3 ms·

> Do Timpani players themselves play with ear protection? (Pretty common for drummers in pop music.) I would be surprised to see someone playing the Timpani we

> Do Timpani players themselves play with ear protection? (Pretty common for drummers in pop music.) I would be surprised to see someone playing the Timpani wearing ear protection, if there aren't other even "louder" musicians around. If someone in proximity is playing the cymbals (or snare drum, or whip etc.) loudly though, I would absolutely use ear protection even when playing Timpani.

jacquesm 4y ago
Snare or cymbals can be extremely loud up close but their spectrum is more like white noise, in comparison a Timpani is more like an 'audio laser' for want of a better term, relatively few harmonics and all of the energy concentrated in a very narrow band.
MengerSponge 4y ago
It's really common for percussionists to have fitted "musician's earplugs" https://www.etymotic.com/product/custom-musicians-earplugs-with-attenuator/ https://www.etymotic.com/product/custom-musicians-earplugs-w... If you see much live music, it's worth picking up a pair too. If you rarely go, a pair of universal-fit plugs costs a tenth as much.
- dorfsmay 4y ago
  Not just percussion, I know violon players who do (same brand), because violins are very close to their player's ear, and hearing is really important to violin players.
  - deleted 4y ago
    [deleted]
- analog31 4y ago
  I'm a musician, and I wear the cheap ones. They actually work great. They're cheap enough that I can keep a pair in each instrument case. I do use them when listening to live music as well.
  - MengerSponge 4y ago
    If your ears are shaped well for the cheap ones, there's no real reason to spend the extra $200. But the fitted ones are comfortable to wear all day (literally).
    - analog31 4y ago
      Indeed, I do well with Hearo's or ER20's, which are similar if not identical. Maybe they're a bit more visible than the fitted ones, but that's OK for the styles that I play -- mostly jazz and folk music.

jacquesm 4y ago

Snare or cymbals can be extremely loud up close but their spectrum is more like white noise, in comparison a Timpani is more like an 'audio laser' for want of a better term, relatively few harmonics and all of the energy concentrated in a very narrow band.

MengerSponge 4y ago

It's really common for percussionists to have fitted "musician's earplugs" https://www.etymotic.com/product/custom-musicians-earplugs-with-attenuator/ https://www.etymotic.com/product/custom-musicians-earplugs-w... If you see much live music, it's worth picking up a pair too. If you rarely go, a pair of universal-fit plugs costs a tenth as much.

dorfsmay 4y ago
Not just percussion, I know violon players who do (same brand), because violins are very close to their player's ear, and hearing is really important to violin players.
- deleted 4y ago
  [deleted]
analog31 4y ago
I'm a musician, and I wear the cheap ones. They actually work great. They're cheap enough that I can keep a pair in each instrument case. I do use them when listening to live music as well.
- MengerSponge 4y ago
  If your ears are shaped well for the cheap ones, there's no real reason to spend the extra $200. But the fitted ones are comfortable to wear all day (literally).
  - analog31 4y ago
    Indeed, I do well with Hearo's or ER20's, which are similar if not identical. Maybe they're a bit more visible than the fitted ones, but that's OK for the styles that I play -- mostly jazz and folk music.