Drums and headaches?

Joelvan77

Junior Member
We recently got a new DW drum set for our church. It’s behind a plexiglass shield with foam walls behind it. We upgraded from a Mapex set last week. Our current snare is a DW 5.5x14. The Mapex was an 8x14. I have nice custom mold in ear monitors too.

The two times I have played in the kit I have developed a gnarley headache at my temples ears and eyes. I think it’s from this snare drum. I find that even when I turn my headphones down all the way the snare still bothers me. It’s just really loud on its own. I’ve never had this before and I’ve played in the same shield and with the same headphones for years!

Has anybody else experienced this? Got any remedies?
 
..The two times I have played in the kit I have developed a gnarley headache at my temples ears and eyes. I think it’s from this snare drum. I find that even when I turn my headphones down all the way the snare still bothers me. It’s just really loud on its own. I’ve never had this before and I’ve played in the same shield and with the same headphones for years!..

..Got any remedies?..


Maybe your ears are really not used to that certain, what you describe as a 'loud' sound..Also the fact that you are bothered or irritated a lot will not help..

Otherwise try maybe other sticks, other sorts of sticks, play even softer, a towel over the snare, different drumheads, etc

Or, the most easy solution, if the Mapex snare is still in the house, take that one back..
 
Loosen the batter head bit. It may be the frequency of the drum.
 
Yes, same here.
Every time you play the drums I get a headache........ Ba da boom' crash!




Sorry, I couldn't resist that.



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As Gdad stated - It's probably a resonating frequency issue - most easily solved by changing said frequency ie tune it down a bit. The old 8" depth would most likely have had a lower pitch than your new 5.5.

I sometimes get similarly affected by my bass player - in certain venues it just rattles something in my head. Changing the EQ slightly or even adjusting the positioning of his cab usually solves the problem, it's that particular frequency resonating off the particular surroundings.
 
As Gdad stated - It's probably a resonating frequency issue - most easily solved by changing said frequency ie tune it down a bit. The old 8" depth would most likely have had a lower pitch than your new 5.5.

I sometimes get similarly affected by my bass player - in certain venues it just rattles something in my head. Changing the EQ slightly or even adjusting the positioning of his cab usually solves the problem, it's that particular frequency resonating off the particular surroundings.

This post reminded me of something that happened to me one time. I was playing drums on a rectangular stage. My drums were positioned right in the corner. The band was creating a terrible echo sort of sound that only I could hear. It was so bad that I could not tell where the tempo was. The entire band sounded horribly out of tune and out of tempo. I re-positioned my drums two feet to the right and everything was much much better. As if there was a terrible echo right where my head had been in relation to the rest of the band.


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As others have said, I think it has more to do with frequency than volume.

Tune it down as best as you can and try it again. :)
 
Is it set up exactly the same? If something is slightly off affecting your posture, you could be pinching a nerve in your neck causing the headaches. Do they go away shortly after you stop playing?
 
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