I can't feel my ears!

[Lisa]

Hi,

After playing for around 40 minutes my ears start to feel funny and tingly. I think maybe the weight of my sax is cutting the blood supply to my head... Which is worrying!

:laugh:

Does anyone use one of those harnesses that straps over the shoulders/waist to clip the sax to instead of a neck strap? I don't like the idea - it looks kinda like a baby walker! (I'm so vain.)

Any views on this before my ears fall off or the blood stops getting to my poor brain?!

L >.<

 

[Pete Thomas]

Lisa wrote:
Does anyone use one of those harnesses that straps over the shoulders/waist to clip the sax to instead of a neck strap? I don't like the idea - it looks kinda like a baby walker! (I'm so vain.)

I use one on the bass saxophone, it's a BG

 

[Bobby G]

That sounds like a weird'un, Lisa. I know what you mean about those harnesses. I can understand using one if you've got a huge sax to hang off it, it'll help spread the load, but an ordinary sling should do.

Maybe the length needs adjusting, even a very small adjustment of maybe only 5mm will change the way the mouthpiece presents to your mouth and may be more comfortable all round.

Or maybe your ears just don't like what they are hearing 😛

Cheers, Bob

 

[rs2sensen]

It might be worthwhile to try playing with ear-plugs in. A piccolo player friend of mine has to do it, because of the nature of her instrument, and she doesn't seem to mind.

I haven't found that I have any hearing damage from the sax, yet... In certain venues, I really should play with ear plugs, especially when I'm near the drums.

Sound can be a very powerful thing. A month or so ago, I had to go out in the center of my school's gym, to play the sax part of Chick Corea's "La Fiesta," for a homecoming celebration (the whole marching band was also in the gym playing). I was right next to the drums, and that combined with my own sound, the sound of soloists next to me, and 1200 screaming teenagers literally made me ill. After playing, I couldn't hear anything for nearly half an hour, and I felt like I was going to pass out. My ears were bright red and throbbing.

I've been looking at the harnesses too, but for a different reason...Lately my neck seems to be in rough shape, and is "cracking" a lot. Even just pushing my hand on the back of my neck can make it crack slightly. I have a feeling it's all the practicing I've been doing...the neckstrap pulling on the neck.

 

[Bobby G]

What sling are you using? My alto and tenor came with Neotech straps, which have a good-sized bit of padding around the neck, and a little bit of give, overall I find them very comfortable.

For my curved soprano I have a BG, these are good too, although there's very little weight in the sop.

I think you'd have to play for quite a long time at high volume and/or amplified, or in a high school gym or other cavernous venue, to get any hearing damage. From being in and out of rock bands and venues for over 30 years (man and boy, hardest job in the world), I have sometimes had a bit of a ringing in the ears after a gig, and I have some kind of mild tinnitus which I can filter out quite easily, but the hearing is generally pretty good.

What I have noticed in the last few years since going to a lot of jazz gigs which are amplified but at a fairly low level, is how good the separation of the instruments is when it's quieter. On the few occasions I've been to more 'electric' gigs recently, I'm struck not so much by the volume - I don't mind it quite loud - as by how hard it is to separate the instruments, as very often everything is (unnnecessarily, I think) fed through the PA at even quite small venues.

Cheers, Bob

 

[mfox]

there are muscles used playing wind instuments that can in effect close off the ears..i had it a lot years ago..try a harness. try a neotech sling..
i don't think the blood is being cut off to your head, im sure you ears would be the last to go numb..but if you are worried go and see the doctor

 

[Lisa]

Hi,

Thanks for all your responses, some interesting ideas - I'll try a harness or a different strap to see if I can lose the problem.

I have a Jupiter sax and use the neck strap that came with it. I'd been thinking of getting a different strap for a while because I can't quite shorten it enough to get the sax comforably in my mouth. This may be causing the problem in itself I guess if I'm holding my neck a bit funny when I play.

I feel it's not the noise that's the issue, but the circulation in my neck! If it were noise I'd probably get ringing in my ears, but I've suffered much louder noise than my sax baffled with a sock, so I'm sure it's just the weight of the sax on my neck. I think my Dr would laugh at me if I told him about this so I'll try some different straps before I bother him.

rs2sensen - that cracking in your neck sounds scarey, I hope you get it sorted.

Bye for now,
L

 

[Bobby G]

Lisa wrote:
Hi,


I have a Jupiter sax and use the neck strap that came with it. I'd been thinking of getting a different strap for a while because I can't quite shorten it enough to get the sax comforably in my mouth. This may be causing the problem in itself I guess if I'm holding my neck a bit funny when I play.

There's your problem, I suspect, Lisa. Ken's idea of mouthpiece patches could help too - I use them even though I don't exert a lot of pressure with my top teeth. I just find it more comfortable with a patch.

Cheers, Bob

 

[suethesax]

Lisa

I don't have a problem with my ears but being a wee girl, I have to use a harness for the tenor as I find it too heavy (wimp that I am). I find it very useful at lifting and seperating if you get my drift :laugh:

 

[oliver_bentley]

all good advice - often slings that come with the sax arent the best, worth getting a good un. Had a friend who used a harness, but looked a bit daft with alto, he decided it was bit over the top, n now he just uses a sling.

As for neotech ones, i dont like the give in em, as the sax moves around more, strainin you chops, but theres lots of people who swear by em.

Finally as for hearing probs, ear protection's a good idea Rs2 (see separate tinnitus thread - didnt really think about it till it was too late. woops) though normal ear plugs can muffel things like tone etc, so bit of a prob. :erm:

The other solution is wearing a (t)shirt with a collar, this helps to pad the neck out even further. Oli

 

[Bobby G]

Good point there - I always wear a top with a collar, if only to stop sling-chafeage on my delicate neck. I have very sensitive skin, you see.

I wouldn't say I swear by Neotechs, they are what came with the horns and I like them. I can see how that small amount of give might not suit some, though.

Pete said something about using a harness with a bass sax (how much does one weigh?), the only time I ever saw a bass sax it was mounted on some kind of stand so the player didn't have to support it at all.

Cheers, Bob