When practicing with a band, I use earplugs. When I'm just playing by myself I wear a set of those headphone looking things that are marketed for gun range use (cheaper than the ones marketed for musical use). When playing live, I usually don't use anything unless the monitors are actually doing their job, which unfortunately is quite rare, in which case I use earplugs.
Yes. Religiously. Every time I've played acoustic drums since the early '70s, and every time I'm in a club or concert. Good plugs are the best investment you can make in career longevity- and even cheapo foamies are lifesavers when you get into a noisy situation unexpectedly.
I literally never leave the house without a set of foamies on my keychain. Hell, you can get serious damage just going into the drum room at Guitar Center to buy sticks... (;-)
I'm 14, and I've started early. I wear them while we practice, and occastionally live. I'm a big Who fan but I don't want to end up like Pete Townshend!
Definately yes, I posted this a while back on pluggging up;
"Just to add to the above posts - ear protection. For many years I would cut tracks in the studio using a very loud headphone mix. This was to overcome the inherent problem of sound leaking into the cans and the tendency for foldback to include a mix of the drum sound going to tape.
Now the cans used were usually Beyer DT100 types- enclosed, and capable of and indeed being run at high volume. Most drummers might relate to the sight of the audience blinking involuantarily when a snare or hi hat in particular are smacked with some force and then put out thru a nKilowatt rig - I certainly have The same thing happens with headphone foldback and the massive volume will totally fuck your ears if you regularly submit to high heaphone foldback levels. In addition an insiduous side effect of this is poor timing, inability to deal with a click etc. The drummer must take control of the volume element to playing the drums - loads never do, buy edrums, give up etc.. So make sure the drummer has a bunch of those 29 dB rated yellow foam ear plugs at least. When a drummer is used to plugs it will make a big difference to what you you get out of him or her.
Yes, after playing a four hour set my ears were ringing well into the next day. Ringing ears indicate damage. I do have some hearing loss, and do were ear plugs whenever I am around something loud.
Yeah, I'm 15 and have been told to wear earplugs by just about everyone, but me being in the stupid, arrogant, thinks-he-is-invincible teenager phase, I haven't listened. Now, nothing really seems to be loud. I can really hear everything quite perfectly, but my ears are never ringing and nothing seems to freak my ears out. Hope it's nothing serious.
I always use earplugs, whenever i sit down at a kit. Like Elevate said, the only time i dont use them, is when i have issues with the monitors when playing live...
i also wear earplugs at all shows i go to...i intend on still seeing AND hearing bands when im older. I have a small pair, which are great as they can survive the rough and tumble of the moshpit and still stay in.
Just another thing...I've got ringing in my ears...its alot like what you get after going to a gig, although it is at a far higher pitch. It has always been there, as long as i can remember (I'm only 17 and i can recall hearing it every night when i was a toddler)...not sure whats going on there....but it sure as hell can piss you off...I dont like the idea of it getting any worse, so im going to continue using hearing protection!!!!