Members seattleswiss Posted November 9, 2009 Members Share Posted November 9, 2009 I sing quite loudly when I play the guitar and sometimes this results in a dull pain in one or both of my ears; I’ve seen an otolaryngologist who recommended I get special molded musicians’ earplugs which attenuate the volume without compromising the timbre and quality of the sound. However I’m not really sure how this possible since singing, as opposed to instrumental noise, is conducted through the jawbone and to the eardrum directly. I’m curious if there are any vocalists/singers on here who have experienced a similar problem. It is very depressing to me because I am a loud singer—it’s the only way I actually sound good. However I’m not sure if there is a real solution here besides singing quieter. (The otolaryngologist didn’t seem too bothered by the problem; perhaps I should see another one.) Has anyone found a solution to this? Google is coming up empty for me. Thanks, in advance. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members grace_slick Posted November 10, 2009 Members Share Posted November 10, 2009 If I ever got ear pain when singing (not from the volume of the music itself, but from the act of me SINGING), I'd be concerned I'd hurt my ear in some way or I had some kind of irritation, blockage or infection in my ear, eusthacian tube or sinus cavity. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members EightString Posted November 10, 2009 Members Share Posted November 10, 2009 I've had ear pain from the act of OTHERS singing. Seriously, even when you yourself are singing, a great deal of the sound you receive still comes from the "outside", via the mouth/air/eardrums path, so attenuating earplugs will at least reduce the total amount of sound hitting your eardrums. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members P. Wallace Posted November 10, 2009 Members Share Posted November 10, 2009 I recommend learning to sing softly. Strengthen your softer voice. It's tough but you'll have better dynamic control is you can sing soft and loud. My space bar is messed up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Dthraco Posted November 11, 2009 Members Share Posted November 11, 2009 Try singing with foam ear plugs and see if you rears hurt then too. If they do, Musician's plugs won't help. I have and LOVE my musicians plugs. They do lower the volume with minimal frequency change overall. I say minimal because there is a difference. I use them for watching shows, running sound, and playing shows. Anywhere I am subjected to loud environments. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Glossolalia Posted February 25, 2020 Members Share Posted February 25, 2020 I have this same problem but only in one ear, I have to put an ear plug in (the filtering ones) to stop it feeling tender, I also sing loud. I did go to an ear doctor (otolaryngologists) once and they said if it didn't go away in a few weeks I should go to the GP/doctor but at that point I'd had it a year and was just too embarrassed to say! I haven't noticed tenderness any other time really just when I sing which sounds like a joke but I've not been kicked out of the band yet so I can't be that bad! Let us know if you find a solution too. My next step was to look into 'physical' singing warmups as well as vocal ones for the jaw, tongue and all around that area as an attempt to get more circulation to the area and loosen it up. But if my ear is damaged for good then that's not going to help ... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members FelipeCarvalho Posted February 27, 2020 Members Share Posted February 27, 2020 @Glossolalia It *could* be a technical issue if you are using excessive tension or forcing the soft palate area, the ears connect to your nasopharynx (upper part of the throat), and if you manage to open the passage, the pressure you are applying with your voice will be also applied to your ears (one or both). This can hurt... If you attempt to make a really wide open AH vowel, does it improve the situation? Think the kind of AH you would do so that the doctor can see your tonsils, use a mirror to be sure you are opening wide 😛 . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators daddymack Posted February 27, 2020 Moderators Share Posted February 27, 2020 Glossolalia...embarrassment is the absolute worst reason to not see a doctor over something that could be very serious! Don't screw around...you've been allowing a potential major hearing problem fester for over a year? Are you crazy? See a doctor! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Hugh1981 Posted February 29, 2020 Members Share Posted February 29, 2020 I'd recommend you go with what the specialist recommended, seriously now. At least try the earplugs for a while, if you feel like they're affecting your performance in any way, give up on them and go see someone else. But for the moment, try it at least. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Dani9768 Posted January 9, 2021 Members Share Posted January 9, 2021 I ALWAYS get ear pain when I’m belting, or sometimes when I sing for over a certain amount of time Orr when I sing high. I don’t know what it is. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators daddymack Posted January 15, 2021 Moderators Share Posted January 15, 2021 On 1/9/2021 at 8:23 AM, Dani9768 said: I ALWAYS get ear pain when I’m belting, or sometimes when I sing for over a certain amount of time Orr when I sing high. I don’t know what it is. if it hurts, it ain't right! Go find out what it is! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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