practicising all weekend, I feel hypersensitive to any noise!

I've decided that playing in a small room isn't a good idea - the echo and reverb seems to do my ears in. Now when I'm playing outdoors, I try and play soft, mostly because I find tone control easier, and at the louder volumes, I sound like I'm really straining.

Thing is - my ears are shot by Monday. With my attempts to hit the 3rd octave comfortably, I'm really outdoing myself and I feel like my ears have taken a bruising.

The violin was a worse instrument in that respect - it was deafening and so clear to the ear. The flute can be extremely loud.

Does anyone else get deafened by their own sound? I've tried wearing earplugs but then I can't tell whether I'm just playing plain awful, or awful as usual.

no

can't hear you lol

Never had that problem before.

it is important to practice in different environments, try to find a church where you can practice, or perhaps a larger classroom, when I was in college, I did all my best practice away from the practice rooms

I practice in the practice rooms at school for several hours each day and I have suffered no ill effects as a result. It is painful when practicing the upper register of the piccolo in small spaces, but the flute shouldn't give you any problems. Professional musicians have spent a tremendous amount of time practicing in small rooms and if it was dangerous to ears, we'd all know.

It's all in your head.

My parents and especially my brother, think I am too noisy playing Scales and Moyse's Scales exercises for 3-4 hours every night, so they made me in a small practice room with only 8x7.5= 60 sq foot, there is nothing but wall paper. Do you think I can get hearing loss soon? There are many high notes I need to practice, especially I am working on 1st flute of Socerer's Apprentice.

You can damage you ears i use a Db meter to see how loud I am and in a small room it goes above 90 db which with long exposure can and will damage your hearing . I use ear plugs so that I am protected with the 3 rd octave and up . Please protect your hearing and if you practice is a small room use protection or play soft .

Doug

Ps piccolos are worse use ear plugs all the time for them

Thanks Dog -

i pretty much thought as much. The longer a musician plays, the less likely he/she is going to notice she is being deafened by the instrument!

In any case, I asked a doctor friend who told me that 'hyperacusis' (hearing things extra sensitively) is of concern, especially in those who are about to go deaf. Hmmmm.

Do you think closed back headphones are enough to weaken the sound?

The 3rd octave does trouble me. I just don't like it's high pitch. This is one advantage of recorded music, where the volume can be reduced to safe limits. I really don't like the piccolo either. The alto flute is my favourite though. It's never as penetratingly loud as the C concert flute, but then I had only managed the early 3rd octave in it.

Thanks Dogsterooni!! Wow, over 90 Db in small room? I will wear earplugs from now on, I practice 3-4 hours on Moyse scales - sometimes I have to play high notes for 1 hour or more continually.

I never do piccolo, it hurt my right ear.

You are amazing I have seen your youtubes please protect your hearing . I also would like to see you write your own compositions .You would be good at that i am sure!!

Doug

will do, thanks Doug

I'm using hearing aids, so there is no real way for me to use ear plugs. I'm not sure what to do about it, since I hate how much of the details in sound I lose when playing without hearing aids. At least my practice room is kind of large, and I don't do any extensive third octtave practising yet.

If playing in a small room, find one with draped walls.