hearing damage?

[bops]

Yep, I grabbed a single isolated slap for each analysis. But keep in mind that the noise floor on most "live" recordings is somewhere around -90 dB, so you should really only look at the section of the graph above -90 dB as containing measurable data.

it all seems to be under 5khz, and loudest in the 1khz range.

That's just the resonance of the drum. The highest peak is listed in the chart in the bottom right. Since on Soungalo's chart the loudest peak is in the lower range, I highlighted the higher peak as well on the graph itself. If you want, I'll measure slaps of some other 'folas for the sake of comparison.

[Bas]

I didnt read all reply's but i've been playing djembe since 12 years. now the most anoying i find bells which are situated like 40 to 20 cm from my ear. Maybe i am a bit deaf already but i never experience earringing from a practice session on djembe

I have only these advice:
never use in-ear headphones always replay on speakers.

Dont clean ur ears to much or at all, because earwax is the natural earplug. the hairs are in the wax so they cant break i supppose.

when u were exposed to loud music and have a ring in the ears, give ur ears rest after that for a couple of days. no music at all.


I know a lot of people whoem played a long time djembe and never use earplugs. and u know what. they still are able to have conversations and play djembe.

Like Sega Sidibe, A 66 year old legend, and yes maybe he played a lot outside but still i dont think this really is a point. same goes for dj's although they are more frequently exposed to much louder systems. now i know a lot of dj's and a lot of them are wearing earplugz custom made. but isnt that a sort of fashion thing? most of them who i know and bought the 400,- earplugz arent using them because the sound and experience are not the same.

I do think the problem is that when we go outside the studio there is still a lot of noise from cars, planes, trains, advertisements people screaming and all we like to have in our neighborhoods. and thats where u get no rest for the ears. so when u go outside of studio wear earplugs

offcourse there is damage but i think this is only a problem for people who work with headsets for their jobs and maybe people wich had an ear infection in the past or when they were baby's.

when u go to a club just stand in the back so the people in front of u absorb the sound and make it less hammering on ur ears. but when they put the music TO loud u better just leave or go talk with the sound man in the place.

offcourse all of this doesnt aply to people for people with physical hearing damage like being hit by a fist on the ear or with fireworks eardamage.

[michi]

I know a lot of people whoem played a long time djembe and never use earplugs. and u know what. they still are able to have conversations and play djembe.

[...]

offcourse there is damage but i think this is only a problem for people who work with headsets for their jobs and maybe people wich had an ear infection in the past or when they were baby's.

This is poor advice, in my opinion. Just because there are people who (apparently) don't suffer hearing damage from playing drums does not mean that other people won't suffer that damage. And all the medical evidence very clearly shows that hearing damage is inevitable. The time of onset and the severity of damage vary from person to person, but it is simply a matter of time: eventually, you will end up with damaged hearing.

Please don't go and tell people that it's OK not to protect their hearing just because you (or some people you know) have apparently not suffered any damage. I was perfectly fine with my hearing for four and a half years of drumming, no problem whatsoever. Then, with no prior warning, I got tinnitus. I was in a quiet environment at the time, and I hadn't been drumming for three days. It was like someone flicking a switch: first in one ear and, about 30 seconds later, the other ear. The tinnitus has been with me ever since, 24x7.

If you have no sign of hearing damage today, you may have noticeable hearing damage five minutes from now, even if you are not exposed to any sound, and without any warning signs.

I routinely tell our students about the dangers of being exposed to loud sound and recommend that they wear earplugs. It's the only responsible thing to do, in my opinion.

Cheers,

Michi.

[e2c]

What michi said.

I'd also advise caution on the whole earwax/"natural ear plug" thing, too - AFAIK, it's simply not true and isn't very good advice. (This from someone who had to have an ear syringed by a doctor 2 years ago - TMI, I realize, but I was able to hear *so* much clearer after that.)

and fwiw, I have tinnitus (mentioned earlier in the thread), though it didn't come from playing djembe or any other percussion. However, it *is* a wake-up call and I now wear earplugs.

You really don't want to be super-hard of hearing 10, 15 or 20 years from now if you can help it. Good hearing aids are quite costly and although the technology has advanced by leaps and bounds, it's still not the same as hearing naturally.

[michel weelen]

Yep i agree with you 2 guys .... this poor advice !!!!
I've been playing for .... now 25 years .... and you know what ? I'm half deaf now !!!!!
I did a lot off djembe playing indoor, i had ear clicks then i wore ear plugs, but once the damage is there it's too late .... & to remind you we have only one pair off ears ....

So here is my advice, play the more you can outside .....
When you'r inside try to put a distance between you & the dunduns bells ... and make regular breaks in your rehersal .....
Give your ears some rest & go to make REGULAR ear checks, and WEAR those dam fckin earplugs !!!!!

That is my advice !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[e2c]

I never play bells of any kind indoors without 1st wrapping them in towels or, alternatively, putting a couple of socks inside them.

It's just crazy to risk hearing loss, imo!!!

[Bas]

Ok maybe i have to admit it was a bit a Noobs advice...

But that is the way that i was thinking and all i said in that post was what i knew at that moment and all that i know about preventing hearing damage...

I actually didnt know a lot of tinitus untill this post and was more pointing to conventional overload for the ears. u guys make me worry a little because i am still young... I even got my old plugs from the drawer again!!!

didnt use em yet though... But lately i am practicing with a reggea band again. and for this i think it is neccesary to practice with earplugs. as the drummer and all amplified instruments make a hell of noise in a tiny room.

Keep It Up.

[yeshadette21]

Hearing damage, sometimes it may cause from the loud sound near your ears and sometimes by cleaning your ears and unintentionally hit the inner part of our ear. Especially if the cochlea will hit, it will affect our hearing. In this case we need a medical attention that we immediately cured.

[Paul]

I was perfectly fine with my hearing for four and a half years of drumming, no problem whatsoever. Then, with no prior warning, I got tinnitus. I was in a quiet environment at the time, and I hadn't been drumming for three days.

I did 3 months of hard playing in Gambia, travelled back by land to europe, got back to my parents house in a quiet suburb and woke up the next day with a ringing that has been going for 4 years.

[michi]

I did 3 months of hard playing in Gambia, travelled back by land to europe, got back to my parents house in a quiet suburb and woke up the next day with a ringing that has been going for 4 years.

Sounds familiar
Mine started just after I returned from my two-month stay in Mali and Ghana, after two months of drumming for several hours every day.

Do take the risk seriously!

Michi.

[Bas]

Ok Guys. I think i have the continious ring now too...

Last week I got my ears seringed and after that the ring wasnt going away....'its not very bad when i am at work or doing stuff but when i am at home and all is silent i cant cancel it out.

The question with me rises: Didn't i have this ring before i knew what it was and start paying attention to it!??

well at least i have 2 say now: People wear those earplugs !! everyone!

[e2c]

Bas, I think it might be wise to pay a visit to your doctor, just in case there are other reasons for this and/or they can do something to help.

The thing is, tinnitus isn't really curable. (I have it due to other causes and although it has moderated over time, I doubt it's ever going to go away.)

Hope you're feeling better soon!

Edited to add: you can also cut some of the loudness and super-high frequencies by playing with a t-shirt over the drumhead.