[Trombone-l] Ear Plugs

[Jeff Albert]

I use Etymotic Research earplugs.  I think they are ER-20's but I am not
sure of the model number.  They are about $14 from WW&BW, offer pretty even
response, and come with a little pouch that you can put on your keychain to
keep them in.

If I am playing music that I know, I don't mind wearing them at all, and
actually I think the fact that I hear myself through my bones helps keep me
from overblowing in an effort to fight the ridiculous volume.  My chops
always feel better at the end of a loud cover band gig, when I have worn the
earplugs.  I regularly wear them as an audence member as well.

The times I have trouble playing with them are in highly improvised
situations, or in one particular band where I am usually faking parts and
following the trumpet player.  In those situations, wheere what I play
depends on  what I hear, I don't lie to weear them.  I lose too much musical
information.  If it is just a loud cover band where I am reading parts, I
often put the earplugs in even before the first note.

As to how to deal with the diffference in how you hear yourself, just
practice with them for a while.  You figure it out pretty quickly.  Know
that it will sound different and accept that, then you figure out what "ear
plug" sound equates with the regular sound you are used to hearing.

Jeff

On 6/16/06, clayton murphy <claytonmurphy444 at hotmail.com> wrote:
>
> Hey everyone -
>
> I have a set of ear plugs that were made for me with several inserts
> giving
> me different levels of protection (I believe they are called Musician's
> Ear
> Plugs).  I use them when I am in loud situations.  Two of the set reduced
> the sound levels with small holes.  The other two sets have some sort of
> filtering material that further reduce the amount of sound that pass
> through.  My concern is what I hear when I play with them.   When using
> the
> sets with the filtering material, what I hear of my horn is via the bone
> structure of my jaw into my inner ear rather than through the auditory
> canal.  Obviously, this is a completely different sound.
>
> My questions are:  1) What type of ear plugs do you use?  2) How have you
> dealt with the change in your sound when using ear plugs?
>
> Murph
>
>
> ----Original Message Follows----
> From: "Bill Dinwiddie" <billdin at comcast.net>
> To: "List Trombone" <TROMBONE-L at server5.samford.edu>
> Subject: [Trombone-l] Ear Plugs
> Date: Fri, 16 Jun 2006 12:22:50 -0500
>
> I would urge everyone who plays music (and those who don't as well) to
> carry
> with them a good pair of ear plugs at all times. Even though a certain
> amount of high-end hearing loss is inevitable with age, why should we have
> to lose it any sooner than we have to. Our world is so full of damaging
> noise that many work places have started to insist that their employees
> wear
> hearing protection. Still, I am startled to see how many younger player go
> on gigs where the band is just way too loud, yet they are wearing no ear
> protection. I carry plugs on every gig and I use them! They do you no good
> if you have to wait for a break and go to your case to get them. Carry
> them
> in your pocket and use them as soon as anything approaches the levels of
> volume which you know to be too high. I know many players who say that
> they
> cannot play their horns with earplugs in. To them I can only say: you will
> enjoy playing your instrument much less when, in 5, 10 or 20 years, your
> hearing is shot. If am also surprised to see customers at parties stand
> right in front of the terribly loud main speakers and sometimes they are
> even carrying their 1 or 2 year old children! I throw caution to the winds
> at this point and tell them that they should move their kids away from the
> speakers. Whenever you go home with your ears ringing, remember that your
> ears are sending you an important message: Please protect me !!
>
> Sorry for the rave, but I consider this one of the most important things
> that musicians often fail to consider.
>
> Thanks,
>
> Bill Dinwiddie
> billdin at comcast.net
>
>
>
>
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