Why do some musicians wear on-ear monitor headphones while playing? Especially bassists and sometimes drummers. Is there a purpose for it?
Why aren't other musicians/instrument players impacted by a supposed problem, if there was one?
And what do they hear inside? Is it the clicktrack or is it plain noise cancellation silence or is it their own bass notes that they play?
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What are you referring to as monitor headphones? Iems, which take the place of floor mounted foldbacks, or on-ear 'monitors', which in some cases will take excessive sound down to a sensible listening level, or something else?– TimCommented Sep 23 at 15:48
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on ear monitor headphones– NRBCommented Sep 23 at 15:49
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1Most of the content of the question seems to be asking "Why have anything on/in your ears, what's it playing," but it seems easily confused with "why choose over-ear headphones with earcups, over in-ear models?" Please clarify.– Andy BonnerCommented Sep 23 at 17:11
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(And, to answer that part: It's a lot easier to block out external noise with large earcup-style headphones, or "cans." But people often choose in-ear monitoring instead for aesthetic reasons, so they don't look like DJs, or so they can stay in place better if they move around violently. Expensive in-ears, especially custom-molded ones, can block a lot of sound.)– Andy BonnerCommented Sep 23 at 17:13
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2I curious as to whether this question might partially be about on-ear as opposed to in-ear monitors. The former is common in recording studios but the latter is much more widely used in live situations. I have used in-ears on many gigs and have yet to personally see another musician use on-ears in a live performance. If the on-ears are closed back (most are) then both do the same thing, blocking external sound in order to hear a controlled and customized mix of what everyone is playing. This can also include a click track and prerecorded tracks as well.– John BelzaguyCommented Sep 24 at 12:51
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3 Answers
To hear themselves and the rest of the band. See In live performance, what is a "monitor"? for more information.
Anyone who isn't wearing monitors on their ears is likely listening to monitor speakers.
They hear a mix from the sound board, possibly tailored to their own preference. If there is a click track, it will surely be included in the mix, because otherwise they wouldn't be able to hear it. I don't believe click tracks are common outside of certain dance performances and perhaps other productions that require precise timing. It's certainly not silence!
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My non-classical playing is in contemporary church music, going for a vaguely pop-rock sensibility, and a click track is a culturally ingrained expectation, which they'd be helpless without, much like a symphony whose conductor didn't show up. I've even been in a few more-produced shows where some manner of band leader is calling out structural cues into a mic that goes only to the in-ears, or sometimes these will be recorded into the click track, like "second bridge ... drums-only chorus ... all in." Commented Sep 23 at 17:19
Many drummers wear headphones for a combination of in-ear monitors (IEM) and ear safety.
As drums make a lot of noise, the easiest/safest way for a drummer to hear the whole band context is to use headphones with a custom mix, blocking out the Very Loud Drum sound in front of them.
For many other musicians, a pair of headphones is the easiest/most comfortable way to provide an IEM environment with the least stage noise—particularly useful if the drums (there go those drums again!) are loud. Thus the bassist, and perhaps a rhythm guitarist or non-featured keyboardist, may choose to wear a headset.
So then, why doesn't everyone wear it? Answer: Stagecraft. The headsets reduce the audience's feeling of connection with the artist, and vice versa. So the people who are putting on the visual portion of the show—typically lead singer and lead guitarist—will probably never go with headphones, opting for either IEMs, which are essentially invisible, or stage monitor speakers in the form of wedges or side fills.
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2"lead singer and lead guitarist -- will probably never go with headphones" - Except when the headphones are part of the artist's stage image! Commented Sep 24 at 15:42
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2I would like to point out the perspective of the sound engineer, which emphasizes the points made here, especially on smaller stages: The less noisy the stage is, the better the sound can be tailored to the audience via the PA system.– MarcelCommented Sep 24 at 18:32
Not sure if this is 100% accurate but for me, I like to wear one ear on so I can hear my playing and one ear off so I can hear other instruments. Drummers also wear them because drums are incredibly loud and can cause hearing loss.
