This is the third in a list of 6 fact sheets that can be copied onto your office letterhead and provided to musicians. There will be one that relates to each musician instrument, and this one is obviously (as can be seen in the title) about bass players and drummers. These are used in the Musicians’ Clinics of Canada (www.musiciansclinics.com) and I would appreciate citing the source of this information if you choose to use them as one of your clinic handouts. Like all information sheets this, and those that follow, can be used as part of the counseling session.
Even though it may be surprising to group bass players and drummers together, because of the similar location in a band, the types of noise exposure can be similar. In some cases, the environmental strategies to minimize the potential from hearing loss, are also similar.
• Humming just prior to, and through a loud sound such as a cymbal crash or rim shot, may afford some hearing protection. There is a small muscle in our middle ears that contracts upon the sensation of loud sounds. This contraction pulls on the bones of the middle ear, thus temporarily making it harder for sound to be transmitted through to one’s inner ear. Mother nature designed us with this, so that our own voice would not be perceived as too loud. If one knows about an imminent loud sound such as a cymbal crash, hum just before the crash and sustain the hum through the sound.
• Shakers are small, hockey puck sized speakers that can be wired into the main amplification system. These shakers can be bolted under a drummer’s seat, or screwed onto a 1 square foot piece of 3/4″ plywood board placed on the floor near the bass player or drummer. The musicians feel they are playing slightly louder than they actually are. The musicians are happy and their ears are happy.
• Plexiglas™ baffles can be erected between the cymbals and the bass players, but should not extend higher than the drummer’s ear. Such baffles can attenuate (lessen) the sound energy of the drums for the other musicians. Ensuring that the baffles do not extend too high, ensures that the drummer is not subject to his own high-frequency reflections, which may increase the potential for future hearing loss.
• In ear monitors are small in-the-ear devices that look like hearing aids connected to small wire cables. They can be plugged directly into to the amplification system. These not only afford some protection from overly loud music, but allow the bass players and drummers to monitor their music better. Frequently, the overall sound levels on stage during rehearsals and performances are quieter while using these monitors.
• Acoustic monitors are stethoscope-like devices that can be used by acoustic bass and cello players to allow them to better hear their own instrument. A length of thin hearing aid tubing plugs into one’s custom made earplug on one end and by way of a suction cup or similar attachment, it plugs onto the tail piece, bridge, or body of the bass. The bass musician can better monitor their own instrument which has the benefit of not overplaying. Wrist and arm strain is usually reduced with such a set-up.
• Drummers should be using the ER-25 earplugs. Too much ear protection can and does result in arm and wrist strain (due to overplaying) and not enough protection can result in continued hearing loss. The ER-25 (like its more mild form, the ER-15) is a uniform or flat ear protector such that the bass notes, the mid-range notes and the high-frequency notes are all attenuated equally. The balance of music is not altered.
• The human ear is much like any other body part- too much use and it may be damaged. The ear takes about 16 hours to “reset”. After attending a rock concert you may notice reduced hearing and/or tinnitus (ringing) in your ears. And if your hearing was assessed immediately after the concert, one would find a temporary hearing loss. After 16 hours however, your hearing should return to its “baseline” (hopefully normal) level. After a loud session or concert, don’t practice for 16-18 hours. Also, its a good excuse not to mow your lawn for a day or two!
Hii ni orodha ya tatu ya karatasi sita za ukweli ambazo zinaweza kunakiliwa kwenye kichwa cha barua cha ofisi yako na kupewa wanamuziki. Kuna moja ambayo inahusiana na kila chombo cha mwanamuziki, na hii moja ni dhahiri (kama inavyoonekana katika jina) kuhusu wachezaji wa bass na drummers. "Kama ilivyoelezwa katika ""Musicians Clinic of Canada"" (www.musiciansclinic.com), ni muhimu sana kuelezea chanzo cha habari hii ikiwa unachagua kuitumia kama moja ya vifungu vya kliniki yako." Kama karatasi zote za habari hii, na zile zinazofuata, zinaweza kutumiwa kama sehemu ya kikao cha ushauri. Ingawa inaweza kuwa ya kushangaza kwa kundi bassists na drummers pamoja, kwa sababu ya eneo sawa katika bendi, aina ya mfiduo kelele inaweza kuwa sawa. Katika visa fulani, mikakati ya mazingira ya kupunguza uwezekano wa kupoteza kusikia, pia ni sawa. • Kunung'unika kabla tu ya, na kupitia sauti kubwa kama vile kugonga sinia au risasi ya ukingo, kwaweza kutoa kinga fulani ya kusikia. Mshipa mdogo wa sikio la kati hufupika unaposikia sauti kubwa. Mshuko huo huvutia mifupa ya sikio la kati, na hivyo kufanya iwe vigumu kwa muda kwa sauti kupitishwa hadi sikio la ndani. Mama asili alituumba na hii, ili sauti yetu wenyewe isiweze kuonekana kuwa kubwa sana. Ikiwa mtu anajua juu ya sauti kubwa inayokaribia kama vile kugonga sinia, piga kelele kabla tu ya kugonga na kudumisha kelele kupitia sauti. Shakers ni ndogo, hockey puck ukubwa wasemaji kwamba inaweza kuwa wired katika mfumo kuu amplification. Shakers hizi zinaweza kuwa bolted chini ya kiti cha drummer, au screwed juu ya 1 mraba futi kipande cha 3⁄4 ""plywood bodi kuwekwa juu ya sakafu karibu bass player au drummer. Wanamuziki huhisi kwamba wanacheza kwa sauti kubwa kuliko ilivyo kweli. Wanamuziki wanafurahi na masikio yao yanafurahi. • Plexiglas TM baffles inaweza kuanzishwa kati ya cymbals na bass wachezaji, lakini haipaswi kupanua juu ya sikio drummer ya. Vifaa hivyo vinaweza kupunguza (kupunguza) sauti ya ngoma kwa wanamuziki wengine. Kuangalia kwa makini kwamba baffles hazipiti juu sana, inahakikisha kwamba mpiga ngoma haitoi athari kwa reflection yake mwenyewe ya masafa ya juu, ambayo inaweza kuongeza uwezekano wa kupoteza kusikia katika siku zijazo. Vifaa vya kusikiliza masikio (earbuds) ni vifaa vidogo vinavyowekwa ndani ya masikio vinavyofanana na vifaa vya kusaidia kusikia vilivyounganishwa na nyaya ndogo za waya. Wanaweza kuunganishwa moja kwa moja kwenye mfumo wa kuimarisha. Hizi hazitoi tu ulinzi fulani dhidi ya muziki wenye sauti kubwa kupita kiasi, bali huruhusu wachezaji wa bassi na wapiga-ngoma waangalie muziki wao vizuri zaidi. Mara nyingi, viwango vya jumla vya sauti kwenye jukwaa wakati wa majaribio na maonyesho ni kimya zaidi wakati wa kutumia viwambo hivi. Vifaa vya kusikiliza sauti (Acoustic monitors) ni vifaa vinavyofanana na stethoscope vinavyoweza kutumiwa na wachezaji wa bass na cello ili kuwawezesha kusikia vizuri ala yao wenyewe. Msaada wa kusikia wa urefu wa bomba la chini huingia kwenye earplug ya mtu kwenye mwisho mmoja na kwa njia ya kikombe cha kunyonya au kiunganishi kama hicho, huingia kwenye kipande cha mkia, daraja, au mwili wa bass. Mwimbaji wa bass anaweza kufuatilia vizuri chombo chake mwenyewe ambacho kina faida ya kutocheza kupita kiasi. Kwa kawaida mfadhaiko wa mkono na mkono hupunguzwa kwa utaratibu kama huo. • Drummers wanapaswa kuwa kutumia earplugs ER-25. Ulinzi wa sikio wa kutosha unaweza na unasababisha mkazo wa mkono na mkono (kwa sababu ya kucheza kupita kiasi) na ulinzi wa kutosha hauwezi kusababisha upotezaji wa kusikia. ER-25 (kama aina yake ya upole zaidi, ER-15) ni kinga ya sikio la usawa au gorofa, hivyo kwamba noti za bass, noti za kati na noti za masafa ya juu zote zimepunguzwa sawa. Usawaziko wa muziki haubadiliki. • Sikio la binadamu ni kama sehemu nyingine yoyote ya mwili - linatumiwa sana na linaweza kuharibiwa. Inahitaji muda wa saa 16 hivi ili sikio lisiwe na tatizo hilo. Baada ya kuhudhuria tamasha la roki huenda ukagundua upungufu wa kusikia na/au tinnitus (kelele) masikioni mwako. Ikiwa usikilizaji wako ulipimwa mara tu baada ya maonyesho, utapata upotezaji wa muda wa kusikia. Baada ya masaa 16 kusikia kwako kunapaswa kurudi kwenye kiwango cha kawaida. Baada ya kikao au tamasha lenye kelele, usifanye mazoezi kwa masaa 16-18. Pia, ni kisingizio kizuri cha kutokata nyasi yako kwa siku moja au mbili!