducing volume at all frequency levels, therefore, improving clarity.

 

No doubt, you've already done some damage, even if it's not apparent now. Repetitive exposure to high decibel levels is awful and I can't stress the importance of taking the initiative to protect your ears.

 

(Sorry if I sounded like anyone's mother just then.)

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get custom made plugs.

 

i've been in bands all my life -- eratically wearing ear plugs. last year, at age 36 i developed tinnitus, constant ringing in my right ear. it will never be 'cured' -- there really is not a cure. however, it did cause me to get custom plugs, which i wished i had gotten years ago.

 

when you think about it, if music is one of your chief pleasures in life, why would you want to endanger that by being 'too cool' to wear earplugs?

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i dont think im too cool to wear earplugs, i just dont like the way they make things sound, though i think i will pick up some hearoes and see how i get on

 

You're not too cool for earplugs, but it does appear you are too cool for apostophes and capitalization. Just kidding. I'm glad to see that you're taking the initiative to protect your hearing. I wish I'd done the same thing years ago when I did misguidedly believe I was too cool for earplugs. Hopefully by starting this thread you've also made a few other young musicians consider protecting their hearing.

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i dont think im too cool to wear earplugs, i just dont like the way they make things sound, though i think i will pick up some hearoes and see how i get on

 

:thumbup:

 

i didn't mean to sound snide or mean or anything there ....

 

yes, check out the hearoes .. or whatever works best. it took me a while to get used to wearing the plugs and also rehearsing, but you will adjust if you persist using them. good luck.

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