If you ever attended a concert, you might have listened to the loud drumbeats in the background. Have you wondered why do drummers wear headphones amidst the chaos?
It’s “headphones” that keep them concentrated on banging the drums. So how influential is headphones for drummers during concerts?
What do they listen to while doing a live show? You shall find answers to these questions in the following paragraphs.
🤔Why Do Drummers Wear Headphones? Quick Cheat-Sheet
| S. No. | Reason for using headphones | Importance | What if they skip headphones | Advantages | Any prerequisite |
| 1. | Ear protection | 5/5 | Ears will be exposed to high volume. | Reduces sound coming to ears. | No. |
| 2. | Other instruments | 5/5 | Cannot hear in the chaos from the audience | Can pay close attention to the music from other instruments. | No. |
| 3. | “the click” | 4/5 | Timing lag can occur | Drumming will sync perfectly | Proper click track |
| 4. | Cancel outside noise | 4/5 | Get distracted from the crowd’s noise | Will be focused on the main music. | No |
Also Read: Why Do Podcasters Wear Headphones [Definitive Answer]
🥁 Top 5 Reasons Why Drummers Wear Headphones
You can find five reasons why you (drummers) should wear headphones. Although, the two main reasons that you should be concerned about are:
You may read further for brief explanations on each.
🎧 #1: Click Track/ Metronome
Like playing other instruments, drumming also requires ideal timing to produce good music. Click tracks are basically like metronomes; drummers use them to maintain the tempo of their music.
As its name suggests, a click track is a track that maintains the beat with the click sound. Playing drums early or late will have a significant impact on the entire music, and that’s why most drummers listen to a click track while doing a concert.
Drummers mostly use in-ear headphones to listen to click tracks so that other people in the band and the audience won’t hear the “click-click.”
Drummers bring the soul of a band listen to a click track throughout the show to obtain the optimal output.
However, people in the earlier times didn’t have the technology of a click track. They had a hard time maintaining their beat, but it had increased their talent to do so.
You live in the 21st century; the choice is yours to listen to a click track or not to listen to a click track.
Also Read: 5 Reasons Why DJs Wear Headphones
💻 #2: Monitors To Hear Other Musicians
Have you been to a rock concert band?
Then you might have experienced a situation where you cannot hear your fellow mates because of the high volume. This situation can also happen for the drummers. Not just in rock concerts but in all shows, the sound of the music, and the noise of the crowd accompanied by the heavy drum beats, a drummer can’t hear his fellow bandmates.
As a solution, musicians, especially drummers, wear ear monitors to escape the roaring crowd and the loud drumbeats and hear other musicians.
While playing as a band/team, it is vital to have coordination and communication with other members.
Drummers, amidst the chaos, wear in-ear monitors to get everything balanced according to their needs.
Additionally, it will sort out the noises from the audience, which helps drummers create a separation between on stage and the audience as he will only hear people who are present on stage.
👂 #3: Protection Of Ears
During concerts and live shows, drummers are exposed to loud volume music, damaging eardrums.
But don’t worry!
Drumming headphones can help you in this situation as they are designed to allow only certain frequency noises and prevent all the other frequency sounds that are harmful.
However, no drummer will go deaf with all the chaos around him, but still, it could cause some damage, which is why you need drummer headphones.
You can also play your monitor mix through these headphones at a safe level. You will communicate better with your whole band and save your ears from getting damaged with all these benefits.
🔊 #4: Amplifying and setting down sounds
Drummers require more clear sounds to play and practice better. For that, you might need drummer headphones that can be adjusted to amplify or set down certain sounds.
However, this might help you as a drummer to perform well by staying in your comfort zone (by only hearing your comfort sounds).
If you are a beginner or just started your career in drumming, this feature can help you to identify your tastes while drumming.
🎶 #5: Recording drumming sessions
Are you preparing to perform in an event? Or are you trying to make a music album?
Well, if you get tired of taking recorders or mobile phones to record your drumming sessions. Don’t worry!
Because you don’t have to carry anything anymore, plugging your headphones can record your drumming sessions and transfer them to your suitable device.
Then, you don’t have to worry about forgetting your device (used for recording) as you are ready to go just after you complete your session.
Plugin your headphones and enjoy drumming without any worries!
✅ Why are in-ear headphones better for drummers?
So, more freedom and less visibility are the key terms for why you should wear in-ear- headphones.
⏫ What are the top 3 best headphones for drummers?
Pros
- Low price.
- Value for money.
- Comfortable and durable.
Cons
- Less bass.
KZ ZS10 Pro is the freedom you need! A very affordable in-ear headphone that is comfortable and durable with good sound quality.
Pros
- 50MM driver
- Clean sound
- Solid build quality
- Good padding
Cons
- Snugly fit
- Poor design
MAONO AU-MH601 is one good over-ear headphone with noise cancellation and clean sound available in the market.
Pros
- Flat and dry sound
- Good audio isolation
- Comfortable
Cons
- Loss of sound
Alesis DRP100 offers good comfort and audio isolation. If you need noise-isolating headphones at a reasonable price, this can be a good choice.
🌟 Five Bonus Tips for Beginner Drummers
⭐FIVE BONUS TIPS⭐
Posture
One of the most crucial first lessons for drumming is posture. You have to ensure that you set your drum throne to the right height. Have your thighs sloping downwards towards your knees; when you are playing this way, you don’t have to take much strain, and it will keep you in a healthy position.Holding drum sticks
There isn’t any correct way, so you develop your unique style to old a drum stick. The most popular style among drummers is the matched grip, where you have to hold the sticks in both hands in the same way.Practice with Metronome
Using a metronome helps beginner drummers pick up accuracy, consistency, and a strong sense of rhythm with elevated playing speed. As a beginner standard, you should start with a slow BPM, such as 60 beats per minute.Independent hands and feet
Hands and feet should be working simultaneously. Beginners would find it difficult to move all four limbs simultaneously for excellent coordination. Many linear drum beats will help you build your independence between hands and feet.Middle of the drums
It’s common to get confused about where to hit the drum. However, you have to understand that hitting on the sides of the drums won’t produce good clarity sounds. It would be best to typically hit in the middle of the drums to deliver the best sounding beats. You might need to practice hitting the center, which will eventually increase your accuracy and result in good-sounding bangs.
💡 More Questions About Why Drummers Wear Headphones
Why do drummers make weird faces?
Ans: The reason can be different for each drummer. Drummers might be running out of energy as playing drums is not an easy task. They might also be exhausted as they do live shows and performances repeatedly. It can also be the way they enjoy the music.
Do drummers lose their hearing?
Ans: No, drummers can get their eardrums damaged by listening to the loud bangs of drums. However, they can protect themselves by wearing good protection headphones.
How many years does it take to become a good drummer?
Ans: 10 to 12 months to become proficient, and being a professional requires 18 months to 2 years of practice.
We hope that we have been able to answer your question, about why do drummers wear headphones. Feel free to drop a comment below and let me know your opinion.
About the Author
Rach Wellard
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