i see the piano technicians have been talking about ear plugs for a bit now.

Mr. apple is a remodeler and there are little packs of earplugs lying about my property. They can be bought cheaply at a hardware store.. 8 for a buck perhaps.

It is really interesting to play with a pair of them 'in'. One hears differently.. the voicing of notes is less plagued by vibrations.. it's worth a try if you happen to walk by a little package for sale. For me, i can hear the individual voices better.

i know this is a bit off topic, but it's helpful to wear them occasionally during practice.

That's an interesting idea (though I haven't done it). For people not real familiar with ear plugs, I would mention that they come in different materials (foam or silicone and maybe more) with different degrees of sound reduction - and results would vary depending on those factors.

I use ear plugs for sleeping, and they don't just muffle - they block out 32 dB of sound. I would still be able to hear an emergency siren or fire alarm, but not much else! If I were to experiment with ear plugs at the piano, I think I'd choose ones that were less effective - that is, which block fewer decibels - for this idea to be worthwhile.

For most ear plug types and brands sold in the U.S., the dB reduction rating is printed on the package.

I play amplified, fusion-y electric jazz on the weekends. My first preference is the "high fidelity" model from Hearos which I think run about 15 - 20 dollars per pair. But I think that the Macks swimmer's disposable earplugs are actually the best (for me, anyway). I get a decent flat frequency response. Though onstage spoken communications between myself and other band members are a pain in the butt.

My ears ring at the slightest provocation, which can make my Monday morning piano practice sessions sort of unpleasant if there's residual ringing from the weekend.... So the more protection, the better......

Wearing them while at an acoustic piano is a little disconcerting for me. Yes, it's true that there's less "vibration" in certain voicings - and they help ward off ear fatigue if I'm surrounded by music non-stop for 12 - 14 hours a day - but I feel disconnected and removed sometimes when I'm wearing them at an acoustic piano.

I had a very loud old Kawai on hardwood floor, and my ears hurt when playing so I used earplugs sometimes. It helped a lot, except it's pretty disconcerting how loud everything sounds when you take them out.

Actually I should clarify, I used in ear headphones that blocked sound very well.

I use the etymotic earplugs that are designed for musicians. They are also more expensive. But I only get one pair of ears, so I think I am worth it.

www.etymotic.com, but I bought mine from Amazon.

They do help, for instance if I am practicing something with big crashing chords. I am less mentally tired afterwards, and it cuts down on the ear ringing.

Sam

I have a set of the Etymotic ones and they come closer to anything else I've tried to making a modest reduction in loudness with only a minimal coloration on the sound. In my bright, loud music room I occasionally put them in if I'm going to playing for more than 30-40 minutes without a break. Saves a bit of ear fatigue.

I have a drawer filled with these.

When playing piano in a room filled with people it can get real loud. By blocking out a lot of the room noise the job becomes more enjoyable, that plus I can really hear myself better.

I bought a box of these plugs when I lived in the US. A friend of mine over here was a government inspector for an abattoir and he gave me a bunch as well. All the employees working around the machinery used them.

I always keep them in the car and all of my jackets. You never know when you'll be exposed to loud noise.

That seems awfully contradictory.... how can you possibly hear better with blocked hearing? I had an ear infection for 2 months and couldn't hear properly at all - it was all plugged, and believe me it's NOT what you want.....

When you're playing in a room where people are talking and eating, for example, and you block out the extraneous noise, you can hear yourself better. The piano can be overwhelmed by the noise of talking and the clanging of dinnerware.

Not all halls are carpeted and the din from the talking becomes too much for me.

i don't know.. i guess you hear unwanted sounds too. it's just different for me. I don't think i would actually buy ear plugs (altho my daughter is wearing me out with her arpeggios and singing).

You should purchase custom made ear plugs (also called musician's ear plugs), because they are moulded to your ear, last a lifetime, and have a special filter that prevents the pitch from being altered. You have to go to a hearing specialist to purchase them. I found them especially useful because of all the drumming I do.

+1 on the Etymotics

I also have a set of their headphones which are also fantastic.

You aren't using the CP5 for gigs?

if I have to do a gig like that, I just have a couple of beers before instead.......

I prefer playing an acoustic piano, when there isn't one available, I'll use a digital.

I don't drink on a job, I feel it's unprofessional ... and it affects my playing and not in a good way.

I like my digital so I can use in-ear monitors. The piano still sounds good but I block out everything else.

It was a joke

Well actually, on several gigs like that they would actually bring me 1-2 glasses of wine on the house!