Steel Guitar and Hearing

Bill Duncan · From: Lenoir, North Carolina, USA

As a warning to younger players. Protect your ears and hearing. In the last couple of years, I have noticed big-time problems in hearing, especially my right ear. Along with the loss of hearing comes distortion which can be a real problem for steel guitar picking. Only years later after, loud guitars, loud motorcycles, shooting sports, and chainsaws, it is really coming home. BE CAREFUL. Once the damage is done, it is too late! The damage sneaks up on you.

J D Sauser · From: Wellington, Florida

Dave Dudley told me so while in the 80's. He still sang but he was near deaf.
He told me it was the years and year doing life shows in not so favorable situations.

Amplified instruments, even only played in a bed room tend to become accustomed to a higher and higher volumes.

... J-D
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Was it JFK who said: Ask Not What TAB Can Do For You - Rather Ask Yourself "What Would B.B. King Do?"

A Little Mental Health Warning:

Tablature KILLS SKILLS.
The uses of Tablature is addictive and has been linked to reduced musical fertility.
Those who produce Tablature did never use it.

I say it humorously, but I mean it.

Tracy Sheehan · From: Fort Worth, Texas, USA

It happens and you do not realize you are losing your hearing before it is too late.

Cappone dAngelo · From: Vancouver, BC, Canada

Thanks for sharing this important message!

I was so fortunate to have a friend convince me to wear hearing protection starting in my teens when we were playing in a metal band together. To this day (more than 3 decades later) I don't attend a rehearsal, gig, concert, or other loud environment without my musicians' plugs (molded etymotics, with -25dB capsules). I've had several long time musician friends start turning down invites to play together due to their hearing loss and tinnitus in their 40s and 50s, and one band I played in for almost a decade broke up entirely due to the leader's hearing loss, and it's incredibly sad.

And although many will say 'turn it down' - and I don't disagree that many bands play way louder than is necessary - I'm rarely in control of the levels and, once I got used to it, wearing hearing protection was not only not a disadvantage, I actually find that I can hear better with them, which allows me to perform more dynamically and, as a listener, hear more of the nuance and subtly that is often lost at high SPLs.

Chris Templeton · From: The Green Mountain State

When was working for Robert Randolph in 2002, him and The Family Band recorded at Cello studios in Los Angeles, They were in the control room listening to a take and I went into the live room to straighten things up and I heard the track coming through the player's headphones and the volume was up to 11 on every one!
Shortly after, Robert went to in ear monitors .
When he Started out, he used a Peavey Session 500 and kept blowing it.
A lot of clubs supplied Fender amps and he blew most of those.
Has some major amperage now.
EVERY show I wore earplugs.
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Rick Abbott · From: Indiana, USA

About 3 years ago I was playing steel in 2 bands. One weekend I played 3 outdoor shows using a Session 400. Big stage areas, drums pretty far away, no big deal...or so I thought. Bass players amp was kinda loud so I turned my amp towards me. My hearing has never been the same. Tinnitus began that weekend. I had gotten used to it, it was livable, and it wasn't keeping me from sleeping.

I just got over Covid. I did, but my ears didn't. My tinnitus is more than doubled in "volume." It's a problem now. My ears fatigue in minutes listening to music over 70db and are uncomfortable over 80db. This is pretty damaging to my work as a recording engineer and musician. I did some research and found that there are some studies showing people with existing tinnitus have an increase of symptoms after covid. Like 40% of people. That's significant, if it ends up being true.

Please take care of your ears. If you don't have tinnitus, believe me, you don't want it. I have been using hearing protection for the last few years, but even with 20db of reduction some stages are still too loud. I'm probably done playing rock guitar and pedal steel in bands. I really, really hate this. But, I will try to be positive about it and get busy on acoustic instruments. Been putting off the classical guitar, haha. Guess it's time.

The truth is, you can be fine, or have a small problem with tinnitus one minute and have a serious problem the next. A limit is reached and then it's a new ballgame.
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John Ducsai · From: New Hampshire, USA

This is the absolute best advice ! Take it seriously. My hearing is shot from decades of loud music and other sources such as chain saws. etc. No getting it back...
Wear hearing protection - even running a lawn mower.
John D

Tucker Jackson · From: Portland, Oregon, USA

All these years of sitting onstage right next to the crash cymbal at ear-level have not been helpful.

I never gig without musician's ear plugs custom-molded to my ears. I use the 15db filter. One of the best gear purchases I ever made and they were pretty cheap, all things considered. A lot cheaper than the delay pedal!

Bill Duncan · From: Lenoir, North Carolina, USA

Something I have trouble explaining to people, especially my wife is that loud sounds bother me more. It is counterintuitive I suppose. A high-pitched relatively loud sound distorts, like the plain strings on my pedal steel. A real problem when I am in a room with multiple people talking, I cannot pick out individuals. Also, I cannot tell which direction to look by sound. Hearing, good hearing is a true blessing worth protecting. I dearly love music and my pedal steel which makes the hearing loss a heartbreaking real problem.

Jim Kennedy · From: Brentwood California, USA

New Years Eve will be my last club gig. At 66 my ears can no longer handle loud music. Even with hearing aids, conversation with background noise is difficult. I have tinnitus and "profound hearing loss" in my left ear. I started wearing ear plugs in my 40's but, apparently, the damage was already done. Some of the younger musicians I know are going to in ear monitors. I hope that is a good solution.
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David Ball · From: North Carolina High Country

I've always used hearing protection when working around anything loud, be it amplifiers, saws, motorcycles or what have you.

About 10 years ago, I was T Boned in a car crash, and the side curtain air bag went off in my ear. My hearing has been pretty well shot since then. Everything sounds like it's coming through a kazoo. Very distorted.

I still use hearing protection when working around loud things to try to preserve what hearing I have left. Sometimes even being very careful doesn't pay off...

Dave

Ron Funk · From: Ballwin, Missouri

Amen.

Dave Magram · From: San Jose, California, USA

For many years, I used Sonic Valve earplugs and they definitely protected my hearing.

Now there are more choices.
About a year ago I bought a pair of Etymotics earplugs because someone recommended them. I paid about $18, and they have been great--you can hear normal conversation, but they block out loud noise. And I can better hear what I'm playing with them than my old standby Sonic Valve earplugs.

However, the Etymotics earplugs are very small, and I was worried about losing them.

I was going to buy another pair, but came across this review yesterday: https://musiccritic.com/equipment/headphones/best-earplugs-for-musicians/

I purchased two of the top three earplugs...
One of them (Vibes) claims to reduce up to 22db and the other (Reverbs) claims attenuation to 28 dB of loudness.

The two that I chose only cost about $24 per pair--I figure my hearing is worth $50! Smile

- Dave

Jim Pitman · From: Waterbury Ctr. VT 05677 USA

I'm the next of youngest of 7 kids. All of us have developed hearing issues as we have aged. All but two of us including myself have hearing aids. (I should) I've been playing gigs consistently since the mid 70s and they haven't.
My point - much of it is hereditary and inevitable.

Tony Prior · From: Charlotte NC

Interesting conversation , which is very relevant. I have tinnitus , have had it for awhile. But I'm also in my 7th decade of life, playing music for near 6 decades. Some days its worse than others but overall , at the present time it doesn't not interfere with life.

About two months back I went for some general testing, not for tinnitus . The Doc asked me many questions , one was do I have ear ringing . "YES"

He sent me to the "HEARING" testing place and they tested my hearing for about 20 minutes with various tones at various volumes. I failed the HI FREQ test, both ears.

I was not shocked

So they sent me for an MRI of my head to see if I had some sort of severe damage , I did not.

When the Doc called me that night to tell me the results I was not surprised or shocked.

I told him that I have been a musician for near 60 years , standing in front of amplifiers and PA systems. I also told him that I have been recording music in headphones for the same near 60 years. He asked me if I still play. I said YES, in fact ,I have a gig tonight. Very Happy

The conclusion is my ear ringing is permanent, but not so much as to interfere with life or sleeping .

Its the road we chose , live music, bands, amplifiers , headphones, etc...

Yes , we should be cautious and aware .

IF we have ear ringing we should get it checked as there may be something going on which can be "fixed"
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Pete Burak · From: Portland, OR USA

I have heard that the Military is doing more active research into finding a cure for ear ringing due to so many soldiers getting this condition in recent years.
Maybe they will come up with something that turns off the ringing.

Jerry Overstreet · From: Louisville Ky

I also have some mild tinnitus. They say I also have some high frequency hearing loss. The VA said that tinnitus was a way the ears try to compensate. They suggested fitting me for appliances, but I don't think I'm there yet.

It comes and goes. Generally mild, but sometimes really noticeable.

Jet airplane maintenance, ramp agent duty, high performance open header drag cars, automotive repairs where trying to find a bearing noise source, I once got a stethoscope ding against an alternator fan. That was rough for weeks.

Construction power tools, lawn mowers. I know of few professions that don't have noise hazards.

What to do though? Very few people are willing to wear ear protection all the time and in all situations.

Certainly, listening to and playing loud music through my adult life hasn't helped.

My young drummer friend is a fabulous musician who has spent years learning his craft....his hero is Bonham.
He plays a big kit and hits 'em hard. That's his bag and his focus. That's just the way he has to play on the rock tunes we play. He does dial it back on the ballads and such but overall, we don't play enough of that stuff to get much of a break.

I think that's where it starts. Drums and Bass then vocal mics and monitors. Everything else has to come up to that level to be balanced and heard. I always refuse a monitor. The guys don't understand that, but I just don't need that in my face.

Sometimes we mic, but that doesn't really help the stage level situation.

Ken Mizell · From: Lakeland, Florida, 33809, USA

My joints are wearing out, but I've still got really great hearing at 68 yrs old. I took a hearing test a few years ago, and did quite well, except for a "notch" around 200Khz. The audiologist guessed that I have been around gun fire - I have, lots of it. I always used good hearing protection at the firing range, so that isn't the problem. I have been around 4 shooting incidents when I was in law enforcement - shotgun and .357 mag. Fortunately, I can still hear a broad spectrum.

I used to work at church as a sound tech for a minister of music who was hard of hearing. That was very annoying at times. He pushed the other sound tech and myself to adjust the system until he was comfortable with the sound output. We ended up with high frequencies way too high, and more.

I believe that a lot of peoples problems and opinion of the tone of their pickups, and the way their amp sounds, etc. is a result of hearing loss.

Rocker Peter Townshend of The Who started a crusade to help rockers preserve their hearing. Here are a few related articles:

https://www.earq.com/hearing-health/articles/seven-famous-people-with-hearing-loss

https://www.ultimate-guitar.com/news/general_music_news/the_whos_pete_townshend_explains_how_severe_hearing_damage_made_writing_very_heavy_music_difficult_for_him.html

https://www.aarp.org/health/conditions-treatments/info-2018/musicians-hearing-loss.html
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James Kerr · From: Scotland, UK

This caught up with me in 2019, I made a short video to explain to my many subscribers and viewers.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TmHYLCTG8NA

Hope it doesn't happen to you.

James Kerr

Mark van Allen · From: Watkinsville, Ga. USA

One thing I’ll add here is to pay close attention to floor monitors- where placed and how loud. Steelers are literally twice as close to the drivers as standing musicians are. A couple of years ago I was sound checking with a band using some robust monitoring. The sound man let a burst of feedback escape when I was too close to the monitor, and it resulted in a sharp continuous physical pain. I’ve not entirely recovered.
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gary pierce · From: Rossville TN

I also have tinnitus and ear fatigue and now use ear protection.
The first set sounds good and then it gets muffled.

Jon Voth · From: Virginia, USA

Thanks to original poster for this topic. Young folks-all folks-protect your hearing!

As a teen I went to numerous metal concerts right up to the speaker tower. I would be deaf for a day or so. How stupid I was.

As a career military musician, standing next to drums and trumpets-protection is imperative. Also do not hop on a bike or shoot a weapon without it at all.

I think it is genetic, luckily I still have stellar hearing but my wife (also a career military musician) has much loss and tinnitus.

So I put it on a lot, mowing, chainsaw, etc. I'm super careful. You only have two ears, protect them!

John McClung · From: Olympia WA, USA

I'm lucky to only have minor high end hearing loss per a couple of tests recently. But I'm told I'm borderline ready for hearing aids. Is there an ideal type of aids that steel players find effective? What to does one do when wearing earbuds with hearing aids? TIA.
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Bob Hoffnar · From: Austin, Tx

Fred Treece · From: California, USA

I share the misfortune Tucker Jackson explained; the crash cymbal always seemed to be at ear level just a few feet away from me at every gig. The ringing in both ears is constant now, and higher frequencies (like upper register violin, and steel harmonics) are pretty much gone.

BUT, I also concur with Cappone d’Angelo, that wearing Westone musician plugs improves the way I percieve musical sounds and allows me to relax and play better.

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