PaulM
86 posts
Jan 17, 2011
5:00 PM
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Where do you position yourself on stage? Our last few gigs, I've been center stage, in front of the drummer with the bass player and guitar player on my right and the keyboard player, my wife, on my left. All too often, after the first couple of tunes my ears start ringing and when we crank it up and I lose the ability to hear myself well despite the fact that the monitor is in front of me. I've toyed with a drum shield or perhaps an earphone?
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ZackPomerleau
1362 posts
Jan 17, 2011
5:21 PM
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I'd say use some hearing protections. It seriously helps.
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bonedog569
212 posts
Jan 17, 2011
5:24 PM
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For what it's worth - I personally like being on the side where I can use a table (or anything like it) to hold harps, notes, mic.s , an fx box that I prefer to see to adjust etc.. -for better or worse - I like to spread out.
I'd also rather be in front of a bass amp than guitar amp. if I have a choice. Being close to the mixer is always nice too- especially if you don't have a great soundman - or you have to run the board yourself.
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Last Edited by on Jan 17, 2011 5:25 PM
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PaulM
87 posts
Jan 17, 2011
5:25 PM
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Zack; Can you still hear yourself with the hearing protection?
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PaulM
88 posts
Jan 17, 2011
5:36 PM
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Bondeog; All my stuff, including my pre-amp, fits on a bar stool, so that's not an issue for me. I just want to consistently hear myself. I'm not a professional, so I really get unnerved when I can't hear what I'm playing.
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Joe_L
993 posts
Jan 17, 2011
5:59 PM
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If your ears are ringing, you are permanently damaging your hearing. I doubt changing your position on stage will make a tremendous difference. It's probably a much better idea to turn down or find a different band.
No amount of money is worth losing your hearing.
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The Blues Photo Gallery
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PaulM
89 posts
Jan 17, 2011
6:28 PM
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Joe L; You're probably right, but I'm hoping for an alternative to bailing on the band.
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bonedog569
213 posts
Jan 17, 2011
9:44 PM
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There are hearing protectors that are cusotmized for your ear and theoretically attenuate all frequencies evenly. I had a pair for a number of years (till they dissapeared at a grateful dead concert last new years) Listening wasn't as transparent as listening without them - but when needed they are better than off the shelf plugs - or tissue paper in the ear.
http://www.etymotic.com/ephp/erme.aspx
re. everyting fitting on a barstool+
I envy tidy people, one of these lifetimes I may be one.
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7LimitJI
320 posts
Jan 18, 2011
3:35 AM
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Simple answer.Get everyone to turn down.
Question to guitarist.
"Can't you play with better tone?"
Answer
"But, I'm playing as loud as I can"
If you play too loudly you lose all the dynamics.
You will damage your hearing too.
If its a (very)large room, mic everyone up and keep the stage volume down, and let the PA blast out to the audience.
It can be the drummer who sets the stage volume.Ask him to use lighter sticks.
Get all the amps off the floor and onto beer crates or stands, pointing directly at the player.
Ear plugs just mask the problem that the stage volume it too high.
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The Pentatonics Myspace
Youtube
Why don't you leave some holes when you play, and maybe some music will fall out.
Last Edited by on Jan 18, 2011 3:38 AM
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PaulM
90 posts
Jan 18, 2011
3:56 AM
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Ah, lighter sticks for the drummer. Knew about brushes, a hard sell for the drummer, but didn't realize drum sticks were otherwise variable. I'll suggest them to our drummer as it is he who seems to set the overall stage volume. Thanks
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eharp
1107 posts
Jan 18, 2011
5:13 AM
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i like the sie. it makes it easier to see, and be seen, by the band.
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Michael Rubin
68 posts
Jan 18, 2011
5:17 AM
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When playing with rock bands, I try to not care about hearing myself and wear earplugs. If I cannot hear myself for a two hour show, I can live with that. I know what the notes in the different harmonica holes sound like. I can guess what I sound like to the audience.
Michael Rubin
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6SN7
141 posts
Jan 18, 2011
6:52 AM
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Hi.
When I am sitting in or working as a sideman, I like to be on the side next to the bass guitarist or keyboard player. That way, I can keep track of the songs as those guys can tell me chords, keys ,tempo,etc and I can watch them for the changes.
When I am leading the band, I am out front, slightly to the side of the drummer. Bass and drums are behind me , and the guitar and keyboards are on either side so I can see them.
I don't use earplugs, because the band is never too loud. Why? Because that is my job to control the volume. When I front the band, singing and playing harp are as important as controlling volume because I am the leader/conductor/musical director and it is an important aspect of my job. When you are fronting the band, that's your job. It is for the band's sake (you won't get hired again) and for the sake of the audience.
Volume is the number #1 reason why semi-pro bands get the ax at clubs. If you are singing and you can't hear yourself, tell the band to turn down or get another player. It is as simple and brutal a truth as that.
On the subject of keeping harp stuff available to use, "spreading out" is a Bozo no-no to me. Having your stuff spread out over tables and barstools looks stupid. And don't get me going on having a music stand with lyrics, "cheat notes/tabs, in front of you (cheapo TelePrompTer!) Having that junk in front of you is a barrier between you and the audience and it just looks stupid fumbling around for reminder notes when you should be keeping your heads up and looking at the musicians. Preparation is the key to a great performance.
Last Edited by on Jan 18, 2011 7:03 AM
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barbequebob
1491 posts
Jan 18, 2011
8:29 AM
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Actually, what really does the damage to your hearing is NOT the guitar, but loud electric bass and every reputable audiologist will tell you exactly what I'm saying. right after the electric bass, the next biggest problem are cymbols, as they are of indefinite pitch, making things real tough. Guitars are actually much further down the line.
From too many years of loud electric bass on my left side, I do have a bit of a hearing loss from that in my left ear and in the last 15 years, doing more jump blues, I tend to use standup bass almost exclusively, and tho the amplification is a lot better for those, as it can play louder, unlike electric bass, you don't get anywhere near the harsh overtones electric basses can produce and it will do nowhere near as much damage, plus having standup bass makes it easier for me to play in rooms where electric bass often gets far too loud very quickly.
Getting the custom earplugs rather than the off the shelf stuff is the right thing to do because the off the shelf ones tend to take too much and it's all across the board, which is what you DON'T want and customs are set up to take out the real problem frequencies and the real ones are the electric bass.
From the years of electric bass screaming at my left, whenever any of the younger kids have the bass heavily cranked up in their cars with the windows open (or even shut at times), it physically hurts like freaking hell.
If you're playing with guys with more of a rock background than a real blues background, volume problems are unfortunately going to be a continuous problem and it gets worse if they haven't got a clue about dynamics.
Trust me, I KNOW what I'm talking about!!!!
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Sincerely,
Barbeque Bob Maglinte
Boston, MA
http://www.barbequebob.com
CD available at http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/bbmaglinte
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MrVerylongusername
1506 posts
Jan 18, 2011
9:04 AM
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"Ear plugs just mask the problem that the stage volume it too high."
The problem with ears is that, like all the other parts of your body, if you exercise them they get tired.
You can be setup with reasonable levels, good separation. After an hour or so the mix starts to sound muddier. It's not a real change, it's a perceived one as the performers' ears get tired. The louder the on-stage volume, the quicker it happens. That's the danger point when people start fiddling with levels and the volume arms-race begins.
Wearing some kind of hearing protection stops your ears tiring so quickly.
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barbequebob
1497 posts
Jan 18, 2011
9:05 AM
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One other thing is to make sure that the stage monitor volume is kept down and if you're playing a club where the sound guy is used to dealing with rock bands, the stage monitor sound is often too loud, which makes everything worse and if the room is acoustically bad, it just compounds things.
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Sincerely,
Barbeque Bob Maglinte
Boston, MA
http://www.barbequebob.com
CD available at http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/bbmaglinte
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6SN7
143 posts
Jan 18, 2011
11:53 AM
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Hey Bob, Where ya get the ear plugs?
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7LimitJI
327 posts
Jan 18, 2011
12:21 PM
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Being on stage is not a battle.Although at times it feels like it.
The volume will creep up,but its up to the bandleader to either start at a lower level,compensating for the creep up, or tell them to turn down.
I use a combination of both.
"Wearing some kind of hearing protection stops your ears tiring so quickly"
I hear you ! But everyone in the band would have to wear plugs to make this work.
Ear plugs are like medicine. You take it cure an ailment.
Being/having a good band leader who controls the volume is the vaccination to prevent the ailment in the first place.
Bands that are too loud are one of my pet hates.
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The Pentatonics Myspace
Youtube
Why don't you leave some holes when you play, and maybe some music will fall out.
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LittleBubba
21 posts
Jan 18, 2011
2:39 PM
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If I'm sittin' in with a band, I like to put myself between the bassist and drummer.. but slightly offline. I feel like it keeps my finger on the pulse.
As an aside, I played with one of my old roommates who drums, and he was playing a set of digital drums; I'd never played with them before, but I liked the lack of ambient noise. I'd never realized how much sizzle and buzz a normal drumset gives off on stage.
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