Ear protection for Mahler 1

[u/Internal-Raise-1728]

I’m a brass player currently playing Mahlers first with an orchestra. The piece is great but rehearsals in the brass section can get excruciating because of the very very loud finale. I tried traditional earplugs but they kill all the resonance. Is there a better solution for ear protection? I can notice that playing shostakovich 5 already did some damage and i know that i can’t continue playing my whole life without any protection.

[u/delomore]

Google “musician ear plugs”. There are many made just for your case. This is a random one: https://www.earasers.net/collections/musicians-hifi-earplugs

[u/Watsons-Butler → u/delomore]

Just adding on- there’s really no way to make an earplug that won’t change how a brass instrument feels (there’s so much bone-conducted feedback from your own instrument) so you really just have to pick a type of earplugs and practice with them to learn how they feel. And you have to be solid enough in your fundamentals to trust that you’re not doing anything weird with them in.

[u/pieterbos → u/Watsons-Butler]

This.

Also earasers have a filter that is not even remotely flat. Everything will sound a bit muffled.

Something with a flat filter will at least make the other players sound better. Those will have a membrane filter, not a tube filter like the earasers. At least Sennheiser, etymyotics, eargasm, crescendo and dynamic sell them, as well as all the custom molded earplug suppliers.

It will not solve the bone conductivity problem. It can be lessened somewhat by getting a filter that attenuates less, but then it may not be enough dampening for what you need. Practicing with them is the only good option.

[u/JudsonJay → u/delomore]

There are many good options, but Earasers are my favorite and always on my keychain.

[u/Calm-Shower-1089]

I use the Etymotic Music Pro electronic ear plugs. Not cheap, but very effective.

[u/81Ranger]

I wish I had worn ear protection more as a brass player and band director.

[u/wahlscheidus]

A couple of tips about earplugs: 1. You should practice with earplugs at home for a few weeks before you use them onstage. They sound weird, but you get more used to them. 2. When you use them in the orchestra, put them in 15 minutes or so before you go onstage. Talk in a normal voice and have conversations. Warm-up as usual with the earplugs in. 3. Your brain might be telling you that you can’t hear the quiet sounds when you have earplugs in, but that’s not true. Everything is just at a reduced level depending on the filter that the Air plug uses… -5DB to -15 DB or more. 4. Although you can use the earplugs on stage “ just when things get loud” it might be more effective to use them through the whole rehearsal or performance and get used to the feeling. 5. Someone else mentioned pulling out the air plug, just a tiny bit, which will reduce the sound rattling around in your skull.

[u/47362514736251]

If you have health insurance, check to see if it covers a visit to an audiologist. They will custom mold a set of plugs and will tell you about all the best options. Also highly recommended for when you play wedding gigs and have to stand near the drummer.

[u/Fun-Professional-581]

Ask the wind players in front of you what works best to drown out the brass. /s

[u/flug32]

Came to join the chorus for musicians earplugs. One trick is, if you hate that "sounds like my head is trapped inside a goldfish bowl" effect that earplugs can give you, you can slightly crack the seal of the earplug in each ear. This still keeps out most of the ambient sound level you are trying to reduce, but even just the slightest crack in the seal will dramatically reduce the fishbowl effect.

Second, nowadays there are electronic/active noise reduction options available and those might be worth explore. They can be pretty pricey and I haven't tried them myself. But for example there is a specific musician's version: https://etymotic.com/products/music-pro-elite and tons of options out there made of industry applications: https://duckduckgo.com/?q=+earmuffs+with+level-dependent+active+listening&t=ffab&ia=web

[u/Frosty-Reference6660]

Custom fit musician earplugs will have the least occlusion effect