General Music Chat

Do you wear earplugs when you practice? Should one wear earplugs when they practice? I'm asking because I've noticed that after I practice for a little while, my ear starts to burn a little. If anyone wears them, maybe you could give me some recommendations. Thanks.

Your ear starts to burn?
Sometimes both my ears will ring a bit after I play a few hours, real loud!
Something just does not sound right. Are you leaning up against one speaker or what? You should be able to play without any discomfort or earplugs.
Tone and volume are not the same thing.

Give me a scenario. Set it up for me. What are you playing, where, when?

No, speakers. I have a little 30watt bass combo. I just plug in my bass, turn up the volume a little, never full blast, and play. My ears never ring, not like after a really loud concert or something, which is interesting because I've never had this problem after a concert.

That's a new one on me.

Whenever my ears feel like they're burnin', it's cuz I just know someone is talking about me.

How are your practices going, anyway?

Lol, well it's pretty much just me, so not too bad.

Are you absolutely sure that's sound-induced? I've never had that experience either.

I'm pretty sure, as it never happens when I'm not playing music.

Have you considered talking to a doctor about that? I don't think that's common

YES, I think you should start now gettin used to them. Dont wait till yrs later then wish ya had been doing it all along.At least particially protecting them.My "Highs" are blown becuase of 30 yrs of continuious 90-120 DB exposure. When I mix , I have to guess at fequencies above 12KHZ.Look at graphs..It sure would be nice to hear those again .BUT, when I was 18, ear plugs were for SISSYS, lightweight Biotches... . Im one of those cats that talks too loud and cant really hear whats being said at a resturant (with ambient noise) OR understand very young girls with high pitched voices.(like at Burger King)..I always just say, Yeah, Ill have fries with that. SO, protect yourself now, and get used to it..I just stuff alittle cotton in both ears to reduce the blast from the Marshall stack and crack of the SD. I wouldnt want the ear to be totally closed off. You prolly wouldnt either. I didnt start noticing this till age 42 or so. So it can sneek up on ya after you thought you were gettin by with it .I played 5-7 nites a week t for 17 yrs straight so I might be on the "above norm" for exposure though..
John

Yeah, I'll probably see a doctor about it and wear plugs anyway. Thanks, everyone, for your replies.

My hearing is great, and I'm going to keep it that way.
I bring ear plugs with me, and when I notice any ear pain because of loud volume, I put them in right away.
I keep them right in the guitar case.
The first thing that goes with bad hearing is the perception of higher frequencies. And I want to hear my harmonics when I play.

I've gotten 1 - 2 comments about wearing them - and I could care less.

I just tell them that when I'm old, I'll still be hearing stuff that people 20 years younger than me can no longer hear. (That's ALREADY the case, by the way.)
ANd I always wear hearing protection with chainsaws, weedeaters, skilsaws - weird? A lot of trouble? Maybe.
But it's worth it. I'll bet I hear better than most musicians who've been doing it for more than a decade.
And I think any musician who can't hear good is a tragedy.
. . . not just because people will make fun of you when you're older and have to always ask everyone to repeat themselves . . .
.
If people want to make fun of me because they are partially destroying one of their senses and I am not - let them; I don't care.
I want to hear every little nuance of my acoustic guitar when I play.

YES YOU SHOULD, but I never do. It defineteley hurts your hearing in a big way. You dont wanna lose the most valuable sense for a musician do you?

I sing so it's hard for me, but I'd reccomend that anyone not singing wear em. they clean up the sound so you can hear your mistakes better too!

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"my dog is a bitch"

hmmm interesting, I mean its common sense that earplugs will keep your hearing in one piece, and an interesting bit of trivia, if you hear a loud ringing in your ears that frequency is gone forever, but I don't mind missing some guitar feedback, it was either listen to slayer or lose some hearing....I figured I was gonna lose some hearing either way....how close to the stacks can I get so that there's only air moving
oh yah karate, how big are you guitarists amps? I mean I have a lil single 15 watt and with the pedal I have it keeps thumpin nicely with 1 - 200 watt guitar amps

3 old rock musicians are walking down the street.

Hayden says - "Windy, ain't it?"

Crip answers - "No, it's Thursday!"

KIDD - "Me, too! Let's go get a beer."

Hayden - "I can hear ya just fine, thank you very much!"

KIDD - "I'm not really into wine, but I'm all for going dutch."

from behind you guys "there's a dutch girl where?"