Can you play your keyboard too loudly?

[PeterA]

Can you play your keyboard too loudly?

It can be hard to tell how loud sounds are.
In this topic we try to understand how loud is too loud, for any noise.

Noise is measured using the decibel (dB) scale, which reflects the sensitivity of human ears to different levels and frequencies of sound.

Here are some examples:

0dB – the quietest sound a healthy human ear can hear
40dB – a quiet library
60dB – ordinary spoken conversation
85dB – a food blender
88dB – heavy traffic
91dB – a pneumatic drill
97dB – an industrial fire alarm
100dB – a nightclub
110dB – a live gig or concert
130dB – an aeroplane taking off 100m away

140dB is the level at which noise causes pain for most people, although some may experience pain at lower levels.

The danger decibel level is 85dB, which is the threshold level when hearing can become damaged over time.

Sounds under 85dB are safe to listen to and you don’t need to use any hearing protection, or be concerned for your hearing.
But for anyone in a noisy environment, if the sound levels reach 80dB, their employer should assess the risk to their hearing and inform them about action to be taken.

How long anyone is exposed to noise also matters.
The length of time someone can 'safely' be exposed to sound over 85dB without needing to use hearing protection depends on how loud it is.

Sound intensity, which is the energy the sound wave carries, doubles with every increase of 3dB. So even though, for example, the sound of heavy traffic doesn’t sound twice as loud as a food blender, it’s twice as intense.

The safe exposure time for 85dB is up to eight hours a day. Remember that you’re exposed to lots of different sounds that are 85dB or over throughout the day, and this exposure time adds up.

As sound intensity doubles with every increase of 3dB, the safe exposure time halves. So, for example, the safe exposure time for 88dB is four hours.

You’re at risk of hearing damage after just 15 minutes when you’re in an average nightclub, which plays music at 100dB, if you don’t use earplugs to protect your ears.

For sounds of 110–120dB, even a very short exposure time can cause hearing damage.

[PeterA]

So how does loud noise damage the ear?

People with good hearing have tiny hair cells that line the inner ear and these transmit signals to the brain, which are interpreted as sound.

Listening to loud music can flatten these hairs, and although they normally spring back into place, noise damage over a long period can cause them to snap.

The problem, which is one that many people don't realise, is that these hairs do not regrow and so any damage is permanent.

'The damage isn't instantaneous. It can take many months or even years for the effect to become apparent,' says Robert Beiny, who happens to be the European Audiologist of the Year. (Or should that read Audiologist of the Ear.)

Loud music seems to be a characteristic of the current age.

It's not just MP3 music that can damage your hearing, because noise is all around us and it can be very difficult to avoid.

Background noise, where people are continuously bombarded by sound, is growing constantly in this industrial age, and we are all aware of it from the moment we step out on to the street. So, if you have any ear problems, be careful, especially in very noisy places.

When attending clubs and concerts, make sure you give yourself a break on your night out. Don't stand near the speakers and rest your ears every hour for a good 10 minutes.

What is a simple way to tell if any noise is too loud?

It can be hard to tell how loud sounds are, but if you cannot talk to someone who is about 2m away without shouting because of background noise, it is very likely that noise levels are dangerously high.

There are decibel reader apps that are available to download onto a smartphone or tablet, but these should only be used as a guide as they are not designed for professional use.

Anyone may be exposed to noise that is dangerously loud if they go to music events, listen to music through headphones, shoot for sport, ride a motorbike or use power tools.

If someone finds they cannot hear properly or have ringing in their ears for a few hours afterwards, it is a sign they have been exposed to noise that is loud enough to damage their ears and they may have developed a slight and permanent hearing loss. If they keep exposing themselves to loud noise, this damage will become more noticeable and permanent over time.

If noise is so loud that it hurts someone's ears, they should immediately leave the venue or stop the activity that is causing the noise and use hearing protection in future.

The louder the noise is and the longer they are exposed to it, the higher the risk to their hearing. They can protect their hearing by lowering the volume of music, reducing the time they are exposed to loud noise, and using earplugs or ear defenders in noisy environments.

For some suggestions of how to listen to music safely, see my next Reply.

[PeterA]

Here are some suggestions for listening to music safely.

Too much loud music can cause permanent hearing loss and tinnitus.

These simple tips if adhered to, can protect your ears, enabling you to enjoy music for years to come.

Remember, from what we have seen before, that the risk of hearing damage from loud music depends on how loud it is and how long you’re exposed to it for.

Therefore you should be able to appreciate that the louder the music, the shorter the time you should listen to it.
If the music feels uncomfortable, it’s definitely too loud!

Some people are more susceptible to noise-induced hearing damage than others.
Unfortunately, it is only possible to know that you are susceptible to hearing damage once the damage is done.

It's hard to quantify a safe set level because the output of every player is different., and our judgement of volume levels will vary greatly.

'Here is a good rule of thumb, which is often referred to as the 60/60 rule.
You should only listen to music at 60 per cent volume, and you shouldn't listen for more that 60 minutes in one sitting.

Types of Headphones

The standard MP3 headphones don't seal the ear and, therefore, let in extraneous noise from outside, often prompting people to turn up their player volume.

There are three types of headphone that can help reduce the damage:

The old fashioned ones that sit right over the ear – look out for ones with decent cushioning.
The ones with electronic limiters that actively cancel out noise.
The 'bud' type earphones that have a custom sleeve and sit right in the ear, sealing against outside noise.

High quality earphones are a good investment, because they will block more of the environmental noise, allowing the user to reduce the volume and still hear the music comfortably.

When listening through headphones

We are currently a gadget generation, so iPhones and the like are regularly used, especially by younger folk, to listen to their favourite podcasts. (I am impressed that I have used that word: I am trying to impress my grandchildren!)

Get advice on the dangers of MP3s, iPhones, iPods etc., and what you can do to keep your ears safe.

Today many could be doing their hearing a great deal of harm.

According to a new report by the Hear the World initiative, Britons are only second to the USA when it comes to music player use, with 16 per cent of them listening to their MP3 players on a daily basis, and 9 per cent cranking up the volume to maximum.

In our busy and often noisy lives, plugging in your headphones can be a great way to escape, which can pose a danger.

But more than ever before, we're listening to music at a high volume, often just to drown out the excessive noise around us.

The Hear the World report surveyed 4,400 people around the world (including the UK) aged 14 to 65 and revealed that 85 per cent played their MP3 player at more than 50 per cent of total volume. Now the real problem is that MP3 players have the ability to blast 104 decibels (dB) straight into the ears, which is equivalent to standing next to a pneumatic drill (110dB). In fact, any level above 90dB can cause long-term damage to hearing.

In fact, around a quarter of people in the UK between the ages of 18 to 24 have been found to listen to music at maximum volume – which is a real concern.

Teenagers are now experiencing the same hearing damage as their parents' generation but at a much younger age.

There is a danger for us with our keyboards, especially if we use headphones. We can, especially with superb quality headphones, turn up the wick, and though enjoying the great sound, can be doing permanent damage to our ears.

Here are some suggestions to help prevent this trouble.

Set the volume at a sensible level and resist the temptation to increase it.
Take regular breaks of at least five minutes every hour to give your ears a rest.
Use a volume limiter on your device, if there is one available. This device means that you will not be able to turn the music up without realising it.
Turn the volume down a notch anyway. It will make a big difference to how long you can listen safely for.
Invest in some noise-cancelling headphones. These block out the noise around you, and also mean you won’t have to turn up the volume to a dangerous level to hear your music properly over background noise.

In my next Reply, we consider noise exposure of orchestra players.

To be continued .. Peter

[dentyr]

Hello, Great script. There is a local car that turns into our street from the main highway just over a kilometer away and when he turns into the street I can hear the thumping from the car, As he drives past I can't hear my TV. The hearing center tells me he is a future client. Regards, Den.

[Hugh-AR]

Den ... I like that story!

Peter ... You were talking about a volume limiter. I had a tape recorder once that had 'automatic volume' ie. the quiet bits were made louder so you could hear them, and the very loud bits were toned down to make them quieter. What a disaster that was .. for a musician! When recording, it 'ironed out' all the expression put into a piece, so there were no quiet or loud bits and everything sounded just 'dead pan'. I think these cassette recorders were designed for using at Board Meetings in offices. Then all the conversation would be audible at the same level.

But you were talking about a 'Limiter'. I was playing my AR80 organ one day with headphones on (ones with a thick cushioning) and was building up to a crescendo at the end of a piece. Put my foot down (no, not on the accelerator .. on the expression pedal) and nothing happened. No increase in volume. After trying it a couple of times I was sure there was something wrong with the expression pedal of my organ, so rang the organ engineer, who came up the following day. He could find nothing wrong with the organ whatsoever. And then the penny dropped. I was wearing 'in the ear' hearing aids at the time, and these had a 'limiter' in the circuitry so that loud noises outside wouldn't damage my ears. Great idea for cutting down the noise of motorbikes and pneumatic drills, but not much use in a music situation. He and I both had a good laugh and he left without charging me anything at all. I now wear hearing aids with grommets in the ear, which have holes to let normal sound in directly. And no limiter.

Hugh

[Rev Tony Newnham]

Hi

Some important points in this thread. There are actually legal limits on noise levels & use of hearing protection in the workplace.

Also, age-related hearing loss is probably inevitable, but care of your hearing may delay things.

Ear-buds are a particular problem because they couple sound to the ear significantly better than other headphones, so even a relatively low powered device (phone or mp3 player) can reach danger levels. For this reason, I very rarely use them, preferring conventional headphones when I can't listen on speakers. I have a number of pairs of 'phones that I've gathered over the years. Some (the "best" ones for this usually the more expensive ones) are better at isolating outside noise. My Sennheiser HD 280pro 'phones are rated at around 30dB isolation, which is pretty good. You can also get "open back" headphones. In general these sound more natural that the enclosed types (which often have some resonance in the air space around the ear). Open-back 'phones though provide little isolation from outside noise - and leak a fair amount of what you're listening to out into the room.

Be careful - and give your ears a rest as suggested above!

Every Blessing

Tony

[PeterA]

Thanks all for your comments.

As we grow older, and I am 76, our hearing deteriorates anyway, but throughout our lives we are bombarded by loud noise, and more so in today's world.

Damage is often done when we are young and don't heed the warnings that we are given.

Trouble is you cannot undo hearing damage. They can provide hearing aids, which I have worn everyday for over 6 years now, that make an incredible difference, so I would not be without them.

I don't think I suffer from tinnitus, just mainly high frequency hearing loss.

It pays to preserve what hearing we still do have.

Peter

[PeterA]

Surprisingly, music that people think is going to be the most dangerous isn't necessarily the worst.

In fact, classical music can be as damaging as heavy metal or rock.

Jazz, Classical and Rock musicians all suffer from some hearing damage, because it is not the type of music that is any safer or more dangerous than another, it is simply the volume at which anyone listens to it.

We tend to assume certain musicians or music lovers are at greater risk of hearing damage, but surprisingly, classical musicians are at extreme risk for hearing loss

An increasing number of classical musicians suffer from hearing loss, tinnitus and/or hyperacusis which may severely affect their professional and daily life.

A Finnish study among classical musicians found that 15 percent of the musicians in the study suffered from permanent tinnitus, in comparison to 2 percent among the general population.

Temporary tinnitus affected another 41 percent of the musicians in group rehearsals and 18 percent of those in individual rehearsals.

By the way, it is estimated that 15 percent of the general population experience tinnitus temporarily.

As many as 43 percent of the classical musicians suffered from hyperacusis, a hearing disorder characterized by reduced tolerance to specific sound levels not normally regarded as loud for people with normal hearing. That means 2 out of 5. Does that surprise you?

Furthermore, hearing loss causes stress, and although 83 percent of the musicians claimed their job was stressful, those suffering from hearing damage were three times more likely to suffer from stress according to the study.

Suffering from tinnitus increased the stress prevalence five-fold, and those with hyperacusis were nine times more likely to suffer from stress.

Music is yet another noise that we have to contend with in our modern society.

Up to half of the musicians in the study considered their work environment as noisy.
Hearing loss figured prominently in this perception, as well.
Musicians with hearing disorders were three to ten times more likely to consider their working environment as very noisy.

Classical musicians are exposed to high levels of noise for five to six hours daily.

The sound level from a double bass, for example, may reach 83 dB, and a flute or the percussion instruments produce as much as 95 dB of noise.

These figures are significantly above the 85 dB maximum recommended noise exposure limit in a workplace, established by the World Health Organization, WHO.

The European Union directive sets a daily noise exposure limit value of 87 dB in the workplace.

If noise levels cannot be adequately reduced, hearing protection must be available and regular hearing tests must be conducted to safeguard the employees' hearing health.

Few actually avail themselves of hearing protection.

Less than one musician in four in the Finnish study used hearing protection even though 70 percent of the musicians said that they were concerned about their hearing.

Among the musicians with normal hearing, only 10 to 15 percent used hearing protection, while the rate of hearing impaired musicians using hearing protection was about 10 percentage points higher.

Although special hearing protection has been designed for musicians, the musicians in the Finnish study said that they find it difficult to perform and hear the others playing when using hearing protection.

They also found the hearing protection uncomfortable to wear and adjust. Some found them hard to use due to existing hearing problems, while others believed that music would not damage their hearing.

Now you know.

Peter

[PeterA]

Fortissimo just isn’t enough for some people.

To show just how ear-shatteringly bombastic some composers want their music played, they have been known to double, triple and even quadruple those fortes (And we thought fff meant as loud as you can possibly play).

The decibel-climbing results have been captured in albums, such as the appropriately titled Fortissimo and Thunder and Lightning.
How do these deafening instructions sound?

Here below are probably the top five loudest classical music compositions.


I think most of us would guess this piece would be in the top 5 loudest classical pieces.

1. Tchaikovsky’s 1812 Overture

Tchaikovsky’s 1812 Overture has a place on both of the bombastic CD anthologies, and who can argue with a work that uses artillery in its percussion section. Tchaikovsky used a wide range of dynamics in his works from a pianissississississimo in the "Pathetique" symphony to the quadruple fortes at the end of the 1812, perhaps one reason why it’s a favourite selection for outdoor concerts.




2. Ligeti's The Devil's Staircase

György Ligeti audaciously doubled the number of fortes Tchaikovsky wrote into the 1812, when he used eight in his Étude No. 13, The Devil’s Staircase. This aural exclamation point seems to be the classical equivalent of Spinal Tap’s amps marked up to 11—an absurdity that most likely delighted Ligeti. That doesn’t make playing the piece any easier for nimble fingered pianists.




3. Mahler's Symphony No. 8

Some of you would have expected this to be included in this list.

When you have a work nicknamed “Symphony of a Thousand” you’re likely to encounter an earsplitting moment or two. That’s the case in Gustav Mahler's Symphony No. 8, which actually premiered with 1,030 musicians, including the composer who conducted.
"Try to imagine the whole universe beginning to ring and resound,” Mahler wrote of the piece.




4. Holst's The Planets "Mars, The Bringer of War"

Gustav Holst is another composer who pushes his music beyond the normal dynamic limits. In the “Mars” movement from The Planets, the music fluctuates from pianissimo to ffff as “The Bringer of War” vacillates from being peaceful to waging battle. To illustrate Mars’ fury, Holst gives the god of war (and the entire horn section) the occasion to let out their amplified rage.




American Pulitzer Prize-winning composer Christopher Rouse doesn’t shy away from loud dynamics. In a 2007 review of the composer’s Requiem, the L.A. Times critic Mark Swed wrote, "The result can be a joyous racket, a terrible racket or, as it is in the Requiem, a combination of both.” New York Magazine’s Justin Davidson, wrote Rouse “means what he screams,” which is proudly blurbed on Rouse’s web site. It’s a fitting comment for a composer who acknowledges Led Zeppelin as an influence and has adopted the motto, “Anything worth doing is worth doing to excess.”
It is very rarely performed and no videos seem to be available so here is Christopher talking about it.

I'm not sure if this is because they can never find enough musicians with the courage to play it, or they can't find a venue where they would not upset the neighbours or local wildlife!



Peter

[PeterA]

Now here is a STOP that will make a lot of noise!



Peter

[Hugh-AR]

Peter,

I have found a YouTube recording of your Requiem by Christopher Rouse.

Christopher Rouse: Requiem (2002)



It lasts for 1hr 31mins and is pretty rousing .. so watch those volumes!

Peter ... Thanks for putting together this fascinating synopsis on 'noise' and 'music'. Must admit, I had never before considered 'music' as a type of 'noise' .. but I suppose anything we hear is a type of 'noise'. I'm just glad that some 'noises' are more pleasant to listen to than others!

For anyone who hadn't realised, Peter enjoys researching anything to do with music and Music Theory. He's not a music teacher. Just an enthusiastic amateur.

Hugh