I have tinnitus (constant "ringing" in the ears) that gets much worse every time I play. Afterwards I can barely hear out of my left ear. Things go back to "normal" (a much duller hissing that gets partially cancelled out by the sound of a computer, air filter, etc.) after a few hours, but it's still pretty annoying. I haven't tried ear-plugs yet, but I doubt that'll work - maybe if I was playing an electric guitar. Anybody else have this problem? And remedies?
Just a word about earplug "technology". If you take one of those common foam rubber earplugs and cut or pull it in half, you can make a small plug that partially blocks the high frequency sounds but doesn't totally destroy your ability to hear what you're doing. You can put the thing in more or less- the trick is to adjust it in your ear until you're comfortable with what you're hearing. I use this method sometimes when I have to sit next to the piccolos. I will usually just put in one plug in the ear closest to the offending sound, in your case the left ear. Also, don't practice in a loud room- carpet your practice room..
good luck!
Might sound silly, but I've have a teacher suggest and then tried a simple cotton ball. Tear it in half and insert into the ear during practice. You can still hear what you're playing, but it will muffle it enough to make you more comfortable.
i have it too, i dont really know what to do about it
Greetings,
Owen yu need to:
1) See a specialist
2) Gte professioanlly fitted earplugs.
3) Modify the way you practice. Dont go for the tone all the time. Alternate loud and soft work.
A lot of the beautiful sounds of yetseryear were based on being able to play softly with perfection.
4) When you are sitting in orhcestra and the brass have loud passages like the opening of Tchiak four then hum along wth them. This has the effect of shutting down the ears and limiting the input- its a -very- valuable tehcnique
Best of luck,
Buri
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December 9, 2004 at 02:32 AM · Make sure you get it checked out by a good physician and/or audiologist. Tinnitis can be a symptom of impending hearing loss or it can be a symptom of something else.
Don't ignore it!