Musician hearing protection is serious business. Protecting your hearing is something that all musicians, but especially drummers, need to be aware of. The main cause of hearing loss in musicians is prolonged exposure to loud noises. As a drummer, that means doing what you love can hurt you.
Hearing loss is permanent and not reversible. So if you have ringing in the ears, you've already suffered some damage. Protect what you have left.
What's the good of playing drums if you end up with hearing loss as a result? How can you protect your ears but still enjoy practicing and playing? Here are some suggestions.
Use earplugs
Wax and foam earplugs can be found at hardware and drug stores. These will muffle the sound but not eliminate it completely. Musician ear plugs attenuate sound. That means they don't muffle sound as much as they turn the volume down. You will still be able to hear things clearly.
Be sure when you use earplugs to remember that people around you can still hear at the normal level. So don't pound on your drums with your earplugs on, just because you want them to be louder. You'll irritate your neighbors and can hurt yourself or damage your drums or cymbals.
Play softly
This one is obvious. There is no rule that says the louder a drummer you are, the better a drummer you are! You will need to learn to use a full range of dynamics (loud and soft) when you play anyway. Save the loud stuff for performances, and wear earplugs. When you practice, play more softly.
Use alternatives to sticks
Brushes are not only used for playing jazz. They are valuable for practicing when you want to make less noise. But sometimes they feel too springy and flimsy compared to sticks.
There are also stick alternatives on the market that are made of a bundle of thin sticks wrapped together. They give more of a "chunky" feel when playing, but with a softer sound.
Both brushes and rod bundles can allow you a number of sounds you can't get with sticks. Don't look at them as a poor substitute for sticks. Look at them as new toys to play around with.
Play on practice pads
Practice pads are usually made of some springy material mounted on a base form. Sometimes they are meant to be placed on top of the snare drum or on a cymbal stand. They can also be used on a table, chair, or your lap.
They allow you to get a similar feel to playing on a drum or cymbal, but with much less noise. Often you get even more bounce from them than from your drum(s).
Like with brushes and rod bundles, use practice pads like toys, and experiment with new grooves. Work on those rudiments you are having the most difficulty with. See what kinds of sounds you get from the pads. Listen to the subtle changes in sound. This will not only save your hearing, it will improve your listening skills, which is important if you want to play with other musicians.
Dampen the sound
Sometimes I just want to dampen one of the drums, like a very echo-ey bass drum, for example. You can use a pillow, blanket, or small piece of cloth against one of the heads to reduce the sound. Or try taping the head with duct tape, painters tape, or masking tape. This will reduce the sound without reducing the feel very much, especially if it's on the head you're not hitting.
Musician hearing protection depends on you. You are the only one who can protect your ears. If you enjoy music, take steps right now, while your hearing is still intact, so you can enjoy the music you make for decades to come.
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