Does Tinnitus affect your music?

[Jazzwee]

I gather a lot of musicians have Tinnitus. I've had mine since teenage years from playing guitar. I've learned to live with it over the years since it has been a long time.

 

My particular version of Tinnitus is 100% constant and the pitch is close to the hi-hat of a drum kit. So with complex drum patterns, I find I'm struggling to hear that hi-hat tempo to keep time.

 

Fortunately, this seems to be the only effect to is obvious to me. I do wonder though when I mix a recording if I'm not overdoing something to compensate for the ringing in my ear. Like I wonder if I overcompensate the highs.

 

I downloaded a hearing test program from the net and for the most part, I have hearing loss at the very high khz on one ear, and some bass/low midrange on the other ear. This has been constant and has not changed so I no longer worry about it. I think it does not affect my overall enjoyment of music (like the brain compensates for the bass somehow). I have no "real" serious hearing deficit as conversations are normal

 

I no longer abuse my ears so this is not a long term concern anymore.

 

It would be interesting to see what others think about this.

 

Regards,

 

Jazzwee

[Bridog6996]

I'm sure it has some effect. As Beethoven was going deaf, his music definitely changed. By the time he was completely deaf, his music had become much more eclectic than it was in his earlier years. Since his musical mind was so advanced by then, he could successfully write music that he was hearing in his mind without ever physically hearing it. I view this as a plus, because he wasn't able to hear his own music with a "critical ear" and overly fine-tune it. He was free to be more raw and experimental. Then again, on the other hand, he was deaf, and that must have sucked.

 

The lesson here: play loud music and make yourself deaf. Then you'll be a genius like Beethoven!

[Jazzwee]

I don't get it. What affected his hearing? They didn't have big loud amps during Beethoven's time! LOL.

 

Hmmmm maybe there's something else going on back then we don't know about.

[ITGITC]

Originally posted by Jazzwee:

I don't get it. What affected his hearing? They didn't have big loud amps during Beethoven's time! LOL.

 

Hmmmm maybe there's something else going on back then we don't know about.

The reason is not defined, but this page will give you some insight.

 

http://www.lucare.com/immortal/deaf.html

[Dave Eskridge]

I don't remember the source now, but I remember reading that they've tested a lock of Beethoven's hair, and he had lead poisoning, which probably caused his deafness and shortened his life.

[Dave Eskridge]

... on the original topic of this thread... an Audiologist friend of mine (easily the worst Guitar player I know) told me that you can eliminate a great deal of the ringing in your ears by cutting Caffeine out of your diet... hardly worth it, in my opinion. I figure I'll start worying about it when the ringing in my ears is so loud it starts bothering the people around me.

[Jazzwee]

I don't anything can fix my Tinnitus, and it's pretty loud to me. I've learned to endure it.

 

I just get bothered that it has the same pitch as a hi-hat. This is the first time I got annoyed because I can't ignore it in a musical situation.

 

I'm trying it this software which is similar to the hearing aid for masking the noise. The theory is that your mind will mask the ringing after awhile. Don't know if it works though.

[marino]

I had tinnitus some years ago - for about three days. It was constant, high and loud, it prevented me to get any sleep, and it reduced me in a state of panic.

Then I had my internal ear professionally cleaned, and in a few hours, it stopped. Every now and then, it comes back, for half a minute or so - enough to remind me that I *have* to take care of my ears.

[Jazzwee]

Lucky you! I've never even realized that there were temporary cases.

 

Although mine is constant, there are levels. For some reason, it is at a very high volume right now. I can't really explain why it changes.

[AUSSIEKEYS]

Tinitus

Yes I have lived with it since I was born

I have never known silence.

go figure

i have read people with blond hair and blue eyes are more suseptable to it.Dont know how true that is but it certainly pertains to me.

But I have made it far worse by being a rock musician

 

So bad that sleeping can be difficult if other factors prevent you then the tinitus becomes intolerable.If you are at peace with yourself then the tinutus becomes a normal thing to you and allows you to sleep with it.

 

The worst level came after a band i was in continually practised 3 times a week in the guitarist studio

i was setup next to the drummers cymbal AND ONE PARTICULAR HIT SENT MY TINITUS TO A NEW LEVEL OF PAIN.we were only a club band,far removed from the pub bands i had played in,not that loud,but just one bad experience really made the tinitus in the left ear often close to unbearable.

 

I had often tried ear plugs but being a singer too found that it was hard to pitch with those in.

 

Even the first band I joined [as a singer then]the first party gig i played i tried to wear industrial earmuffs as even then I was intollerable to loud music...yea probably looked like a dag,but they were friends and they didnt care.

So its not as if I tried to put myself in harms way,I would even avoid other gigs to watch if I knew they were too loud.So was very careful.

 

To those that find ringing "as marino said"...

that a good clean of the ears can often work wonders,[doctor clean out only though]

 

This is because of the build up of wax.

i find that i get a large build up and need to remove it.

I think the body uses it to protect your ears when you are in high noise situations.

But this wax does produce ringing too as well as muffled sound at the extreeme.

One New years eve i had to play,a few days before suddenly I was deaf in one ear,the wax had just suddenly closed over the canal and lucily a doctor was seen,drops were added and on the day of the gig the ear was syringed,and I could hear again,just in time for the gig,and the ringing decreased a bit.

 

My ears are stuffed and I was reasonably carefull from the start.Would not try to put myself in a situation that would wreck them [avoided attending high volume gigs],except when playing in bands myself,and it was always the guitarist who hurt my ears constantly....hence i eventually remedied this by playing in duos without lead guitarists.

so be very careful........some people have reported to have gone crazy with thje ringing aNd ended their lives...it vcan be that bad.

and on a lighter note.......what new keyboards are about to be released........

[Jazzwee]

Originally posted by AUSSIEKEYS:

and on a lighter note.......what new keyboards are about to be released........

LOFL!

 

After the seriousness of the other threads...And the seriousness of your hearing story, I was caught off guard...

 

I appreciate the sense of humor man!

 

In any case, I'm glad I am not alone. And no, it doesn't bother me as much as it irritates me with respect to effects on musicality.

[AUSSIEKEYS]

No worries jazzwee

I think your posting is very important

 

some people cant cope with it and if they know its a shared thing it may help

 

it may even help newbie musos to protect what they have,before its too late.

 

when you come to terms with it,it can be natural,daytime it blends in with the ambient noise enough to distract you little

when its apparrently QUIET it is annoying as you found,but if you occupy yourself with projects it will become less offensive,if sleeping is a problem try playing a radio softly in the background or a tape with soothing or what is pleasant music to those affected.

 

My sleeping is now difficult.....no the tinitus is not the culprit..its the barking dogs,the noisy mosquitos and the wailing neighbours,but when these are keeping me awake,,god that tinitus sure sounds loud.

 

So find peace with yourself at night and it will not be such a problem.

 

PS Im looking for a second hand Kawai MP 9000 or M 8000 in australia as my studio board....tee hee

there is always a lighter note

cheers russell

i come from a land down under

[JeffLearman]

Dammit, I usually don't notice mine until someone mentions it. I have a number of tones mostly over 8k, so fortunately it doesn't affect playing by beating against notes (imagine how nasty that must be!)

 

I've always had it, I think. First noticed it when listening very carefully to mixes & recorded tracks in my early 20's.

 

The only way to get rid of it is to learn to love it. Since it's constant in the inner ear, the brain normally filters it out pretty well -- unless it's perceived as a threat or something to deal with.

 

This is an example of what I call the "strong psychological rule of paradoxic results". Another example: if you hate to feel fatigued and avoid exercise, you'll feel fatigued. If you love the sensation of muscle fatigue and exercise real hard all the time to get it, it gets harder and harder to achieve. Ditto for thrills, like going really fast. OK, this concludes today's lesson in armchair psychology!

[Loufrance]

Originally posted by Jazzwee:

I downloaded a hearing test program from the net

Where did you get the hearing test program?

[Jeep]

Originally posted by Bridog6996:

As Beethoven was going deaf

.....He was free to be more

raw and experimental

Originally posted by AUSSIEKEYS:

some people have reported to have

gone crazy with the ringing

http://www.pianotuner.com/Graphics/Beethove.gif

[Jazzwee]

Originally posted by Loufrance:

Originally posted by Jazzwee:

I downloaded a hearing test program from the net

Where did you get the hearing test program?

You can google "Tinnitus Masker Pro". Basically it gives you like masking sounds like Waves, wind, rain. It is really relaxing. I listened to it all night while sleeping and when I woke up the volume was down. That made me feel better. It's free to try I think although I paid for mine so I can make an MP3 file. When it is masking, it is hard to notice even a loud ringing.

[Jazzwee]

Originally posted by learjeff:

Dammit, I usually don't notice mine until someone mentions it.

Sorry, Learjeff. I guess it's the power of suggestion. Thanks for sharing my grief though.

 

Jazzwee

[DafDuc]

I lost my left ear two years ago - infection killed the nerve endings. Tinnitus has been my constant companion ever since. Doesn't really affect my playing, other than needing a little more volume to hear myself.

 

OTOH, it really messes up my ability to track mix in the studio - can't tell what's noise floor and what's tinnitus. And it gets in the way of my choir directing too: have trouble making out the parts the choir is singing, and telling whether they're blending well, hitting the right notes with the right dynamics, etc.

[Loufrance]

Originally posted by Jazzwee:

Originally posted by Loufrance:

Originally posted by Jazzwee:

I downloaded a hearing test program from the net

Where did you get the hearing test program?

You can google "Tinnitus Masker Pro". Basically it gives you like masking sounds like Waves, wind, rain. It is really relaxing. I listened to it all night while sleeping and when I woke up the volume was down. That made me feel better. It's free to try I think although I paid for mine so I can make an MP3 file. When it is masking, it is hard to notice even a loud ringing.

I looked but does this program contain the test?

[Jazzwee]

Originally posted by Loufrance:

[QBI looked but does this program contain the test? [/QB]

Here's the link to the test program.

http://www.audiometer.co.uk/

 

Everyone is coming out of the woodwork now. For awhile there I thought this was rare for musicians.

[AUSSIEKEYS]

Originally posted by Jazzwee:

Everyone is coming out of the woodwork now.

Or should that be

Everyone is coming out of the TINWORK now ?

 

sorry just still trying to find that lighter side

[Loufrance]

Originally posted by Jazzwee:

Originally posted by Loufrance:

[QBI looked but does this program contain the test?

Here's the link to the test program.

http://www.audiometer.co.uk/

 

Everyone is coming out of the woodwork now. For awhile there I thought this was rare for musicians. [/QB]

By no means whatsoever! am I trying to rub it in anyone's face, but I don't believe I have tinnitus, I've gone through mild symptoms for a few hours after going to a club one night.

I don't think I have it, but I do have a sensitvity(just meaning I hear more of them) to high pitched noises, I hear some high pitched noises that other people I know can't hear. For example I can hear T.v's ringing and some light fixtures emiting a high pitched "ring".

 

After going to a website that explained the dangers of loud music I became concerned about tinnitus. I like reading posts like this so I can learn ways to avoid it. I even wear earplugs when cutting the lawn.

[AUSSIEKEYS]

hi loufrance

 

yes even I with tinitus still find I can hear sounds none of my friends can hear [ Im often proud of this feat too],often i can hear telephones ringing from the backyard others cant,and conversations from distances my friends cant....but when I watch TV Im constantly told I have the TV too high...and often quite high according to them....so how does this work...on one hand I can hear sounds no one else can hear and on the other Im obviously deaf as I watch TV at high volumes.doesnt make sence.And yes i can still hear those strange hums from electrical systems too.

And the ringing in my left ear is very high masking the previous ringing from my right ear.

hopefully you havent got tinitus,and its good to hear you are careful,

I think the best way to know you have severe tinitus is to come to the realisation you cant sleep because of the ringing,[in conjunction with unhappy times] but by thaT TIME ITS WAY TOO LATE TO DO ANYTHING... i guess

 

there will be many more sufferers with all trhe I pods and walkmans with thier earphones/speakers I believe these create as much danger as loud music,perhaps more as there is no outside influence to compare quiet to loud as all is loud.

ie in a club you can walk around the room and notice a drop in volume,

earphones create a feeling of its alright.